Intel Performance Maximizer is an overclocking tool that uses automated testing to overclock the processor without user intervention, replacing the manual tuning process and subsequent testing, saving users a lot of time and expense. make things easier for the more inexperienced. . Intel says that with Performance Maximizer overclocking is done without risk, but it is also true that we do not achieve the same values that we could achieve by doing it by hand under expert advice.
How does it work and what do you need to do an automatic OC?
According to Intel’s Aaron Mcgavock, this application uses proprietary testing to cover a wide range of loads and algorithms that the processor might encounter during operation; This coverage is core-to-core tested and may take several hours depending on the number of processor cores, but will provide the best safe overclocking value that can be achieved on each individual processor.
Intel Performance Maximizer uses a maximum of 16 GB of storage space on the PC, where it creates a partition in which to perform CPU tests without interference from the operating system or other programs. This is done in a UEFI environment that boots before the operating system, and upon completion of testing and maintaining the desired level of overclocking, this partition will be automatically deleted.
In addition to 16 GB of storage, Intel Performance Maximizer has some additional requirements that must be fully met:
- Internet connection to download the application.
- An unlocked 9th, 10th, or 11th generation Intel Core processor (K or X).
- Windows 10 operating system.
- At least 8 GB of RAM.
- A third-party high-end cooling solution is recommended.
- You have to be able to do without the PC for several hours, because the process is very long. In addition, the process should not be interrupted by restarting or shutting down the PC.
- Intel recommends backing up your data in case something goes wrong in the process.
How to use Intel Performance Maximizer
Before starting the installation of the application, it is necessary that you uninstall any other CPU overclocking tool and that if you have overclocked the BIOS, reset the processor to its default values. Once done, download the app (choose the version for your CPU generation) and install it. The process is very simple (typical wizard in which you just have to select “Next” all the time until it finishes). You will be notified during the process that you need to restart your PC after the installation is complete.
Once the PC has restarted, you can continue to run Intel Performance Maximizer; In the first window that opens you will see a warning, and it is that no matter how much Intel says that this tool is safely overclocking the processor, misfortunes can always arise and therefore the company warns you that any liability in the event of problem will come back to you and you can not claim anything from them.
Once the disclaimer is accepted, the application will ask you to select the storage unit in which you want to create the 16 GB partition we talked about earlier, which is needed to create an environment outside of the operating system so that overclock tests safely and quickly without interference from other programs. If you do not have unallocated space on any of your drives, from Intel Performance Maximizer you can use an existing partition, and again, it is recommended to have a backup of all data at case where.
Once again, we must warn you that the process which will follow may take several hours; the software will test each core of your processor individually and extensively, which takes longer than relying on standard data to predict results. In other words, the level of overclocking you are going to achieve is customized for your specific CPU and it will not be done with all the cores at the same time as it would be if we did it through the BIOS.
When you are ready click continue and the system will restart automatically and the whole process will begin to run. Your computer will likely restart a few times over time, but don’t worry because everything works automatically. If you need to cancel the test, you can do so by pressing any key when the message “Press any key within 10 seconds to cancel the test” is displayed, but you will only have 10 seconds to do it and the message will only appear as as soon as you boot; once it starts, it cannot be stopped.
When the system has finished running the test, the PC will reboot and automatically apply the best overclocking values it has achieved. Then it will restart into Windows and show you the results in a window similar to this one:
Here you can click on “Rerun tests” to run the test again (although if all went well that’s nonsense as you won’t get better speed), or Finish to settle for the results which, as we mentioned before, will already be applied on your processor.
If you are getting error messages in any part of the process, we recommend that you refer to the troubleshooting section of the Intel user guide to see what is going on and be able to resolve them. Of course, once you click Finish, you’ll want to verify that the system is completely stable, so we recommend running Prime95 in Blend mode for at least two hours, always monitoring the operating temperature of the processor to ensure that it remains at the appropriate values.
