Overclocking is fun, it gets you levels of performance that either doesn't exist or you're not willing to pay for – but it also carries an element of risk. If you get it wrong, you could fry your circuits. Chip champ Intel has a solution for this. KitGuru prepares to GO COMPARE!
The rather un-sexily titled ‘Performance Tuning Protection Plan' that is being offered by Intel, gives you the chance to experiment like never before – to release the evil boffin inside you and zap your expensive ship with more volts than a Monty Python parrot.
In the past, you've held back because of worries about what would happen if you push the processor too far.
No more.
Intel's clever little insurance pack takes the natural 3-year warranty of the processor if ‘Used under sensible conditions and within the parameters of normal' – and gives it a nice shot of steroids.
‘The Plan' allows you a single processor replacement, hassle-free, from our customer support. In other words, if your ‘K' processor fails because you channelled half the national grid through it with on a stock cooler for comfort… then Intel's minions will still replace it without quibble.
So how much does the Performance Tuning Protection Plan cost?
With Intel's revenues around one Billion below where it was hoping, it looks like they have ‘pulled a Dixons' and brought out insurance that most overclockers will never need. Still, with the chips costing so much, can you ignore the offer. We have it on good authority from sources close to Intel's PR department, that Don Otellini has horses heads lined up for anyone who thinks they can ignore this offer. Or was that Don Huddy? We claim omerta.
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KitGuru says: Whether you're 100% confident in your O/C skills or not, there is always the possibility of failure from a power surge or the family dog taking a piss on your rig. With these processors costing anywhere from £150 to more than £800, it must be worthwhile getting the reassurance of the Intel insurance package. Who knows, maybe you can sue them for mis-selling it later on.
Comment below or in the KitGuru forums.