NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4090 D GPU was launched late last year in China—this weakened variant (of the standard RTX 4090) was designed with US trade regulations in mind. Chinese media outlets have toyed around with various custom models for several months—January 2024 evaluations indicated a 5% performance disadvantage when lined up against unrestricted models. The GeForce RTX 4090 D GPU is a potent beast despite a reduced core count and restricted TDP limit, but Chinese enthusiasts have continued to struggle with the implementation of worthwhile overclocks. HKEPC—a Hong Kong-situated PC hardware review outlet—has bucked that trend.

The mega-sized flagship ZOTAC RTX 4090 D PGF model has the technical credentials to break beyond the expected overclock increase of "2 to 5%," courtesy of a powerful 28-phase power PCB design and 530 W max. TGP limit. The Expreview team pulled a paltry 3.7% extra bit of performance from ZOTAC China's behemoth. In contrast, HKEPC wrangled out some bigger numbers with a sampled ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 4090 GAMING OC graphics card—matching unrestricted variants: "it turns out that NVIDIA only does not allow AIC manufacturers to preset overclocking, but it does not restrict users from overclocking by themselves. After a high degree of overclocking adjustment, the ROG Strix RTX 4090 D actually has a way to achieve the performance level of the RTX 4090 FE."

Without making much noise, AMD lifted the memory overclocking limits of the Radeon RX 7900 GRE graphics card with its latest Adrenalin 24.3.1 WHQL drivers, TechPowerUp found. The changelog is a bit vague and states "The maximum memory tuning limit may be incorrectly reported on AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE graphics products."—we tested it. The RX 7900 GRE has been around since mid-2023, but gained prominence as the company gave it a global launch in February 2024, to help AMD better compete with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Super. Before this, the RX 7900 GRE had started out its lifecycle as a special edition product confined to China, and its designers had ensured that it came with just the right performance positioning that didn't end up disrupting other products in the AMD stack. One of these limitations had to do with the memory overclocking potential, which was probably put in place to ensure that the RX 7900 GRE has a near-identical total board power as the RX 7800 XT.

Shortly after the global launch of the RX 7900 GRE, and responding to drama online, AMD declared the limited memory overclocking range a bug and promised a fix. The overclocking limits are defined in the graphics card VBIOS, so increasing those limits would mean shipping BIOS updates for over a dozen SKUs from all the major vendors, and requiring users to upgrade it by themselves. Such a solution isn't very practical, so AMD implemented a clock limit override in their new drivers, which reprograms the power limits on the GPU during boot-up. Nicely done, good job AMD!

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, in collaboration with ASUS ROG and Intel, celebrates a monumental achievement of setting a new SuperPi-32M overclocking world record at an astonishing 2 min 59 sec 919 ms, marking the first time this benchmark category was achieved in under 3 minutes. This amazing world record was achieved by SAFEDISK, the legendary South Korean extreme overclocker, using G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB DDR5 memory, ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore motherboard, and Intel Core i9-14900KF desktop processor under liquid nitrogen cooling, demonstrating the bleeding edge of hardware performance of the latest computing hardware. For more information, visit the validation page on hwbot.org.

Overclocking Milestone Unlocked - SuperPi-32M at 2 min 59 sec 919 ms
SuperPi-32M is one of the most popular benchmarks for CPU and memory overclockers, and this extreme overclocking milestone commemorates the first time a score of under 3 minutes was achieved. Using liquid nitrogen extreme cooling, SAFEDISK lowered the CPU temperature as low as -188°C to reach a remarkable 8449.2 MHz and the G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB DDR5 memory as low as -60°C to reach DDR5-9052 with 32-48-45-36 timings on an ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore motherboard. This expertly configured setup and operation under extreme conditions gives testament to the breathtaking technical performance of modern computer systems.

The PC master race has yielded many interesting activities for enthusiasts alike, with perhaps the pinnacle of activities being overclocking. Usually, subjects for overclocking include CPUs, GPUs, and RAM, with other components not actually being capable of overclocking. However, the enthusiast force never seems to settle, and today, we have proof of overclocking an off-the-shelf 2.5-inch SATA III NAND Flash SSD thanks to Gabriel Ferraz, a Computer Engineering graduate, and TechPowerUp's SSD database maintainer. He uses the RZX Pro 256 GB SSD in the video, a generic NAND Flash drive. The RZX Pro uses the Silicon Motion SM2259XT2 single-core, 32-bit ARC CPU running up to 550 MHz. It has two channels at 400 MHz, each with eight chip enable interconnects, allowing up to 16 NAND Flash dies to operate. The SSD doesn't feature a DRAM cache or support a host memory buffer. It has only one NAND Flash memory chip from Kioxia, uses BiCS FLASH 4 architecture, has 96 layers, and has 256 GB capacity.

While this NAND Flash die is rated for up to 400 MHz or 800 MT/s, it only ran at less than half the speed at 193.75 MHz or 387.5 MT/s at default settings. Gabriel acquired a SATA III to USB 3.0 adapter with a JMS578 bridge chip to perform the overclock. This adapter allows hot swapping of SSDs without the need to turn off the PC. He shorted two terminals in the drive's PCB to get the SSD to operate without its default safe mode. Mass Production Tools (MPTools), which OEMs use to flash SSDs, were used to change the firmware settings. Each NAND Flash architecture has its own special version of MPTools. The software directly shows control of the Flash clock, CPU clock, and output driving. However, additional tweaks like Flash IO driving with subdivisions need modifications. Control and Flash On-Die Termination (ODT) and Schmitt window trigger (referring to the Schmitt trigger comparator circuit) also needed a few modifications to make it work.

According to Tom's Hardware, today we are finding out that AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series processors, codenamed Storm Peak, including Pro and non-Pro SKUs, blow a fuse on the chip when overclocking is enabled. Modern microprocessors have dozens of fuses that are used to store information inside the chip. For example, the factory stores the per-processor default voltage information in the fuses. On downgraded graphics chips, the shaders get disabled through such fuses, too. These fuses are not like your household circuit breakers—they will blow only when a specific command is sent to the processor, there is no way for them to break accidentally through system crashes or power spikes. In the case of Ryzen Threadripper 7000, the BIOS code will blow a fuse when the user enables overclocking in the BIOS settings, it reacts only to the user-initiated UI change, not to any kind of measurement. Before that happens a warning is shown. AMD uses this mechanism to see any indications if any kind of overclocking has been done to the processor.

While the messaging might suggest otherwise, just enabling overclocking does not void all warranties. In a statement to Tom's Hardware an AMD representative confirmed: "Threadripper 7000 Series processors do contain a fuse that is blown when overclocking is enabled. To be clear, blowing this fuse does not void your warranty. Statements that enabling an overclocking/overvolting feature will "void" the processor warranty are not correct. Per AMD's standard Terms of Sale, the warranty excludes any damage that results from overclocking/overvolting the processor. However, other unrelated issues could still qualify for warranty repair/replacement," noted the spokesperson. Ultimately, overclocking and overvolting by themselves will not cause the owner of AMD's Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series CPU to lose the right to repair and seek AMD's help. Other factors, such as damages induced by overclocking, will be a warranty-voiding factor though. These can occur from constant overheating, which significantly lowers the life expectancy of the CPU.

NVIDIA is preparing to launch the GeForce RTX 4090 D, or "Dragon" edition, designed explicitly for China. Circumventing the US export rules of GPUs that could potentially be used for AI acceleration, the GeForce RTX 4090 D is reportedly cutting back on overclocking as a feature. According to BenchLife, the AD102-250 GPU used in the RTX 4090 D will be a stranger to overclocking, as the card will not support it, possibly being disabled by firmware and/or physically in the die. The information from @Zed__Wang suggests that the Dragon version will be running at 2280 MHz base frequency, higher than the 2235 MHz of AD102-300 found in the regular RTX 4090, and 2520 MHz boost, matching the regular version.

Interestingly, the RTX 4090 D for China will also feature a slightly lower Total Graphics Power (TGP) of 425 Watts, down from the 450 Watts of the regular model. With memory configuration appearing to be the same, this new China-specific model will most likely perform within a few percent of the original design. Higher base frequency probably indicates a lack of a few CUDA cores to comply with the US export regulation policy and serve the Chinese GPU market. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D is scheduled for rollout in January 2024 in China, which is just a few weeks away.

ASUS today announced that an international group of elite overclockers has set nine world records and achieved sixteen first-place finishes in a variety of performance benchmarks with ASUS Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE and ASUS Pro WS TRX50-SAGE WIFI workstation motherboards. The motherboards leveraged AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000 WX-Series and AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series processors which featured up to 96 cores and 192 threads. The group of overclockers included Der8auer, Elmor, Massman, OGS, Safedisk, Seby and Shamino.

Ready for CPU and memory overclocking
For AMD Threadripper 7000 series workstations and high-end desktop (HEDT) models, AMD offers CPU and DRAM overclocking options. To fully leverage the performance of the AMD processors, ASUS has incorporated an innovative dual power supply design on Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE and Pro WS TRX50-SAGE WIFI motherboards. Along with robust power delivery and advanced cooling modules, these boards exhibit rock-solid stability during overclocking.

An interesting new feature popped up within MSI's Click BIOS 5 interface recently—chi11eddog uploaded this discovery to social media with a message: "BIOS screenshot from a friend who just got new Z790 Ace Max mobo. 6.3 GHz in the "P-core Beyond 6 GHz+" menu. For 14th Gen?" It is suspected that MSI has already implemented a nice QoL update for a refresh of its top-of-the-line MAX motherboard series. A simplification of the overclocking process for Intel K-series processors is visibly in operation (at a menu level), courtesy of the leaked screenshot, but you are paying through the teeth for this level of treatment. MSI's MEG Z790 ACE E-ATX motherboard, in its current incarnation, has an MSRP of $699.99. Who knows when a trickle-down effect will apply to lower placed mainboard families.

The refreshed board seems to prepped for upper crust "Raptor Lake Refresh" SKUs including the 14th Core i9-14900K and KF variants—according to previous leaks, these potent processors are capable of hitting clocks of 6.0 GHz and a little bit beyond that (as suggested by MSI's P-Core 6 GHz+ option). VideoCardz notes that Team Blue's current-gen Core i9-13900KS CPU: "offers such high clock speeds at a premium price, making it the top desktop SKU from Intel," but the upcoming 14th Gen flagship chips will be the first to hit such impressive clocks—via Thermal Velocity Boost—without inclusion in an elite variant tier: Special Edition KS.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, proudly announces a groundbreaking achievement with the Z790 AORUS TACHYON motherboard. Esteemed overclocker HiCookie has once again pushed the limits of performance, breaking the DDR5 memory overclocking world record. The Z790 AORUS TACHYON has achieved an astonishing DDR5-11254 frequency, surpassing all previous records. This remarkable achievement reinforces GIGABYTE's commitment to providing cutting-edge technology for overclocking enthusiasts.

The GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS TACHYON is a motherboard designed exclusively for overclocking enthusiasts, offering exceptional capabilities with its advanced all-digital power design. Through the optimization of memory trace and the implementation of Shielded Memory Routing, the Z790 AORUS TACHYON achieves an impressive DDR5-11254 frequency, showcasing its advanced design and unmatched performance. The motherboard also features an integrated overclocking toolkit, equipped with convenient shortcut keys, toggle switches, and voltage detection functions, empowering overclockers to effortlessly push boundaries.

Anacomda, a Taiwanese memory, storage, and accessories maker, had a booth at Computex 2023, where the company presented the new DDR5 memory kits with speeds ranging up to 7000 MHz. Starting off, we have the model called "Standard," which is just a standard DDR5 UDIMM memory kit available as 8 and 16 GB DIMM, in 2x 8 GB and 2x 16 GB capacities. Running at 4800 MHz, the standard kit has a CAS latency of 40, with a running voltage set to 1.1 Volts. Next is the KingSnake Overclocking UDIMM, which is, as the name suggests, a kit optimized for overclocking. Available in frequencies of 5600/6000/6200/7000 MHz, these memory modules run at 1.25 or 1.45 Volts at CAS latencies of 40 and 36. They also come in 16 GB and 32 GB capacities.

Last but not least, there is an ET (EryxTataricus) unbuffered UDIMM kit that is basically an RGB version of KingSnake, with all the same features except the inclusion of RGB lighting capable of syncing with all modern motherboard RGB software.

ASRock, with the help of legendary overclocker Splave have used their new W790 WS to take Intel's Sapphire Rapids based Xeon w7-2495X as high as 5.3 GHz to grab a pile of first place global performance scores on HWBOT. In total they've secured 14 global records in the 24-core category, and 18 more records in the w7-2495X hardware category. What is perhaps slightly more impressive is that they managed to exceed the officially supported DDR5-4800 by 2000 MT/s, achieving a frequency of 3400 MHz (6800 MT/s) with a CAS Latency of 32. The results were all produced with a custom water cooled configuration, with many benchmarks needing below 5 GHz clocks to remain stable enough for validation, so there is certainly room for higher scores under more exotic cooling solutions.

One of the more interesting details presented in the screenshots of certain benchmark results such as Y-Cruncher and Cinebench R15 is the gargantuan power draw exhibited by the w7-2495X. With a rated Vcore of 1.22v the 24-core sucks down over 500 W. We have already seen the 56-core w9-3495X pull a full kilowatt in early overclocking sessions, so the power draw here is not entirely without merit. Needless to say while Intel is finally offering a compelling HEDT lineup of unlocked processors, you may not necessarily be able to squeeze much out of them before tripping your breakers. As for ASRock's records it's still early days for the new Xeon W lineup and there will be a revolving door of world record holders before the final ounce of performance is squeezed from these chips.

The 13th Gen Intel Core desktop processor family has overtaken the longstanding processor overclocking frequency world record. In less than three months, the Intel Core i9-13900K has twice set the frequency overclocking world record.

The ASUS overclocking team officially set a new world record for overclocking, pushing the 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900K past the 9 gigahertz barrier to 9.008 GHz. Additionally, the team set new records in PIFAST (6.85 seconds) and SUPERPI 1M (3.822 seconds). Combining the Core i9-13900K with the ROG MAXIMUS Z790 APEX - and a healthy dose of liquid helium - the ASUS overclocking team became the latest to showcase the unprecedented overclocking performance in Intel's unlocked processors. Working with partners like ASUS, Intel continues to provide desktop enthusiasts and gamers with the best processors and features for overclocking in the PC industry.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today announced the ultimate overclocking motherboard Z790 AORUS TACHYON with the latest 13th gen Intel Core processors has smashed 10 world O.C. records including PCMark 7, 3D Mark…etc, as well as 16 GFP (Global First Place) of individual category test by different core numbers, and obtained 9 HFP (Hardware First Place) highest record in specific CPU ID vs. core count. Designed by world-famous overclocker, GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS TACHYON packs overclocker-exclusive features with top-quality components to become the dream motherboard for overclockers, which delivers unparalleled O.C performance with a more friendly and thoughtful interface to set its leading role on Z790 O.C. motherboards.

"It's inspiring that Z790 AORUS TACHYON breaks 10 overclocking world records and more than 20 various overclocking scores, which not only proves GIGABYTE's strong R&D strength but also demonstrates that GIGABYTE's devotion to providing formidable O.C motherboard. We believe this is just the beginning and will continue to create superior overclocking performance and records by Z790 AORUS TACHYON. We look forward to seeing more overclockers around the world using this motherboard to break more world records!" said Jackson Hsu, Director of the GIGABYTE Channel Solutions Product Development Division.

Intel Core i9-13900K processor has just been launched, and overclockers worldwide got their hand on a few samples to make history. According to the HWBot submission, a Swedish overclocker named "elmor" has pushed Intel's top-end consumer SKU to a fantastic 8.812 GHz. For more than eight years, the record for the single-highest overclocking speed was held by AMD FX-8370, from the now-bygone era of AMD Black Edition processors. The overclocking attempt was performed using liquid nitrogen (LN2) that cools the chip using its −195.8 °C temperature. Pushing core voltage to 1.850 Volts and VCCIN to 2 Volts, multiplier set to x88, and a bus speed of 100.15 MHz. In addition to the Core i9-13900K CPU, elmor used ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 APEX motherboard and 32 GB DDR5 GSKILL memory running at 4808 MT/s.

As a reminder, the FX-8370 CPU was holding the number one sport for eight years with a speed of 8.722 GHz. Beating the FX-8370 by just 90 MHz, it will be interesting to see if any of the upcoming CPU SKUs can match this overclocking record, and we are curious if any contender will come to beat elmor's current record.

ASUS today announced the availability of new Intel Z790 motherboards, including the ROG Maximus Z790 Apex, TUF Gaming Z790-PLUS WiFi and ProArt Z790-Creator WiFi - all of which provide DDR5 memory module support and PCIe 5.0 slots for video cards and storage.ASUS Z790 motherboards offer tremendous value to anyone assembling an Intel 13th Gen machine that includes AEMP II, AI Overclocking, AI Cooling II, PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots, Thunderbolt 4, WiFi 6E, Quick Charge 4+ technology and comprehensive connectivity. Overall, new ASUS Z790 motherboards are ideal solutions for any user who wants to build a next-gen machine or upgrade their existing system.

First up is the ROG Maximus Z790 Apex. The ultimate option for memory overclocking enthusiasts, this motherboard boasts a cutting-edge feature set. Then, for creative professionals of all kinds, ASUS offers the ProArt Z790-Creator WiFi. This motherboard offers premium connectivity and bespoke style, and it's fully ready for next-gen graphics cards and ultra-fast PCIe 5.0 storage. Finally, ASUS is bolstering its TUF Gaming lineup with the TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi, which brings DDR5 support to the family.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today announced the Instant 6 GHz technology which is exclusively designed for performance enhancement of Intel Core i9-13900K processor. By simply updating the latest BIOS on GIGABYTE's Z790 motherboards and activating related settings, users can boost the performance of Intel Core i9-13900K to 6 GHz in a snap. Other than the Turbo Boost mode, GIGABYTE Instant 6 GHz technology can unleash the potential power of the processor to boost the single-core performance up to 3% higher, which leading up to experiencing the unparalleled performance of future processors.

The lately launched Intel Core i9-13900K processor enables users to enjoy O.C. performance in an easier way. Using GIGABYTE's latest Instant 6 GHz technology, the system can automatically tweak CPU voltage and Vcore Load Line Calibration to detect the most two optimized cores running at 6 GHz frequency. Instead of suffering from complex O.C settings, users can enjoy effortless Overclocking by simply updating the latest BIOS on GIGABYTE's Z790 motherboards and activating the Instant 6 GHz option in the BIOS. This further delivers a 3% performance boost on one single core, and provides an O.C. edition-like experience on i9-13900K processor. The latest GIGABYTE Z790 motherboards ascend to a new level with their exclusive VRM design, thermal design, and convenience. The BIOS support Instant 6 GHz technology of Z790 motherboards has been updated on the GIGABYTE official website, users can upgrade BIOS with Q-Flash or Q-Flash Plus.

ASUS today announced the new Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) enhancement, an exclusive temperature control feature for its range of X670 and B650 motherboards designed for AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors.

These latest CPUs push the limits of performance farther than ever before. They dynamically take advantage of available thermal headroom to give users higher clock speeds. This means that users might see higher CPU temperatures than they are used to in a new AMD Ryzen-powered machine. To put users in control, ASUS is rolling out a BIOS update for its X670 and B650 motherboards with new options for its PBO enhancement feature that makes it easy to balance thermals and performance. With just a few clicks, users will be able to dramatically reduce CPU temperatures—and maybe even increase performance and reduce fan noise in the process.

Kingston FURY, the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, announced today the addition of AMD EXPO certified DDR5 modules to the Kingston FURY Beast line of memory. Always aiming to provide the latest options to gamers and enthusiasts, these new overclock specs modules and kits are optimized for AMD's upcoming AM5 platform with two factory tuned profiles, plus one user customizable profile.

Qualified by the world's leading motherboard manufacturers, the Kingston FURY Beast line offers aggressive speeds up to 6000MT/s1 with a bold low-profile heatspreader design. Now with AMD EXtended Profile for Overclocking, users can trust that their selected Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 modules and kits are exactly what their AMD AM5 system needs to maximize performance, while also maintaining stability.

A little over three months ago, leaks suggested AMD was going to introduce its own competitor to Intel's XMP profiles called RAMP or Ryzen Accelerated Memory Profile. However, it seems like the company has decided to change the name of its XMP competitor and according to VideoCardz, the standard will be known as EXPO or Extended Profiles for Overclocking. AMD filed for a trademark for EXPO back in the middle of February, although it's unclear if it has been granted as yet.

According to information that VideoCardz has been given, EXPO is said to be able to store two profiles for memory overclocking and it'll be exclusively for DDR5 memory. AMD has gone for a novel approach compared to XMP, with the first profile being for high-bandwidth optimised settings and the second for low-latency. The second profile is apparently optional, which makes sense since not all memory modules can do low-latency. EXPO is also said to be compatible with all types of memory modules, so it might also appear in SO-DIMM modules in the future.

AMD's first desktop processor with DDR5 memory support, the Ryzen 7000 series "Raphael," based on the "Zen 4" microarchitecture, will come with a design focus on DDR5 memory overclocking capabilities, with the company claiming that the processors will be capable of handling DDR5 memory clock speeds "you maybe thought couldn't be possible," according to Joseph Tao who is a Memory Enabling Manager at AMD.

Tao stated: "Our first DDR5 platform for gaming is our Raphael platform and one of the awesome things about Raphael is that we are really gonna try to make a big splash with overclocking and I'll just kinda leave it there but speeds that you maybe thought couldn't be possible, may be possible with this overclocking spec." We are hearing reports of AMD innovating a new overclocking standard for DDR5 memory, which it calls RAMP (Ryzen Accelerated Memory Profile), which it is positioning as a competing standard to Intel's XMP 3.0 spec.

We recently reported on the DDR5-8888 CL88 Overclocking world record set by G.Skill, ASUS, and overclocker "lupin_no_musume" using G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5 memory on an ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 APEX motherboard. This same overclocker has now set a new record using the same memory and motherboard combination achieving a speed of 4779.7 MHz (9560 MT/s) at 120-120-120-120-127-2 timings using liquid nitrogen cooling. The record was set with a single 16 GB Trident Z5 DDR5 memory module paired with an Intel Core i9-12900K processor.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, is thrilled to announce the achievement of a new overclocking world record for fastest memory frequency at DDR5-8888 CL88-88-88-88, in cooperation with ASUS. This amazing frequency speed was achieved by the extreme overclocker "lupin_no_musume" with G.SKILL Trident Z5 DDR5 memory, ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 APEX motherboard, and Intel Core i9-12900K processor. To see the moment this amazing overclocking world record was set, please click the following video link: https://youtu.be/OgQFbUOs6i8

DDR5-8888 CL88-88-88-88 - Pushing the Speed to the Limit
At the dawn of the DDR5 era, G.SKILL and ASUS have been constantly exploring the memory speed limitations of the latest Intel Z690 platform. Surpassing the previous DDR5-8704 world record in November 2021, a new memory frequency world record is achieved at DDR5-8888 under liquid nitrogen extreme cooling. The memory speed has been validated by CPU-Z. Please refer to the screenshot and validation link below: https://valid.x86.fr/qgvylc

A couple of days ago, GIGABYTE boasted with an overclocking record made using one of the company's motherboards. Allegedly, the company has achieved a world record of Alder Lake overclocking, causing the CPU to go up to 8 GHz frequency. However, such a claim was rather sketchy, according to the CPU-Z developer "Doc TB." In the later investigation, he concluded that the submission took advantage of a false reporting algorithm that gave HiCookie and GIGABYTE a chance to submit a world record as validated by the CPU-Z validator program. Further investigation concluded that the program reported incorrect numbers, and GIGABYTE's world record of 8 GHz on Alder Lake had been made invalid as of now.

The CPU-Z validation team is working hard to update the validation algorithm and make it more challenging for false submissions to appear valid. One interesting thing to point out is that HiCookie and GIGABYTE have already attempted to post false records with the launch of AMD's Ryzen 5000 series of processors, where they claimed that the CPU managed to reach 6,362.16 MHz, where in reality it was running at 5,683.94 MHz. This overclocker submitted those faulty results to HWBot as fake at the time and has now done it again.

Silicon Lottery is a boutique online store offering prebinned Intel and AMD CPUs that have been tested to reach guaranteed clock speeds when overclocked. The store has been operating for seven years but have recently announced that they will be ceasing operation on October 31st. This news comes as the culmination of multiple factors that have been impacting the store including a shift from Intel to prebin their K-series processors reducing their overclocking potential. This maximization of existing silicon also meant that there was limited opportunity for the store to find enough faster processors to sell. The final influence was the move by Intel to switch from thermal compound under the IHS to solder Tim with their 9th generation CPUs which severely limits the thermal advantages gained from delidding. The general component shortages and delays associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have also impacted the business, the complete statement from Silicon Lottery can be found below.

Intel Vice President and General Manager of Client Graphics Products and Solutions Roger Chandler has recently announced that the companies upcoming Arc gaming graphics cards will include overclocking support at launch through the official driver UI. This offering may resemble that of AMD's with their Radeon Software that offers various overclocking tools including clock speeds, power settings, and fan curves. Intel has also been working on various other driver improvements in the lead-up to release including enhancing shader compiling and improving throughput. The post also confirmed the implementation of complete DirectX 12 Ultimate compliance which will enable variable-rate shading tier 2 and mesh shading. Intel is expected to release the first Arc gaming graphics cards for desktops and notebooks in Q1 2022.

IntelWe're even integrating overclocking controls into the driver UI to give enthusiasts the tools they need to push the hardware to the limit.