ASRock's leaked Base Frequency Boost hacks Intel overclocking limits, enabling non-K CPU and non-Z mobo overclocking: will the i3-10100 trounce the Ryzen 3 3100X?
ASRock's BFB tech purportedly enables overclocking on non-Z 400 series motherboards (Image source: ASRock)
A leaked slide from a purported ASRock Intel 400 series presentation indicates that the company's Base Frequency Boost (BFB) technology enables overclocking on non-K Intel CPUs and non-Z motherboards.
A leaked slide, purportedly from an ASRockpresentation on Intel 400 series motherboards, claims that the company's Base Frequency Boost (BFB) tech will enable overclocking on non-K Comet Lake CPUs and non-Z 400 series motherboards. If true, this might allow budget Intel i3-10100 users to trounce the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 through BFB overclocking.
BFB apparently works by increasing the TDP of locked processors to their maximum PL1 value. For 65W processors like the i3-10100, this would mean an increase to 125W. According to the slide, BFB can overclock some processors like the i7-10700 by as much as 900 MHz.
Til date, one of the key advantages of buying Ryzen hardware was that AMD allows overclocking on everything apart from bargain-basement A320 motherboards. ASRock's BFB tech appears to offer remarkable advantage considering how Intel locks overclocking to premium K-series CPUs running on expensive Z-series motherboards.
However, Intel has been known to crack down on any attempts to overclock its non-K CPUs. It remains to be seen whether ASRock will actually be allowed to support BFB.
Arjun Krishna - Tech Writer - 623 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2019
I've had a passion for PC gaming since 1996, when I watched my dad score frags in Quake as a 1 year-old. I've gone on to become a Penguin-published author and tech journalist. Apart from working as an editor at Notebookcheck, I write for outlets including TechSpot and Gamingbolt. I’m the Director of Content at Flying V Group, one of the top 5 digital marketing agencies in Orange County. When I'm not traveling the world, gathering stories for my next book, you can find me tinkering with my PC.