How to OC Intel i7 2960XM running on Windows 10 Build 1909

[AFrit7]

Hi,

I managed to install an Intel i7 2960XM Processor on a Motherboard with HM67 Chipset, running on a Windows 10 64 Bit System Build 1909. Unfortunately Intel Extreme Tuning Utility doesn't provide the functionality to adjust the core multipliers. The issue I am facing is the latest version of the Intel XTU 6.x probably doesn't support Sandy Bridge Platform anymore. All multiplier sliders are disabled and greyed out. I uninstalled the latest version of the XTU along with its settings and installed early version 2.1 of the Intel XTU, as it have been approved to work wth 2th generation extreme processors. However when I try to open up the XTU utility 2.1 the application freezes at startup displaying an error message "The Extreme Tuning Utility Service couldn't be contacted". How can I fix this issue? I am stuck with an Extreme Processor, that is not overclockable. This is an extremely unsatisfying situation. As far as I can see my bios settings allow overclocking features, but to some mystic reason, it doesn't work. Why?

[AlHill]

Your Sandy Bridge processor is not supported on Windows 10.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000006105/processors.html

And, your processor is not supported by XTU:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/24075

Doc

[AlHill]

Also, tell us the model number of this HM67 motherboard.

Doc

[AFrit7]

@Al.Hill​ : obviously overclocking functions are not supported, that's my experience and that's what I am complaining about. Probably it's a good idea to fix this issue or to recommend a work around. Kinda of irresponsible to disable support of legacy processors perfectly running on a windows 10 system. Lot's of users switched to Windows 10 as soon as it was released five years ago. Intel i7 2960XM was released 2011 and it was extremely expensive! For that reason it can't be reasonable to disable overclocking function support 4 years after already! ☝️ In fact i7 2960XM IS supported by XTU version 2.1, however XTU 2.1 doesn't open properly on Windows 10, but I honestly can't believe it can't be fixed.😐

[AlHill]

You have two links telling you that it is not supported. Just because XTU 2.1 (note that XTU is now at 6.5.1.360) supported it, why not go back to Windows 7, which supported that processor?

And, you still have not revealed the motherboard model number. For all we know, the motherboard bios may not support that processor.

What is irresponsible is trying to make your processor work on a board that may not support it, while running an operating system that does not support it, and trying to use a utility that does not support it.

As far as fixing it, there is nothing to fix.

Doc

[AFrit7]

For some reason I've got the feeling you're asking me for motherboard model to have one reason more to convince me it won't work :) However I attached a picture displaying all the information regarding my motherboard. If my motherboard wouldn't support that processor the computer wouldn't boot, you know. If you like links, I have one for you too: https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/52809/mobile-intel-hm67-express-chipset.html#tab-blade-1-1

saying that my motherboard chipset indeed supports my processor.

You're right - going back to Windows 7 could solve the problem, as I know that several users of the same notebook model running identical BIOS version managed to overclock i7 2960XM on a Windows 7 platform. Clearly it's not worth it though. I don't even consider that option for many reasons, especially after Windows 7 security update support stopped at 14th of January 2020. :)

For me it looks like XTU 2.1 is failing to connect to some service or querying a data base, that either was disabled/not provided anymore by Intel intentionally or is not installed or launched properly. However XTU may be not compatible to Windows 10 at all. I don't know and that's why I am asking. If you say it won't work and there is no chance to get that working, well that's what you will have said. Don't get me wrong - as I said "irresponsible" I meant too little life time/support for the money paid, that's all. It may be a matter of perspective.

Last but not least - going beyond limits of what is said or claimed to be impossible or not supported as an everyday business. Just because some vendor says it won't work it doesn't mean there is no way to get that working. Sometimes it's true and sometimes not.

[AlHill]

For a processor, socket and chipset compatibility is not enough. A processor must also be supported by the bios. Some vendor, in this case, is Dell that says your processor is not supported by your board:

https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware-General-Read-Only/M17x-R3-CPU-Upgrade-Options/td-p/5573661

So, because Windows 7 is no longer supported, you do not want to use Windows 7. But, Windows 10 not supporting your processor, and XTU not supporting your processor, and your board not supporting your processor, means nothing to you. Interesting. With all of this, this is a very silly discussion.

As I said, there is nothing to fix.

Doc (not an Intel employee or contractor)

[AFrit7]

First of all - let me say I very appreciate that you are looking at my issue! Thank you. I see your point, - vendor sites may be valuable sources of information, no question. Except the case that provided information is wrong or incomplete and proved to be wrong by experiences made by many users. This is actually the case for the M17XR3 device, running unlocked A12 bios version. The motherboard of the M17XR3 device was designed to run with the whole Sandy Bridge mobile processors family. i7 2960XM is a part of it. i7 2960XM is not listed by Dell due to thermal reasons (insufficient air cooling) and not because of incompatibility reasons. Therefore some stock bios overclock functionalities may be limited by Dell. You are right! By the way it is also somehow odd, because M17XR3 device used to be the gamer notebook of its time and gamer are the people who are into overclocking by nature. Anyway, as I pointed out already many users of M17XR3 managed to overclock their i7 2960XM processor up to 4 GHz and above running perfectly fine on a Windows 7 machine using an "unlocked" BIOS version. I've got that unlocked BIOS version too.

The main reason I don't want to switch back to Windows 7 is by far not the security concerns of mine. It's simply don't worth the litte benefit, that I may gain getting able to overclock my system. As I switched to Windows 10, my system started running faster, Windows 10 is a smooth running system, it offers many advantages and currently only one "drawback" that it is supposedly(!) being incapable to allow me to overclock my processor. With that said I would be a fool to go back to Windows 7 for that reason. I didn't say that it means nothing to me if my processor is not supported by Windows 10. Actually I clearly said the opposite of that all the time :) that I am very sad about that fact. However I am happy to let you know that I enjoy running my Windows 10 machine on i7 2960XM processor even if it's not overclockable and not supported. Overclocking it would probably add some 10% of cpu performance, I would appreciate it, but it is not a game changer.

So even if you don't have further thoughts how to overclock it, I thank you for the links. I didn't know it's not supported by Windows 10.

[theinterceptor]

I have an Alienware M18XR1 (circa 2012) currently running an I7-2960XM CPU and dual GTX680M GPUs in SLI configuration on the Windows 10 platform. If I only took Dell's support for the gospel, I would not be running either the CPU or the GPUs.

The 2960XM needs a 3-pipe heatsink which is needed to cool it (55 Watts vs. 45watts for my old 2860QM with its 1-pipe heatsink). 

I do have a modded BIOS and the GPU driver INI file has been modded to allow the NVidia setup program to install the latest drivers (9/2019).

I run Forza Horizon 3, 4 and Motorsports 7 without any problems whatsoever. Win, win!