Extreme overclocking | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Wed, 28 Feb 2024 18:03:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.7.11 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Extreme overclocking | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Overclocker sets new SuperPi world record with 9GHz G.Skill memory https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/overclocker-sets-new-superpi-world-record-with-9ghz-g-skill-memory/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/overclocker-sets-new-superpi-world-record-with-9ghz-g-skill-memory/#respond Tue, 27 Feb 2024 13:30:03 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=649759 We've seen G.SKILL memory used to break plenty of overclocking records over the years and that trend isn't slowing down in 2024. This week, G.Skill announced that South Korean overclocker, SAFEDISK, has set a new SuperPi-32M world record using Trident Z5 DDR5 memory. In collaboration with Asus ROG, Intel and G.Skill, the extreme overclocker known …

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We've seen G.SKILL memory used to break plenty of overclocking records over the years and that trend isn't slowing down in 2024. This week, G.Skill announced that South Korean overclocker, SAFEDISK, has set a new SuperPi-32M world record using Trident Z5 DDR5 memory.

In collaboration with Asus ROG, Intel and G.Skill, the extreme overclocker known as SAFEDISK has set a new SuperPi-32M overclocking world record, completing the benchmark in under 3 minutes. The system that achieved this record was equipped with G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5 memory, an ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore motherboard and an Intel Core i9-1400KF.

The memory was overclocked to an impressive DDR5-9052 with 32-48-45-36 timings with Liquid Nitrogen used for cooling, allowing the CPU to reach as low as -188°C and the memory as low as -60°C.

While these memory speeds are currently only achievable with extreme cooling methods, DDR5 memory speeds are still improving, with standard kits available with speeds of up to 8000MHz.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Another impressive overclocking and benchmark record has been set. Now, the race is on for the next person to try and beat these results.

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Galax offers GeForce GTX 980 Ti card for extreme overclockers https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/galax-offers-geforce-gtx-980-ti-graphics-card-for-extreme-overclockers/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/galax-offers-geforce-gtx-980-ti-graphics-card-for-extreme-overclockers/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2015 20:41:56 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=267725 Galax, a graphics card brand owned by Palit Microsystems, has quietly unveiled its factory-overclocked GeForce GTX 980 Ti-based graphics card that not only offers incredible performance out of box, but is actually designed for extreme overclocking. The Galax Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 Ti HOF LN2 GOC Edition features rather extreme 1203MHz/1304MHz (base/boost) GPU clock-rates. The …

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Galax, a graphics card brand owned by Palit Microsystems, has quietly unveiled its factory-overclocked GeForce GTX 980 Ti-based graphics card that not only offers incredible performance out of box, but is actually designed for extreme overclocking.

The Galax Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 Ti HOF LN2 GOC Edition features rather extreme 1203MHz/1304MHz (base/boost) GPU clock-rates. The graphics board comes with an advanced dual-slot cooling system with multiple heat-pipes, a large aluminium heat-sink as well as three fans. The card has DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort outputs and can drive up to four monitors.

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The GeForce GTX 980 Ti HOF LN2 GOC Edition graphics board features rather extreme 16+3 phase voltage regulator module based on the International Rectifier’s IR3595 digital PWM controller as well as three 8-pin auxiliary power connectors, which can supply up to 450W of power in order to enable incredible overclocking potential. The VRM of the Galax Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 Ti HOF LN2 GOC Edition is the most advanced in the industry and, theoretically, the graphics card can hit unbelievable clock-rates. The graphics adapter is based on a white printed circuit board.

galax_980tihof_2

As the name of the graphics card implies, the product is designed for extreme overclockers, who will use liquid nitrogen to cool graphics card down.

Only one batch of the GALAX GTX 980 Ti HOF LN2 Edition will ever be produced and will be available for limited time only. The board costs $999 in the U.S. In the U.K. it is possible to buy KFA2 GeForce GTX 980Ti “Hall of Fame WC Edition” with similar clock-speeds for £689 with water-block. Unfortunately, the latter is equipped with 8+3-phase VRM and thus has a bit lower overclocking potential.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It would be very interesting to find out how significantly the GPU on the Galax GeForce GTX 980 Ti HOF LN2 GOC Edition can be overclocked with liquid nitrogen. The record for the GM200 GPU is around 2.1GHz. Perhaps, 16-phase VRM for the GPU can help to push the frequency even higher.

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Seasonic-backed overclockers team becomes No. 1 at Hwbot https://www.kitguru.net/components/power-supplies/anton-shilov/seasonic-sponsored-professional-overclockers-team-becomes-no-1-at-hwbot/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/power-supplies/anton-shilov/seasonic-sponsored-professional-overclockers-team-becomes-no-1-at-hwbot/#respond Fri, 21 Aug 2015 12:24:10 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=264426 Seasonic has announced that Dancop, a professional computer tweaker from Germany, and his team Hardwareluxx.de are now ranked as the No.1 overclockers crew in the world at Hwbot, the world’s leading community of PC enthusiasts and overclockers. Dancop, whose real name is Daniel Schier, exclusively uses a high-end Seasonic power supply unit for his experiments. …

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Seasonic has announced that Dancop, a professional computer tweaker from Germany, and his team Hardwareluxx.de are now ranked as the No.1 overclockers crew in the world at Hwbot, the world’s leading community of PC enthusiasts and overclockers. Dancop, whose real name is Daniel Schier, exclusively uses a high-end Seasonic power supply unit for his experiments.

Daniel “Dancop” Schier and Hardwareluxx.de currently own 2711.2 points at global rankings of Hwbot and are around 225.2 points ahead of the closest opponent. Hwbot points can be earned by reaching a very high score in a benchmark for a specific hardware item or items. The extreme number of points achieved by Dancop and his crew indicate that they have successfully overclocked loads of different hardware and achieved great results.

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Dancop uses microprocessors from Intel Corp., mainboards and graphics cards from Asustek Computer, Asrock, EVGA and MicroStar International, memory modules from G.Skill and thermal solutions from Der8auer and Thermal Grizzly. No matter what hardware Daniel Schier overclocks, he uses Seasonic Platinum 1200 as his power supply unit.

seasonic_psu_platinum

The Seasonic Platinum 1200W PSU is a unique modular power supply unit that is not only rated to deliver up to 1200W of power, but is also certified for the 80 Plus Platinum label. To obtain the “80 Plus Platinum” certificate from Ecos Consulting and EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute), a PSU has to be 90 – 94 per cent efficient under a 20 per cent, 50 per cent and 100 per cent load. In addition to ultimate efficiency, the Seasonic Platinum 1200W delivers stable and clean power, something extremely important for overclockers.

Seasonic’s flagship Platinum family of PSUs is the winner of this year’s European Hardware Awards.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: PSUs nowadays play a great role in overclocking. For example, Ian “8Pack” Parry, another top overclocker, has even co-designed a 2kW power supply unit with SuperFlower to achieve extremely high results. The fact that Dancop has set multiple record using Seasonic Platinum 1200W is clearly a great quality stamp for the PSU.

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Intel Core i7-6700K ‘Skylake’ hits nearly 7GHz https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-core-i7-6700k-skylake-hits-nearly-7ghz/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-core-i7-6700k-skylake-hits-nearly-7ghz/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2015 13:04:07 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=263870 A professional overclocker has set a new record for Intel Core i7-6700K microprocessor frequency. This time the new code-named “Skylake” processor hit nearly 7GHz, which is among the highest frequencies ever achieved by any Intel Core i-series microprocessors. Chi-Kui Lam, a professional overclocker from Hong Kong-based HKEPC web-site, has managed to overclock an engineering sample …

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A professional overclocker has set a new record for Intel Core i7-6700K microprocessor frequency. This time the new code-named “Skylake” processor hit nearly 7GHz, which is among the highest frequencies ever achieved by any Intel Core i-series microprocessors.

Chi-Kui Lam, a professional overclocker from Hong Kong-based HKEPC web-site, has managed to overclock an engineering sample of the Intel Core i7-6700K “Skylake-S” microprocessor to 6998.88MHz, or by whopping 74.97 per cent compared to its stock frequency. To hit nearly 7GHz, the overclocker had to disable three cores out of four and the Hyper-Threading technology. Voltage of the processor was increased from 1.2V to 1.888V.

overclock_record_mainboard_asrock_ln2_z170_skylake

To set the record, Chi-Kui Lam used a testbed featuring Asrock Z170 OC Formula mainboard, a G.Skill Ripjaws 4 DDR4 memory module as well as a 1300W power supply unit. The processor was cooled-down using liquid nitrogen (LN2).

image_id_1467999

The Asrock Z170 OC Formula is a premium platform for overclockers designed by Asrock and Nick Shih. The motherboard features 17-phase voltage regulator module for microprocessor that is based on high-end solid-state chokes and capacitors. The motherboard has sophisticated capabilities for overclocking and expansion. The platform sports four PCI Express 16 slots for graphics cards or solid-state drives, three high-performance M.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4) connectors for SSDs, two SATA Express connectors, USB 3.1 and so on.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: 7GHz clock-rate is clearly achievable by Intel Core i7-6700K “Skylake” processor. What remains to be seen is whether retail versions of chips will actually manage to hit 5GHz clock-rates with commercially available cooling systems and all four cores active. Extreme overclocking shows that the chips do have potential, but the value of a single-core CPU nowadays is negligible…

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Intel Core i7-6700K hits 6.8GHz with all cores active on MSI ‘Titanium’ platform https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-core-i7-6700k-hits-6-8ghz-with-all-cores-active-on-msi-titanium-platform/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-core-i7-6700k-hits-6-8ghz-with-all-cores-active-on-msi-titanium-platform/#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2015 20:50:44 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=262838 A professional overclocker this week managed to push Intel Corp.’s latest Core i7-6700K “Skylake-S” microprocessor to whopping 6.80GHz without disabling any cores or Hyper-Threading technology. The record was set on MicroStar International’s flagship MSI Z170A XPower Gaming Titanium mainboard. Toppc, a professional overclocker from Taiwan, this week overclocked an engineering sample of the Intel Core …

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A professional overclocker this week managed to push Intel Corp.’s latest Core i7-6700K “Skylake-S” microprocessor to whopping 6.80GHz without disabling any cores or Hyper-Threading technology. The record was set on MicroStar International’s flagship MSI Z170A XPower Gaming Titanium mainboard.

Toppc, a professional overclocker from Taiwan, this week overclocked an engineering sample of the Intel Core i7-6700K “Skylake-S” microprocessor to whopping 6801.63MHz, or by around 70 per cent compared to its stock clock-rate. All four cores and Hyper-Threading technology were enabled, but DDR4 memory operated at 4268MHz in single-channel mode. At present, 6.8GHz frequency is the highest clock-rate ever achieved by any “Skylake-S” central processing unit.

intel_core_i7_record

To push the processor to an incredibly high frequency, Toppc had to increase core voltage from around 1.2V to astonishing 2.024V. The chip was cooled-down using liquid nitrogen (LN2). 2V is extremely high voltage for a processor made using 14nm process technology.

While 6.8GHz is not the highest clock-rate ever achieved by Intel’s recent microprocessors, it is one of the highest frequencies set by a modern Intel Core i7 chip with four cores and Hyper-Threading activated. Typically, extreme frequencies are hit with only one or two cores turned on. Only Intel Core i7-3770K chips overclocked to 6912MHz and 6810MHz with all engines and HT operational are ahead of the current record.

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The MSI Z170A XPower Gaming Titanium mainboard is Microstar’s top-of-the-range Intel Z170 platform for Intel “Skylake” processors. The motherboard was designed to deliver exceptional overclocking capabilities with its 16-phase all-digital voltage regulator module (VRM) that uses all-new inductors, which MSI calls “titanium chokes”, that promise to withstand higher temperatures and endure a longer lifecycle. In addition, the mainboard is covered with a special silver substance, which makes it look very stylish and may even make it a little more durable.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Without any doubts, 6.80GHz on Intel Core i7-6800K with four cores and Hyper-Threading is a great achievement. However, 2.024V core voltage will most probably kill or seriously damage the chip over time. All-in-all, it looks like more or less “safe” overclocked frequency for Core i7-6700K “Skylake” will remain in the range between 4.7GHz – 4.8GHz, depending on how lucky the owner is.

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EVGA adds USB 3.1 type-C to micro-ATX Intel X99 platform https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/evga-adds-usb-3-1-type-c-to-micro-atx-intel-x99-platform/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/evga-adds-usb-3-1-type-c-to-micro-atx-intel-x99-platform/#respond Sat, 01 Aug 2015 01:14:15 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=261717 EVGA has upgraded its micro-ATX mainboard for Intel Corp.’s high-end desktop processors. The new platform features all the advanced capabilities that the EVGA X99 Micro had to offer a year ago, but adds more Serial ATA-6Gb/s ports as well as one USB 3.1 type-C connector. The new motherboard is one of the first HEDT micro-ATX platforms …

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EVGA has upgraded its micro-ATX mainboard for Intel Corp.’s high-end desktop processors. The new platform features all the advanced capabilities that the EVGA X99 Micro had to offer a year ago, but adds more Serial ATA-6Gb/s ports as well as one USB 3.1 type-C connector. The new motherboard is one of the first HEDT micro-ATX platforms with USB 3.1 type-C receptacles.

The EVGA X99 Micro2 mainboard in micro-ATX form-factor for Intel Core i7 processors in LGA2011-3 packaging is equipped with six-phase voltage regulator module comprised of solid-state chokes that should provide high stability as well as moderate overclocking potential. The motherboard features four DDR4 DIMM slots, three PCI Express x16 slots for dual-slot two graphics cards and a solid-state drive (or three single-slot graphics cards), one M.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4) slot for SSDs, 10 Serial ATA-6Gb/s, 7.1-channel audio, Gigabit Ethernet, six USB 3.0 ports and one USB 3.1 type-C receptacle.

evga_x99_micro2_1

The miniature EVGA X99 Micro2 is built on an eight-layer printed circuit board, utilizes solid-state capacitors and other high-quality components.

The EVGA X99 Micro2 is available now for $229 in the U.S.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If you are building a high-end micro-ATX desktop and want to have at least one USB 3.1 type-C port, then the EVGA X99 Micro2 is a thing to consider. For some reason, EVGA decided not to use Intel’s advanced “Alpine Ridge” controller for the premium platform, but probably utilized Asmedia’s ASM1142.

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EVGA GTX 980 Ti K|NGP|N hits 2.1GHz/8.4GHz with LN2, sets new records https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/evga-geforce-gtx-980-ti-kngpn-hits-2-1ghz8-4ghz-with-ln2-sets-new-records/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/evga-geforce-gtx-980-ti-kngpn-hits-2-1ghz8-4ghz-with-ln2-sets-new-records/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2015 21:59:13 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=261546 Vince “K|NGP|N” Lucido, one of the world’s top overclockers who collaborates with EVGA, has managed to overclock Nvidia Corp.’s GM200-310 graphics processing unit to a record-high frequency. Using EVGA’s top-of-the-range GeForce GTX 980 Ti K|NGP|N graphics adapter specifically designed for extreme overclocking, Mr. Lucido managed to set multiple records. The legendary overclocker has managed to …

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Vince “K|NGP|N” Lucido, one of the world’s top overclockers who collaborates with EVGA, has managed to overclock Nvidia Corp.’s GM200-310 graphics processing unit to a record-high frequency. Using EVGA’s top-of-the-range GeForce GTX 980 Ti K|NGP|N graphics adapter specifically designed for extreme overclocking, Mr. Lucido managed to set multiple records.

The legendary overclocker has managed to bolster clock-rates of the GeForce GTX 980 Ti K|NGP|N graphics card to whopping 2100MHz/8400MHz (GPU/memory). 2.10GHz is the highest clock-rate ever achieved by the GM200 graphics processor, the frequency is slightly below 2.30GHz, the absolutely highest clock-rate ever achieved by any graphics processing unit. To hit record frequencies, Vince “K|NGP|N” Lucido used liquid nitrogen (LN2) and increased voltage of the GPU.

evga_geforce_gtx_980_ti_kingpin

To test performance of the heavily overclocked graphics card, Kingpin used his rig powered by an Intel Core i7-5960X processor overclocked to 5000MHz – 5518MHz (also cooled-down using liquid nitrogen), an EVGA Intel X99 mainboard and 16GB of 3.30GHz DDR4 memory.

By tweaking clock-rates of the graphics adapter, Vince Lucido managed to achieve the following results in the following benchmarks:

  • 3DMark Fire Strike – 25233
  • 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme – 13091
  • 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra – 6988

The results are three new world’s records for single-GPU setups.

evga_overclocking_news228_13091-FSX-980TiKP

Nvidia’s GM200 graphics processing unit is one of the most complex GPUs ever produced: it features eight billion of transistors and clearly was not designed to run at 2.0GHz. Nonetheless, thanks to extreme cooling, increase of GPU voltage and various tweaking, Mr. Lucido has managed to increase clock-rate of the chip to around 2100MHz.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: As expected, the EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti K|NGP|N is an excellent overclocker, which is considerably better than Nvidia’s own design for GM200-based graphics adapters. Still, the highly-custom design of the EVGA product only increased maximum clock-rate of the GPU by 100MHz, which is a noteworthy, but hardly a massive increase.

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Asus unveils ultimate micro-ATX Intel X99 mainboard for workstations https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/asus-quietly-unveils-ultimate-micro-atx-intel-x99-mainboard-for-workstations/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/asus-quietly-unveils-ultimate-micro-atx-intel-x99-mainboard-for-workstations/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2015 20:52:22 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=260948 Asustek Computer has quietly unveiled what could be the world’s most advanced micro-ATX motherboard. The mainboard features Intel X99 core-logic and supports multi-GPU technologies, M.2 solid-state drives, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.1 and so on. The platform is designed for workstations. The Asus X99-M WS mainboard supports processors in LGA2011-3 form-factor, such as Intel Core i7 …

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Asustek Computer has quietly unveiled what could be the world’s most advanced micro-ATX motherboard. The mainboard features Intel X99 core-logic and supports multi-GPU technologies, M.2 solid-state drives, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.1 and so on. The platform is designed for workstations.

The Asus X99-M WS mainboard supports processors in LGA2011-3 form-factor, such as Intel Core i7 Extreme as well as Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3 with up to 18 cores. The mainboard sports four DDR4 DIMM slots and fully supports quad-channel memory sub-system of modern high-end chips. The motherboard features three PCI Express x16 slots for graphics cards, one M.2 slot for solid-state drives, eight Serial ATA-6Gb/s ports for hard disk drives and SSDs, 7.1-channel Crystal Sound 2 audio, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, two USB 3.1 type-A ports, two Gigabit Ethernet ports (Intel I210-AT) and so on.

asus_x99_matx

The mainboard has EATX power connectors and thus supports microprocessors with up to 140W thermal design power and even provides advanced overclocking capabilities. The X99-M WS motherboard sports eight-phase digital voltage regulator module.

The Asus X99-M WS platform will enable makers of workstations to build high-end systems with high-end processors with up to 18 cores, two graphics cards, advanced SSDs and other premium components in small form-factor.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The Asus X99-M WS is not the smallest Intel X99 platform available. Asus and Asrock offer mini-ITX mainboards for Intel’s LGA2011 processors. However, the X99-M WS is the most advanced workstation-class micro-ATX motherboard that supports all features that Intel’s HEDT platform has to offer as well as USB 3.1. The only thing that the new mainboard lacks is type-C USB 3.1 ports, which is regrettable.

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Intel Core i7-6700K ‘Skylake’ overclocked to 6.50GHz with LN2 https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-core-i7-6700k-skylake-overclocked-to-6-50ghz-with-liquid-nitrogen/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-core-i7-6700k-skylake-overclocked-to-6-50ghz-with-liquid-nitrogen/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2015 10:08:35 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=260129 A computer enthusiast has managed to set a new record in overclocking of Intel Corp.’s Core i7-6700K processor. The chip was pushed to 6.50GHz about a month ago, which is the highest frequency achieved by a “Skylake” microprocessor so far. While the record was set using liquid nitrogen cooling, this is a yet another proof …

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A computer enthusiast has managed to set a new record in overclocking of Intel Corp.’s Core i7-6700K processor. The chip was pushed to 6.50GHz about a month ago, which is the highest frequency achieved by a “Skylake” microprocessor so far. While the record was set using liquid nitrogen cooling, this is a yet another proof that the new CPUs are good overclockers in general.

PLG, a not very well-known overclocker, managed to increase clock-rate of Intel Core i7-6700K “Skylake-S” processor (an engineering sample was used) from default 4000MHz to whopping 6531MHz without deactivating cores or Intel’s Hyper-Threading technology. To hit the frequency, the overclocker had to increase core voltage to 2.032V and use liquid nitrogen to cool the chip down.

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PLG used an MSI Gaming Z170 mainboard with one DDR4 memory module, reports Benchmark.pl. During his experiments, the module worked at 4287MHz, which is also nearly record clock-rate for DDR4.

intel_corei7-6700k_overclocked_6500mhz

While 6.50GHz frequency is, without any doubts, a very high clock-rate, it is not something that has never been achieved with the help of liquid nitrogen by Intel’s enthusiast-class central processing units. Various “Sandy Bridge”, “Ivy Bridge” and “Haswell” processors were overclocked to 6.50GHz and even 7GHz in the recent years by various enthusiasts.

Intel will start sales of its Core i7-6700K and Core i5-6600K processors with unlocked multiplier early next month.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: In general, it looks like Intel “Skylake” processors are rather good overclockers, but do not expect many breakthroughs here. The chips use mediocre internal thermal interface, hence, may not exactly set records. On the other hand, thanks to better micro-architecture, the new processors will be faster than any previous-gen CPUs even without extreme clock-rates.

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EVGA readies Z170 Classified mainboard for extreme overclockers https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/evga-readies-z170-classified-mainboard-for-extreme-overclockers/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/evga-readies-z170-classified-mainboard-for-extreme-overclockers/#comments Sat, 06 Jun 2015 17:03:19 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=253087 EVGA Corp. is working on two new mainboards based on Intel Corp.’s Z170 chipset for the upcoming Core-series “Skylake” processors. One of the mainboards is designed for gamers with overclocking ambitions and will not be too expensive. The other one is aimed at hardcore enthusiasts, who demand to have a no-compromise solution. Although EVGA Corp. …

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EVGA Corp. is working on two new mainboards based on Intel Corp.’s Z170 chipset for the upcoming Core-series “Skylake” processors. One of the mainboards is designed for gamers with overclocking ambitions and will not be too expensive. The other one is aimed at hardcore enthusiasts, who demand to have a no-compromise solution.

Although EVGA Corp. offers only five or six mainboard models in total, a lot of performance enthusiasts admire the brand. Perhaps, that is because the company was co-founded by Andrew Han, a co-founder of legendary Epox. Or maybe because in mid-2000s EVGA acquired product design team from Epox and became a new legend itself. In any case, new motherboards from the company are highly-anticipated by many. Based on what KitGuru’s Leo Waldock saw at Computex, EVGA’s Intel Z170-based platforms look very promising.

evga_z170_mainboards_intel_skylake

EVGA Z170 FTW: Premium mainboard at reasonable price

The EVGA Z170 FTW mainboard for LGA1151 processors will be aimed at gamers who demand to have something considerably better than average, are willing to overclock their central processing units (CPUs) and install more than one graphics adapters as well as a high-performance solid-state drive.

The Z170 FTW mainboard features 10-phase digital CPU voltage regulation module (VRM), four 288-pin DDR4 DIMM slots, four PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots, a PCI Express 3.0 x4 slot for high-end SSDs or other add-in-boards, an M.2 connector for SSDs (presumably connected using PCIe 3.0 x4 bus to the chipset and featuring up to 4GB/s bandwidth), six SATA 6Gb/s ports, integrated Creative Core 3D 7.1-channel audio, Gigabit Ethernet, NVMe and so on. It is unknown whether the motherboard supports USB 3.1 like advanced platforms from competing makers.

The EVGA Z170 FTW mainboard has sophisticated overclocking capabilities, it even has an additional 6-pin PCI Express power connector to provide maximum stability for PCIe x16 slots. Still, do not expect too lot from it.

EVGA’s Z170 FTW should be a good thing for the money (the Z97 FTW is sold for $149 now), but is not developed to be an absolute performance champion. The purpose of the product is plain and simple: it should allow building premium multi-GPU systems with high-end storage, but cost a reasonable amount of money.

EVGA Z170 Classified: Engineered to overclock

For many years EVGA’s Classified series has been a darling of extreme overclockers and benchmarkers. The EVGA Z170 Classified for Intel Core i7 “Skylake-S” LGA1151 processors will not be an exception. The mortherboard is designed from the ground up to provide maximum functionality and extreme overclocking potential.

Built on an 8-layer printed circuit board, the EVGA Z170 Classified has two 8-pin EPS12V power connectors to ensure maximum stability in CPU power supply, 12-phase digital CPU VRM, sophisticated voltage regulation module for DDR4 DIMMs as well as an extra 6-pin PCI Express power connector to stabilize power supply to PCIe x16 slots. The motherboard comes in EATX form-factor and requires spacious chassis. The design of the mainboard is tailored for using liquid nitrogen or liquid helium cooling, so expect a series of records using this platform.

The EVGA Z170 Classified has four 288-pin DDR4 DIMM slots, five PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots, a PCI Express 3.0 x4 slot for high-end SSDs, an M.2 connector for high-end M.2 2280 SSDs (presumably connected using PCIe 3.0 x4 bus to the chipset and featuring up to 4GB/s of bandwidth), an M.2 connector for tiny M.2 2240 SSDs, four SATA 6Gb/s ports, two SATA Express ports, integrated Creative Core 3D 7.1-channel audio, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, NVMe and so on. It is unknown whether the motherboard features USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3, but since EVGA recently added a USB type-C port to one of its Intel X99-bases solutions, this is a possibility.

The EVGA Z170 Classified has everything that even a very demanding enthusiast can desire. The thing that is absent on the motherboard is another M.2 2280 connector in order to run two high-end SSDs in RAID 0 mode to get absolutely incredible performance. Nonetheless, if you want to build a maxed-out system based on Intel’s “Skylake-S”, this is a mainboard to consider. Obviously, the EVGA Z170 Classified will not be affordable (the Z97 Classified costs $299), but ultimate performance comes at an ultimate price.

Availability and pricing

Just like other Intel Z170-based mainboards for LGA1151 processors code-named “Skylake”, the EVGA Z170 FTW and the EVGA Z170 Classified will become available in August or September, when Intel releases its Core i7-6700K and Core i5-6600K central processing .

EVGA will announce prices of its new motherboards at launch, but expect them to be comparable to current-generation solutions for Intel LGA1150 processors.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: EVGA’s mainboards are traditionally very impressive. It will be interesting to see how good they will actually be!

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Demand for Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X is unexpectedly high https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/demand-for-nvidia-geforce-gtx-titan-x-is-unexpectedly-high/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/demand-for-nvidia-geforce-gtx-titan-x-is-unexpectedly-high/#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2015 20:39:58 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=242808 Even though Nvidia Corp.’s latest high-end graphics card costs more than its predecessors in Europe, demand for the graphics adapter is surprisingly high. According to a German retailer, customers are getting more GeForce GTX Titan X graphics cards than previous-generation products of the same class. “The demand exceeds the available [hardware],” said a spokesperson of …

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Even though Nvidia Corp.’s latest high-end graphics card costs more than its predecessors in Europe, demand for the graphics adapter is surprisingly high. According to a German retailer, customers are getting more GeForce GTX Titan X graphics cards than previous-generation products of the same class.

“The demand exceeds the available [hardware],” said a spokesperson of CaseKing.de in an interview with ComputerBase web-site. “We have already [sold] impressive numbers and we are getting new [GeForce GTX Titan X] to the warehouse.”

Mind Factory, another reseller from Germany, confirmed that sales figures of the GeForce GTX Titan X are higher than shipment figures of the original GeForce GTX Titan.

nvidia_geforce_gtx_titan_x

The GeForce GTX Titan X graphics card is 30 – 50 per cent faster than Nvidia GeForce GTX 980, but it costs nearly two times more than the latter. People who buy graphics cards like the GeForce GTX Titan X get it because it delivers impressive performance in ultra-high-definition resolution (e.g., 3840*2160).

Nvidia’s flagship GeForce GTX Titan X graphics processing unit features 3072 stream processors, 192 texture mapping units, 96 raster operations pipelines and 384-bit memory bus. The graphics card features 12GB of GDDR5 memory.

The official manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of the GeForce GTX Titan X in the United Kingdom is £879, which is around $1300. Due to different taxes in Eurozone countries, the GeForce GTX Titan X costs starting from €1149 in Germany, €1199 in France, Spain, Holland and Belgium, €1249 in Italy and the Baltic states as well as €1269 in Finland.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is rather surprising that demand for the GeForce GTX Titan X exceeds supply in certain cases. On the other hand, there were reports that demand for Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 980 was so high that some retailers increased prices of such graphics cards. It will be very interesting to learn about demand for AMD’s forthcoming flagship Radeon R9 390X graphics card. The graphics solution promises to offer very high performance in 4K UHD resolution while costing “only” about $700. But will demand for it exceed that of the Titan X? Only time will tell.

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Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X hits 2GHz/8.2GHz with liquid nitrogen https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/nvidia-geforce-gtx-titan-x-hits-2ghz8-2ghz-with-liquid-nitrogen/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/nvidia-geforce-gtx-titan-x-hits-2ghz8-2ghz-with-liquid-nitrogen/#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2015 03:17:19 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=241663 It took professional overclockers less than a week to prove that Nvidia Corp.’s latest GM200 graphics processing unit also known as the “Big Maxwell” can run at clock-rate that exceeds its default frequency by two times. Vince “K|NGP|N” Lucido, one of the world’s top overclockers who collaborates with EVGA and owns a company that produces …

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It took professional overclockers less than a week to prove that Nvidia Corp.’s latest GM200 graphics processing unit also known as the “Big Maxwell” can run at clock-rate that exceeds its default frequency by two times.

Vince “K|NGP|N” Lucido, one of the world’s top overclockers who collaborates with EVGA and owns a company that produces accessories for extreme cooling, this week managed to overclock a reference Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X graphics card to whopping 2020MHz for the GPU and 8200MHz for memory. The particular graphics board is currently the highest-performing single-chip graphics adapter on the planet.

TitanX_Stylized_010

The heavily overclocked GeFore GTX Titan X graphics card was cooled down using liquid nitrogen (LN2). It is unknown whether Mr. Lucido had to increase voltages of the GM200 GPU and the GDDR5 memory to achieve his remarkable result.

Using his test system based on an Intel Core i7-5960X processor overclocked to 5672MHz (also cooled-down using liquid nitrogen), an EVGA Intel X99 mainboard and 16GB of 3.30GHz DDR4 memory, Kingpin scored 24027 points in 3DMark FireStrike and 11612 in 3DMark FireStrike Extreme benchmarks, which are both new world’s records for single-GPU setups.

geforce_Gtx_titan_x_2200mhz_3dmark

As it turns out, Nvidia’s GM200 is a great overclocker despite of the fact that it contains 8 billion of transistors and was tuned for maximum energy efficiency, not for maximum overclockability.

Since Nvidia does not sell its GM200 graphics processors to its partners, but supplies them GeForce GTX Titan X graphics cards produced under its supervision by a contract manufacturer, we will hardly see any custom designed GM200-based graphics adapters any time soon. However, as soon as voltmodders find out how to increase voltages on reference GeForce GTX Titan X graphics cards, expect new records from professional overclockers.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The world’s record GPU frequency is 2.30GHz (set by Nvidia’s GM204 GPU several weeks ago). It will be tremendously interesting to see the maximum frequency of the GM200 and its performance at that clock-rate.

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EVGA GeForce GTX 980 hits 2.30GHz, sets new records https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/evga-geforce-gtx-980-hits-2-30ghz-sets-new-records/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/evga-geforce-gtx-980-hits-2-30ghz-sets-new-records/#comments Fri, 27 Feb 2015 03:35:36 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=237868 Nvidia Corp.’s code-named GM204 graphics processing unit has once again managed to set a new frequency record for graphics processing units. A well-known overclocker has succeeded in pushing the frequency of the GPU to 2.30GHz clock-rate, but could not eventually replicate the record because of high humidity. Steponz, a leading overclocker from the U.S., has …

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Nvidia Corp.’s code-named GM204 graphics processing unit has once again managed to set a new frequency record for graphics processing units. A well-known overclocker has succeeded in pushing the frequency of the GPU to 2.30GHz clock-rate, but could not eventually replicate the record because of high humidity.

Steponz, a leading overclocker from the U.S., has overclocked his EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified ACX 2.0 4GB graphics card to 2300MHz for the GPU and 8712MHz (2178MHz*4) for GDDR5 memory. The GM204 GPU voltage (VDDC) was increased to whopping 1.212V and the graphics board was cooled down using liquid nitrogen (LN2). When later he tried to push the clock-rate to 2.30GHz, the test system malfunctioned because of high humidity.

steponz_evga_overclocking_ln2_nitrogen_geforce_gtx_980_1

“Had 2300/2200, but last three seconds setup went bad,” said Steponz in his comments over at Hwbot.org. “Really bad humidity here today. Going to play tomorrow too. […] If they humidity wasn't so bad, 2300MHz would have been there, just so much water everywhere and in the pot.”

steponz_evga_geforce_overclock_extreme_image_id_1345017

Using his test bed powered by an Intel Core i7-5960X processor clocked at 5.815GHz (also cooled-down using liquid nitrogen), a Gigabyte X99 SOC Champion mainboard and 16GB of 3.10GHz DDR4 memory, Steponz scored 10459 points in 3DMark FireStrike Extreme (using the graphics board functioning at 2.30GHz/8712MHz), which is the world’s new record for a single-GPU setup. He also scored 48193 points in Catzilla 720p benchmark (using the card operating at 2278/8812MHz), the highest result for a single-GPU system ever achieved.

evga_geforce_gtx_980_classified_3

Steponz specifically mentioned that the EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified ACX 2.0 4GB was a “monster card” thanks to massive amount of enhancements designed to improve overclocking potential. Nearly half of a year after the release of the board, overclockers still manage to set new records using this graphics adapter and push the GM204 to its limits.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: With the “regular” EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified hitting 2.30GHz on GPU, it is now even more interesting to see what the improved version of the graphics adapter – the EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Kingpin Edition – can do. Will we see GM204 hitting 2.40GHz?

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Corsair’s Dominator Platinum Orange guaranteed to run at 3.4GHz at ambient room temperature https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/corsairs-dominator-platinum-orange-guaranteed-to-run-at-3400mhz-at-ambient-room-temperature/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/corsairs-dominator-platinum-orange-guaranteed-to-run-at-3400mhz-at-ambient-room-temperature/#comments Fri, 20 Feb 2015 23:59:32 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=236833 Corsair, a major maker of enthusiast-class memory modules, has introduced its new limited edition 16GB DDR4 memory kit designed for high-end desktop (HEDT) systems featuring Intel Core i7 “Haswell-E” processors and Gigabyte X99-SOC Champion mainboards. The memory will run at maximum DDR4 clock-rate possible today, 3.40GHz, and will provide further overclocking capabilities. Corsair Dominator Platinum …

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Corsair, a major maker of enthusiast-class memory modules, has introduced its new limited edition 16GB DDR4 memory kit designed for high-end desktop (HEDT) systems featuring Intel Core i7 “Haswell-E” processors and Gigabyte X99-SOC Champion mainboards. The memory will run at maximum DDR4 clock-rate possible today, 3.40GHz, and will provide further overclocking capabilities.

Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR4 memory modules are the industry’s most sophisticated DRAM devices, which features loads of exclusive technologies aimed to improve their overclocking potential. The Dominator Platinum memory sticks are built on specially-designed multi-layer printed circuit boards that not only feature a special layer that works as a heat spreader and transfers heat to the main heat sink, but also feature integrated sensors to monitor temperature and voltages of memory chips. The modules sport large DHX radiators that can dissipate a lot of heat and improve overclocking. Besides, the Dominator Platinum family also features configurable and upgradeable top bars and light pipes to make the modules look good inside modded systems.

corsair_dominator_orange_3

The new Dominator Platinum DDR4 modules custom designed for the Gigabyte X99-SOC Champion mainboard feature orange top bars that match the motherboards’s orange colour theme. It is unknown whether the modules also feature certain SPD-based optimizations for the specific mainboard from Gigabyte.

corsair_dominator_orange_exp

The Corsair Dominator Platinum Series Limited Edition Orange 16GB (4*4GB) DDR4 memory kit (CMD16GX4M4B3400C16) is rated to run at 3400MHz (3.40GHz) with CL16 18-18-40 latency settings and 1.35V voltage. The modules fully support XMP 2.0 profiles and can clock themselves at optimal frequency when installed. Corsair guarantees that the modules will hit their clock-rate of 3400MHz at ambient room temperature without additional cooling methods. Obviously, all the improvements that are made to the modules’ PCBs and hand-picked memory chips should help enthusiasts to further overclock the devices beyond 3.40GHz.

corsair_dominator_orange_2

The Dominator Platinum series memory modules from Corsair is clearly very impressive in general. But performance and incredible technology come at a price. The Corsair Dominator Platinum Series Limited Edition Orange 16GB kit costs whopping $999.99.

The Gigabyte X99 SOC Champion motherboard features a special LGA2011-3 socket, akin to Asustek Computer’s patent-pending OC Socket, which activates pins that Intel uses only internally and which are not enabled on commercial products. The additional pins let overclockers to better tweak of voltages in BIOS, which should help those, who plan to use extreme cooling methods (liquid nitrogen or liquid helium) and set various benchmark records. Unlike other Intel X99 mainboard, the X99 SOC Champion features only four DDR4 DIMM memory slots in a bid to further improve overclocking potential. The slots are SMT mounted for improved signal quality and located closer to the CPU socket. The DIMM’s shorter trace path enables the DDR4 memory to communicate faster with the CPU, enabling the overclocker to reach record DDR4 memory frequencies.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: At the price of 16GB of premium DDR4 memory one could get a rather fine gaming PC with a decent graphics card and 16GB of mainstream DDR3… But top-notch performance requires significant investments and people who use LGA2011-3 platforms clearly know it.

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Overclocker sets new GPU clock-rate record with GeForce GTX 980 https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/overclocker-sets-new-gpu-frequency-record-with-geforce-gtx-980/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/overclocker-sets-new-gpu-frequency-record-with-geforce-gtx-980/#respond Sat, 07 Feb 2015 01:43:33 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=234545 A top overclocker has managed to set a new frequency record for graphics processing units after he pushed GPU frequency of EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified all the way to 2250MHz. The incredibly high clock-rate also allowed him to set a new 3DMark FireStrike Extreme record for single-GPU setups. Steponz, a leading overclocker from the U.S., …

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A top overclocker has managed to set a new frequency record for graphics processing units after he pushed GPU frequency of EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified all the way to 2250MHz. The incredibly high clock-rate also allowed him to set a new 3DMark FireStrike Extreme record for single-GPU setups.

Steponz, a leading overclocker from the U.S., has managed to overclock his EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified ACX 2.0 4GB graphics card to 2250MHz for the GPU and 8712MHz for GDDR5 memory. The graphics board was cooled down using liquid nitrogen (LN2).

steponz_evga_overclocking_ln2_nitrogen_geforce_gtx_980

At present 2.25GHz is the world’s record clock-rate for any graphics processing unit, which is 49MHz higher than the previous record set by Vince “K|NGP|N” Lucido several months ago. Unfortunately, the frequency of GDDR5 memory did not make it to 9GHz, another record set by Mr. Lucido last November using the same graphics card.

image_id_1337566

Using a test-rig powered by an Intel Core i7-5960X processor clocked at 5.815GHz (also cooled-down using liquid nitrogen), a Gigabyte X99 SOC Champion mainboard and 16GB of 3.10GHz DDR4 memory, Steponz scored 10075 points in 3DMark FireStrike Extreme benchmark, the highest result for a single-GPU setup ever achieved.

evga_geforce_gtx_980_classified_3

The EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified ACX 2.0 4GB graphics card is among the highest-performing GM204-based graphics adapters that money can buy. Thanks to major improvements of PCB design, the EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified has been the graphics card of choice of extreme overclockers for months since it has enabled great GPU and memory overclocking results.

Recently EVGA launched its new GeForce GTX 980 K|NGP|N Edition graphics card with ACX 2.0+ cooler and additional enhancements in design. It is expected that the new printed-circuit board and other tweaks will enable overclockers to further push the limits of Nvidia’s GM204 graphics processing unit.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Looks like the EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified still has some overclocking potential left since nearly 50MHz frequency increase seems rather significant at such extreme clock-rates. It will be tremendously interesting to see what the EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Kingpin Edition is capable of. Vince “K|NGP|N” Lucido achieved 2.20GHz GPU clock-rate on the card relatively easy, but so far he has not publicly tried to boost the frequency further. Will it hit 2.30GHz?

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Supermicro unveils X99 mainboard with optional USB 3.1 10Gb/s ports https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/supermicro-unveils-intel-x99-mainboard-with-optional-usb-3-1-10gbs-ports/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/supermicro-unveils-intel-x99-mainboard-with-optional-usb-3-1-10gbs-ports/#comments Thu, 05 Feb 2015 04:53:50 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=234122 Supermicro, a leading manufacturer of high-end mainboards for workstations and servers, has revealed its first motherboard based on Intel Corp.’s X99 core-logic. The new platform not only supports Intel’s latest Core i7 Extreme and Xeon processors and overclocking capabilities, but can be equipped with USB 3.1 ports with 10Gb/s bandwidth. The Supermicro C7X99-OCE-F mainboard (in …

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Supermicro, a leading manufacturer of high-end mainboards for workstations and servers, has revealed its first motherboard based on Intel Corp.’s X99 core-logic. The new platform not only supports Intel’s latest Core i7 Extreme and Xeon processors and overclocking capabilities, but can be equipped with USB 3.1 ports with 10Gb/s bandwidth.

The Supermicro C7X99-OCE-F mainboard (in ATX form-factor) supports all modern LGA2011 v3 (socket R) microprocessors, including Core i7, Xeon E5-2600 v3 and E5-1600 v3 along with automatic overclocking. The motherboard features eight 288-pin DDR4 DIMM slots for up to 64GB of DDR4 memory at up to 3.30GHz frequency, four PCI Express x16 slots (run at 16/16/0/8 or 16/8/8/8), ten Serial ATA-6Gb/s ports, Intel i210-AT dual port Gigabit Ethernet, Realtek ALC1150 8-channel audio, TPM module, eight USB 3.0 ports, Aspeed AST2400 BMC (for IPMI only) graphics adapter and so on.

One of the key selling points of the Supermicro C7X99-OCE-F (in addition to very high build quality and reliability) is upgradeability of four USB 3.0 ports to USB 3.1 ports with 10Gb/s bandwidth using special host controllers. At present this is a BOM option for OEMs, but in a couple of months’ time Supermicro may release a new version of the mainboard with USB 3.1 type-C connectors for the channel market.

supermicro_x99_intel_lga2011_mainboard

Unlike the majority of Intel X99 motherboards from other manufacturers, the Supermicro C7X99-OCE-F does not feature extreme overclocking capabilities since it is aimed at desktop, server and workstation markets. Still, it can overclock microprocessors in both automatic and manual modes.

The new mainboard will hit the market shortly. Pricing is unknown, but traditionally SuperMicro motherboard are considerably more expensive than competing solutions due to positioning for servers and workstations.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Systems powered by the C7X99-OCE-F will be among the first PCs on the market with USB 3.1 10Gb/s ports. While you will not be able to buy a version of the C7X99-OCE-F with USB 3.1 type-C connectors just now (still, some of such platforms will probably slip to the channel market), it is very pleasant to see that the new version of USB is making progress in terms of the adoption. If you are looking for a high-quality platform for a workstation or a gaming PC and have no plans for heavy overclock, then the Supermicro C7X99-OCE-F should be considered.

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EVGA unveils GeForce GTX 980 K|NGP|N ACX 2.0+ graphics card https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/evga-unveils-geforce-gtx-980-kngpn-acx-2-0-graphics-card/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/evga-unveils-geforce-gtx-980-kngpn-acx-2-0-graphics-card/#comments Tue, 03 Feb 2015 04:49:05 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=233595 EVGA on Monday introduced what could be the world’s most powerful graphics card based on Nvidia Corp.’s GeForce GTX 980 graphics processing unit. The new graphics board is designed to deliver extraordinary overclockability. It is expected that the new graphics adapter will set multiple performance records. The product is currently available for pre-order exclusively to …

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EVGA on Monday introduced what could be the world’s most powerful graphics card based on Nvidia Corp.’s GeForce GTX 980 graphics processing unit. The new graphics board is designed to deliver extraordinary overclockability. It is expected that the new graphics adapter will set multiple performance records. The product is currently available for pre-order exclusively to EVGA customers.

The EVGA GeForce GTX 980 K|NGP|N graphics card is based on a custom 12-layer printed circuit board with 14+3 power phase design. Thanks to three power inputs (8pin + 8pin + 6pin) and very high-quality voltage regulation module, the card can use up to 450W of power and up to 600A current to deliver great overclockability. Default clock-rate of the GPU is 1291MHz, which is one of the highest in the industry. The graphics board can temporarily boost the frequency of the GPU to 1393MHz.

evga_geforce_gtx_980_kingpin_classified
Vince “K|NGP|N ” Lucido, a leading extreme overclocker, has managed to overclock the EVGA GTX 980 Kingpin Edition graphics card to 2.20GHz/8900MHz core/memory using liquid nitrogen, which is on par with the world's record.

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“The power designs for both the GPU and memory on the EVGA GeForce GTX 980 K|NGP|N graphics card should allow some insane overclocking and some of the highest clockspeeds seen to date,” said Mr. Lucido. “Also, with the new multi-color LED cooler, you can customize the look of the card to fit any system.”

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At present only existing owners of registered EVGA products can pre-order the unique graphics cards. Each of such adapters will be priced at $749, which is a lot for such graphics solutions. Pre-orders are scheduled to begin shipping the week of February 19th, 2015.

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Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If you want to have the best single-chip graphics card money can buy right now, then EVGA’s GeForce GTX 980 K|NGP|N graphics adapter is among the things you should consider. Alternatively, you should wait for the new-generation GeForce GTX Titan graphics card based on the GM200 GPU.

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Gigabyte unveils X99 SOC Champion with redesigned LGA2011 socket https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/gigabyte-unveils-x99-soc-champion-with-redesigned-lga2011-socket/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/gigabyte-unveils-x99-soc-champion-with-redesigned-lga2011-socket/#respond Mon, 12 Jan 2015 23:59:35 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=230171 Gigabyte Technology has introduced a new Intel X99-based mainboard that is specifically designed for overclockers. The motherboard is not the most feature-rich X99 platform available, but when it comes to overclocking potential, the X99 SOC Champion could offer numerous breakthroughs thanks to redesigned LGA2011 socket with additional pins as well as all-new memory sub-system. The …

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Gigabyte Technology has introduced a new Intel X99-based mainboard that is specifically designed for overclockers. The motherboard is not the most feature-rich X99 platform available, but when it comes to overclocking potential, the X99 SOC Champion could offer numerous breakthroughs thanks to redesigned LGA2011 socket with additional pins as well as all-new memory sub-system.

The Gigabyte X99 SOC Champion motherboard sports a special LGA2011-3 socket, akin to Asustek Computer’s patent-pending OC Socket, which activates pins that Intel uses only internally and which are not enabled on commercial products. The additional pins let overclockers to better tweak of voltages in BIOS, which should help those, who plan to use extreme cooling methods (liquid nitrogen or liquid helium) and set various benchmark records.

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Unlike other Intel X99 mainboard, the X99 SOC Champion features only four DDR4 DIMM memory slots in a bid to further improve overclocking potential. The slots are SMT mounted for improved signal quality and located closer to the CPU socket. The DIMM’s shorter trace path enables the DDR4 memory to communicate faster with the CPU, enabling the overclocker to reach never achieved before DDR4 memory frequencies.

Like other enthusiast-class mainboards from Gigabyte, the X99-SOC Champion uses high-quality components for CPU voltage regulator module, including International Rectifier PWM controllers and new PowIRstage controllers.

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The X99 SOC Champion mainboard from Gigabyte also sports four PCI Express x16 slots for 4-way multi-GPU graphics sub-systems, M.2 slot for SSDs with up to 20Gb/s of bandwidth as well as SATA Express port with 10Gb/s bandwidth.

Pricing of the mainboard was not announced, but since it lacks advanced RAID controllers or high-end audio solutions, it is unlikely that the platform will be very expensive.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If you are in the market for a motherboard that offers great overclocking features, but is not too expensive, the Gigabyte X99 SOC Champion is clearly a platform to consider.

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EVGA readies new GeForce GTX 980 for extreme overclockers https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/evga-readies-new-geforce-gtx-980-for-extreme-overclockers/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/evga-readies-new-geforce-gtx-980-for-extreme-overclockers/#comments Sat, 03 Jan 2015 02:17:36 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=228654 Vince “K|NGP|N” Lucido, a top professional overclocker that works with EVGA, has announced on his Facebook page that EVGA is working on a new GeForce GTX 980 for extreme overclockers. The novelty is expected to beat the current flagship product from the company, the EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified ACX 2.0 4GB. “New year for …

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Vince “K|NGP|N” Lucido, a top professional overclocker that works with EVGA, has announced on his Facebook page that EVGA is working on a new GeForce GTX 980 for extreme overclockers. The novelty is expected to beat the current flagship product from the company, the EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified ACX 2.0 4GB.

“New year for extreme overclocking graphics #comingsoon,” said the renowned overclocker.

The EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified ACX 2.0 features a large custom PCB with enhanced PLL circuitry, improved GPU power plane as well as ability to control voltages using Evbot accessory sold by the company. To ensure maximum overclocking potential, the graphics card is equipped with two 8-pin PCI Express auxiliary power connectors as well as the company’s own ACX 2.0 cooling system.

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The EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified K|NGP|N Edition is expected to feature a preinstalled dedicated PWM baseplate, voltage regulation enhancements and more. It is also likely that the card will have two 8-pin and one 6-pin PCIe power connectors that can supply (together with the PCIe x16 slot) up to 450W of power to the board.

The EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified is already among the highest-performing graphics card in the world thanks to 1291MHz/7GHz GPU/memory clock-rates. The card is also among the most expensive GeForce GTX 980-based solutions on the market. It costs $699. The K|NGP|N Edition graphics card will offer higher frequencies, but will also be more expensive.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It will be extremely interesting to know how high will EVGA go with the new K|NGP|N Edition graphics card. Theoretically, a highly-overclocked GeForce GTX 980 will be able to rival Nvidia’s upcoming graphics cards based on the GM200 graphics processing unit.

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Asus preps external device for extreme overclocking of graphics cards https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/asustek-preps-external-vrm-device-for-extreme-overclocking-of-graphics-cards/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/asustek-preps-external-vrm-device-for-extreme-overclocking-of-graphics-cards/#respond Fri, 19 Dec 2014 23:08:24 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=227483 Asustek Computer is working on external voltage regulator module (VRM) card for graphics cards that will enable extreme overclocking by allowing massive overvoltage. Asus follows EVGA and Gigabyte Technology who have been selling similar external VRM solutions for years now. Although a lot of modern graphics cards (e.g., Asus Strix GeForce GTX 980, Asus ROG …

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Asustek Computer is working on external voltage regulator module (VRM) card for graphics cards that will enable extreme overclocking by allowing massive overvoltage. Asus follows EVGA and Gigabyte Technology who have been selling similar external VRM solutions for years now.

Although a lot of modern graphics cards (e.g., Asus Strix GeForce GTX 980, Asus ROG Matrix Platinum GTX 980) have very sophisticated 10-phase or even 14-phase VRMs that provide excellent overclocking potential, they are still commercial products with overvoltage protection and other restrictions. External VRM cards remove all limitations and allow to boost voltages of GPU and memory to incredible levels.

Elmor, an overclocker with the SweClockers.com team who managed to overclock Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 to 2.20GHz earlier this year, has published an image of Asus ROG Ext external VRM card for graphics cards at Hwbot forums, a leading resource for overclockers and modders. The card is an experimental project, so far only a number of test samples have been made and shipped out to overclockers working with Asus. It is unclear whether the company will actually sell this solution to end-users.

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The card, which is compatible with a wide range of graphics adapters, features single 8-phase output with output voltage of up to 2.5V (with output voltage offset switches [+0.4V, +0.3V, +0.2V, +0.1V]) and current up to 500A. The card has on-board voltage control/monitoring, output current monitoring, VRM temperature monitoring, load-line calibration (0%, 60%, 80%, 100%), hotwire setting/monitoring and other features required by extreme overclockers. The board sports four six-pin PCIe (4*75W) input power connectors, which means that it can deliver up to 300W of power to the graphics board, enough power to break world’s records.

Formally, capabilities of the external VRM card exceed those of EVGA’s Epower Board 2.0. However, keeping in mind that to accelerate GeForce GTX 980 (GM204) graphics processing unit to 2.20GHz earlier this year professional overclockers needed to increase GPU voltages to just over 1.2V with liquid nitrogen cooling (LN2), the ability to crank up GPU Vcore to something like 2.5V by far exceeds everything that any modern GPU can sustain.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: A key thing about external VRM cards is that once you use one of them, you lose warranty since you essentially modify your graphics board. If you are an extreme enthusiast, this could be acceptable, but for personal use in games such boards are useless. The only reason why one might need an external VRM for graphics card is a hardcore experiment with GPU overvoltage, which involves liquid nitrogen or even liquid helium usage. Given that no graphics card allows to set GPU Vcore higher than 1.3V and “safe” voltages under LN2 are in the range between 1.5V – 1.6V, there is a lot you can do with such cards if you are an extreme enthusiast…

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Gigabyte reveals world’s first mATX Intel X99 mainboard for Core i7 ‘Haswell-E’ chips https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/gigabyte-reveals-worlds-first-matx-intel-x99-mainboard-for-core-i7-haswell-e-chips/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/gigabyte-reveals-worlds-first-matx-intel-x99-mainboard-for-core-i7-haswell-e-chips/#comments Wed, 19 Nov 2014 06:09:33 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=222324 Gigabyte Technology has unveiled the world’s first mATX mainboard based on the Intel X99 core-logic that is designed for Intel Core i7-5800/5900-series “Haswell-E” high-end desktop central processing units. The mainboard features premium capabilities and can enable compact form-factor systems with extreme levels of performance. The Gigabyte X99M-Gaming 5 motherboard is equipped with LGA2011-3 socket that …

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Gigabyte Technology has unveiled the world’s first mATX mainboard based on the Intel X99 core-logic that is designed for Intel Core i7-5800/5900-series “Haswell-E” high-end desktop central processing units. The mainboard features premium capabilities and can enable compact form-factor systems with extreme levels of performance.

The Gigabyte X99M-Gaming 5 motherboard is equipped with LGA2011-3 socket that supports Intel’s latest HEDT chips, four DDR4 DIMM slots, two PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots for graphics cards, one PCI Express x16 slot operating in PCIe 3.0 x8 mode that can be used for the third graphics card or for a high-end PCIe SSD, one PCI Express x1 slot for add-in-cards, one M.2 socket (PCIe 2.0 x2 mode, up to 10Gb/s bandwidth) for SSDs, one SATA Express connector, six Serial ATA-6Gb/s connectors, four USB 3.0 ports, 10 USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet (Qualcomm Atheros Killer E2201 chip), 7.1-channel audio (Realtek ALC1150 codec with custom amplifiers) and so on.

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Like other advanced mainboards designed for Core i7 Extreme processors, the Gigabyte X99M-Gaming 5 was developed with overclocking in mind. The motherboard's CPU VRM is based on International Rectifier chips, including fourth-generation digital PWM controller and third-generation PowIRstage controllers. The mainboard utilizes  monolith chokes from Cooper Bussmann, aluminum core capacitors with low equivalent series resistors as well as other high-quality components to ensure maximum reliability even in overclocking conditions.

While the Gigabyte X99M-Gaming 5 will fit into compact cases, it will still allow to build a system with eight-core Core i7-5960X processor, up to three graphics cards, up to 32GB of DDR4 memory and a high-end SATAe or M.2 SSD.

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Pricing of the X99M-Gaming 5 is unknown, but do not expect it to be affordable. At present this is the only mATX mainboard based on Intel X99 chipset for LGA2011 v3 processors.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If you are in the market for a compact mainboard for a high-end PC, the Gigabyte X99-Gaming 5 is a thing to look at. However, keep in mind that in the coming months rivals of Gigabyte, such as Asustek Computer, will likely offer an alternative compact solution for Intel’s “Haswell-E” chips, which will bring the price of such platforms down a bit.

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Asustek readies GeForce GTX 980 graphics card with hybrid cooling https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/asustek-readies-geforce-gtx-980-graphics-card-with-hybrid-cooling/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/asustek-readies-geforce-gtx-980-graphics-card-with-hybrid-cooling/#respond Thu, 13 Nov 2014 02:28:42 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=221650 Asustek Computer is working on what could eventually become one of the highest-performing GeForce GTX 980 graphics cards on the planet. The forthcoming Asus Poseidon GTX 980 will feature a hybrid cooling system and proprietary design of printed-circuit board to enable unprecedented overclocking potential. The Asus ROG Poseidon GTX 980 features a cooling system that …

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Asustek Computer is working on what could eventually become one of the highest-performing GeForce GTX 980 graphics cards on the planet. The forthcoming Asus Poseidon GTX 980 will feature a hybrid cooling system and proprietary design of printed-circuit board to enable unprecedented overclocking potential.

The Asus ROG Poseidon GTX 980 features a cooling system that features a custom copper waterblock (that is in direct contact with the GPU), which allows plugging tubes (using standard G¼-inch threaded fittings) from custom liquid-cooling systems, as well as a massive aluminium radiator with ultra-thin fins with heat-pipes. According to Asustek, with water-cooling, ROG Poseidon GTX 980 achieves up to 27°C-lower running temperatures than reference designs. With air-cooling, ROG Poseidon GTX 980 is also significantly cooler than graphics cards, which use Nvidia’s reference cooling systems.

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The unique graphics card from Asustek is based on custom printed-circuit board featuring 10-phase Digi+ voltage-regulation module (VRM) with solid-state black metallic capacitors, concrete-core chokes and hardened MOSFETs. Thanks to digital VRM, there is an ample room for experimental performance tuning – to levels unmatched by graphics cards based on Nvidia’s reference design. Thanks to that and advanced cooling solution, Asustek’s ROG Poseidon GTX 980 promises to be an excellent overclocker.

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The manufacturer does not reveal exact GPU clock-rate of the upcoming graphics card, but claims that its maximum (boost clock) frequency will be 1279MHz. 4GB of GDDR5 memory will be clocked at 7010MHz.

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Asustek’s ROG Poseidon GTX 980 graphics cards will be available this month worldwide. Pricing will vary.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The new graphics card from Asustek Computer looks very interesting. It will be one of the first custom GeForce GTX 980 graphics boards on the market that is designed for extreme overclocking. How high will it go in terms of frequencies? Only time will tell!

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MSI X99S MPower: Intel ‘Haswell-E’ platform gets more affordable https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/msi-unleashes-x99s-mpower-intel-x99-platform-for-haswell-e-gets-more-affordable/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/msi-unleashes-x99s-mpower-intel-x99-platform-for-haswell-e-gets-more-affordable/#respond Fri, 31 Oct 2014 09:41:07 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=219528 MicroStar International this week rolled-out its fifth mainboard based on the Intel X99 core-logic set that is designed for Intel Corp.’s latest high-end desktop (HEDT) Core i7 “Haswel-E” central processing units. The new motherboard features premium components, overclocking capabilities and all the advantages the X99 has to offer. However, it lacks certain functions and technologies …

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MicroStar International this week rolled-out its fifth mainboard based on the Intel X99 core-logic set that is designed for Intel Corp.’s latest high-end desktop (HEDT) Core i7 “Haswel-E” central processing units. The new motherboard features premium components, overclocking capabilities and all the advantages the X99 has to offer. However, it lacks certain functions and technologies that are required by select enthusiasts, which makes it a tad more affordable than the rest platforms for the new “extreme” CPUs.

The MSI X99S MPower mainboard features LGA2011-3 socket for Intel Core i7-5800/5900-series “Haswell-E” microprocessors, eight 288-pin DIMM slots for DDR4 memory modules, four PCI Express x16 slots (which can work in x4, x8 or x16 modes) for up to four graphics cards, two PCI Express x1 slots for add-in boards, M.2 slot for solid-state drives that works in PCI Express 3.0 x4 mode (provides 32Gb/s, or 4GB/s of bandwidth), one SATA Express port, integrated 7.1 audio with MSI AudioBoost enhancements, Serial ATA-6Gb/s, USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet and so on. The motherboard comes in ATX form-factor, unlike some other members of the X99S lineup that come in E-ATX.

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Like other premium mainboards from MSI, the X99S MPower comes with what the company calls Military Class 4 components, which includes DrMOS II MOSFETs, monolithic super ferrite chokes (SFCs), highly-conductive polymerized capacitors (Hi-C Cap, made of tantalum) as well as aluminum core capacitors with low equivalent series resistors (which MSI calls Dark Caps). MSI’s motherboards designed for overclocking are marked with OC Certified sign, which means that they have passed the test running Prime95 for over 24 hours with a “highly overclocked” CPU without airflow for the mainboard itself.

The MSI X99S MPower motherboard features all the advanced overclocking capabilities that the Intel X99 platform and the rest of the MSI X99S family members have to offer, which includes fine adjustments of BCLK, voltage checkpoints, OC Genie manual overclocking feature and so on. Still, the mainboard lacks USB port on the PCB (which is only needed by extreme overclockers who do not install mainboards into PC cases), manual adjustment of CPU multiplier using OC Genie buttons, additional fan stand, heat-pipe-based cooling system for CPU VRM and the X99 PCH (which is barely needed at all) and some other minor things.

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In short, the MSI X99S MPower has everything needed to enjoy Intel’s latest six-core or eight-core Core i7-5800/5900-series “Haswell-E” microprocessors, including versatile overclocking functionality, but lacks certain functions only needed for professional overclockers or extreme enthusiasts.

While the MSI X99S MPower will not be exactly inexpensive, it will be more affordable than many other mainboards for LGA2011 v3 microprocessors available today. The novelty should hit the market shortly.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The MSI X99S MPower will eventually not be the only reasonably priced LGA2011 v3 mainboard on the market. As the Intel X99 platform matures, expect other manufacturers and even MSI itself to offer something even more affordable for those, who do not need advanced overclocking capabilities.

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Enthusiast overclocks GeForce GTX 980 to 2.20GHz, sets world’s record https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/enthusiast-overclocks-geforce-gtx-980-to-2-20ghz-sets-worlds-record/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/enthusiast-overclocks-geforce-gtx-980-to-2-20ghz-sets-worlds-record/#comments Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:56:46 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=214724 Nvidia Corp.’s recently unveiled GM204 graphics processing unit and GeForce GTX 980 graphics card have proven to be excellent performers and also great overclockers. This week an enthusiast from Sweden managed to boost clock-rate of the GeForce GTX 980 graphics processing unit to whopping 2.20GHz, a new world’s record. Elmor, an overclocker from SweClockers.com team, …

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Nvidia Corp.’s recently unveiled GM204 graphics processing unit and GeForce GTX 980 graphics card have proven to be excellent performers and also great overclockers. This week an enthusiast from Sweden managed to boost clock-rate of the GeForce GTX 980 graphics processing unit to whopping 2.20GHz, a new world’s record.

Elmor, an overclocker from SweClockers.com team, has managed to increase GPU clock-rate of Asus GeForce GTX 980 Direct CU II graphics card by 81.58 per cent from default, to 2208MHz. He also managed to increase effective GDDR5 memory frequency to 8392MHz, a 19.27 per cent boost. To achieve his remarkable overclocking result, Elmor used liquid nitrogen cooling. The core voltage of the GM204 GPU was 1.2120V.

Using a system based on Intel Core i7-5960X clocked at 5586MHz (also cooled by LN2), Elmor managed to score 9568 in 3DMark FireStrike Extreme, another world’s record, reports Hwbot.

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Earlier this year Nvidia Corp.’s GK110 graphics processing unit has managed to conquer 2.0GHz frequency, setting the world’s record. The GM204 graphics chip is smaller than the GK110 and contains fewer transistors, therefore, it is not surprising that it can work at even higher frequencies. Moreover, thanks to increased efficiency of Nvidia’s Maxwell architecture, the GM204 can actually be faster than the GK110 in benchmarks when overclocked.

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Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 graphics cards have existed on the market for less than a month. Professional overclockers only start to push them to the max. Eventually, it is highly likely that the GM204 GPU will set a number of other records.

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Eight-core Core i7-5960X overclocked to 6GHz+ with all cores active https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/eight-core-core-i7-5960x-overclocked-to-6ghz-with-all-cores-active/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/eight-core-core-i7-5960x-overclocked-to-6ghz-with-all-cores-active/#comments Tue, 23 Sep 2014 22:58:00 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=213005 Although Intel Corp. decided to set pretty moderate default clock-rate for its eight-core desktop chips aimed at performance enthusiasts, the new Core i7-5960X “Haswell-E” central processing units appear to be pretty good overclockers. Recently a German enthusiast managed to boost clock-rate of the new processor by two times from default using LN2 cooling. Der8auer, an …

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Although Intel Corp. decided to set pretty moderate default clock-rate for its eight-core desktop chips aimed at performance enthusiasts, the new Core i7-5960X “Haswell-E” central processing units appear to be pretty good overclockers. Recently a German enthusiast managed to boost clock-rate of the new processor by two times from default using LN2 cooling.

Der8auer, an overclocker from Germany, on Monday overclocked his Core i7-5960X microprocessor from 3.0GHz to 6065MHz, based on his submissions on Hwbot.org, a web-site that overclockers use to share their overclocking results. It is especially noteworthy that all eight cores and the Hyper-Threading technology remained active, as a result, the chip could demonstrate record performance in various applications.

To overclock the eight-core CPU, Der8auer used Gigabyte X99-SOC Force LN2 mainboard based on Intel X99 core-logic set as well as liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooling. The core voltage of the chip was increased to 1.657V, which is not too high.

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The record overclocking allowed Deb8auer to set three world’s records for eight-core microprocessors:

  • HWBot Prime – 9698.75 points at 6065MHz;
  • wPrime 1024M – 58.380 seconds at 6065MHz;
  • Cinebench R15 – 2342 points at 5875MHz.

While 6GHz is extremely high clock-rate, it is not the record frequency ever set by the Core i7-5960X chip. Recently Nick Shih, a well-known professional overclocker that works with Asrock, managed to overclock his Intel Core i7-5960X processor to 6594MHz with LN2 cooling on Asrock X99 OC Formula mainboard. He had to increase core voltage to 1.818V and disable seven cores out of eight.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The new enthusiast-class processors from Intel overclock very well with LN2 cooling. Unfortunately, far not all of such chips can operate at 4.5GHz+ with proper air or liquid cooling.

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Intel Core i7-5960X ‘Haswell-E’ overclocked to 6253MHz https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-core-i7-5960x-haswell-e-overclocked-to-6253mhz/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-core-i7-5960x-haswell-e-overclocked-to-6253mhz/#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2014 14:58:59 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=209362 A well-known enthusiast has managed to overclock an engineering sample of the yet-unreleased Intel Core i7-5960X microprocessor code-named “Haswell-E” to rather whopping 6.25GHz. While it is hard to make conclusions regarding overclockability of Intel’s upcoming top-of-the-range chip, the early result still seems to be interesting. TaPaKaH, a well-known overclocker from Russia, has managed to push …

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A well-known enthusiast has managed to overclock an engineering sample of the yet-unreleased Intel Core i7-5960X microprocessor code-named “Haswell-E” to rather whopping 6.25GHz. While it is hard to make conclusions regarding overclockability of Intel’s upcoming top-of-the-range chip, the early result still seems to be interesting.

TaPaKaH, a well-known overclocker from Russia, has managed to push an engineering sample of the Intel Core i7-5960X processor to 6253.16MHz (up from 3.0/3.50GHz default frequencies), according to a listing at CPU-Z. The result was achieved on a system featuring MicroStar International’s MSI X99 SLI Plus (MS-7885) mainboard and quad-channel DDR4 memory kit. For some reason, the overclocker used a 32-bit Windows XP SP3 operating system, hence, naturally, there were issues with correct recognition of DDR4 memory modules.

In order to boost clock-speed of the Core i7-5960X “Haswell-E” microprocessor to whopping 6.25GHz, the overclocker had to disable six out of eight cores (as well as the Hyper-Threading technology), increase the core voltage (Vcore) to 1.753V and also (presumably) use liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooling.

intel_haswell_e_overclock_cpu_z

Even though 6.25GHz clock-rate is a nice result that shows good overclocking potential of the “Haswell-E” in general, it has little practical meaning since only two cores were enabled.

Meanwhile, a member of Coolaler forums has managed to overclock the Core i7-5960X “Haswell-E” microprocessor with all eight cores with HT activated to 4.0GHz with 1.046V Vcore. The overclock was not only validated by CPU-Z, but the chip managed to complete the SuperPi 1M benchmark in 14.555s. Most probably the “Haswell-E” could do even better than that with higher voltage and better cooling

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is only one day left before reviews of the Intel Core i7-5960X “Haswell-E” microprocessors are set to hit the web. What we do know already is that the new chips should not only offer rather high performance out-of-the-box (which is expected), but also great overclockability.

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Intel ‘Devil’s Canyon’ chips’ NGPTIM is still not efficient – research https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/uncategorized/anton-shilov/intels-devils-canyon-chips-ngptim-is-still-not-efficient-research/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/uncategorized/anton-shilov/intels-devils-canyon-chips-ngptim-is-still-not-efficient-research/#comments Thu, 10 Jul 2014 22:58:11 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=202531 Intel Corp.’s NGPTIM [next-generation polymer thermal interface material], which was supposed to bring back record overclocking capabilities to the company’s processors is better than its predecessor, but is significantly worse than commercially available thermal interfaces, a new research has found out. Earlier this year Intel Corp.’s promised that its Core i7-4790K and Core i7-4690K “Devil’s …

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Intel Corp.’s NGPTIM [next-generation polymer thermal interface material], which was supposed to bring back record overclocking capabilities to the company’s processors is better than its predecessor, but is significantly worse than commercially available thermal interfaces, a new research has found out.

Earlier this year Intel Corp.’s promised that its Core i7-4790K and Core i7-4690K “Devil’s Canyon” microprocessors will have considerably better overclocking potential compared to the original chips based on the “Haswell” micro-architecture released last year thanks to improved thermal interface between the die and the heat-spreader as well as revamped power supply circuity. However, actual overclocking attempts of a Core i7-4790K central processing unit by KitGuru’s reviewer Luke Hill did not reveal any breakthroughs. Apparently, the reason for that is quite simple: the new thermal interface that Intel uses still has limited efficiency.

All Intel processors for desktop computers in the recent 15+ years have featured heat-spreaders (which many call lids) on their dies to protect the latter from damages and enable more efficient heat dissipation. Back in the days Intel soldered dies to heat-spreaders using a special Indium-based alloy, which enabled very efficient transfer of heat. However, starting from the code-named Ivy Bridge microprocessors Intel replaced the solder with a layer of thermal paste, which is considerably less efficient than the previously used alloy.

Many overclockers complained that in order to unlock maximum overclocking potential of the Core i7-3770K and the Core i7-4770K microprocessors they had to remove the heat-spreaders (de-lid the chips) and change thermal interface. With the latest “Devil’s Canyon” central processing units Intel started to use a new substance called the NGPTIM, which is more efficient than its predecessors. However, a research conducted by 3DNews web-site has revealed that the NGPTIM is far less efficient than even affordable thermal pastes available on the market.

intel_core_devils_canyon_delidded

In a bid to test efficiency of the NGPTIM, Ilya Gavrichenkov, a renowned microprocessor expert, removed the lid and switched Intel’s NGPTIM with different thermal compounds. During the tests the base frequency of the Core i7-4690K processor was increased from 3.50GHz to 4.20GHz, the VCore was set at 1.2V and the TurboBoost 2.0 technology was disabled. The microprocessor was cooled-down by the Noctua NH-D15 cooler. The CPU temperatures were measured under two types of load: Extreme (created by AVX2-supporting LinX 0.6.5 stress test utility) and Typical (created by Freemake Video Converter 4.1.4 video transcoding software).

graph_1-devils_canyon_thermals

graph_2-devils_canyon_thermals

In both cases Intel’s NGPTIM could only outperform KPT-8 (an old thermal paste developed in 1974 in the USSR) paste and was less efficient than inexpensive Arctic Cooling MX-2. Highly-efficient Coollaboratory Liquid Pro compound proved to be dramatically better than Intel’s NGPTIM.

Usage of more efficient Coollaboratory Liquid Pro thermal paste allowed to overclock the Core i5-4690K processor to 4.60GHz with 1.46V voltage, which is 200MHz higher compared to a result with Intel’s new thermal interface.

intel_core_devils_canyon_delid_process intel_core_devils_canyon_delid_process_1 intel_core_devils_canyon_delid_process_2

The web-site proposes an interesting way to de-lid a processor using a bench-vice.

In other words, if you want to get maximum from Intel’s “Devil’s Canyon” chips, remove the heat-spreader and switch the NGPTIM with something better. While you will definitely lose warranty, you will finally get something that could be comparable to a good-old Sandy Bridge running at 5GHz.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is noteworthy that even with a new thermal compound the Core i7-4690K still did not skyrocket to 5GHz. Looks like modern micro-architectures are not really tailored for extreme overclocking…

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Overclocker teams up with Gigabyte, Kingston to push DDR3 to 4.50GHz https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/overclocker-teams-up-with-gigabyte-kingston-to-push-ddr3-to-4-50ghz/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/overclocker-teams-up-with-gigabyte-kingston-to-push-ddr3-to-4-50ghz/#comments Tue, 03 Jun 2014 22:58:19 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=196450 The DDR4 memory era is set to begin in several months from now. It is expected that the DDR4 standard will bring the world new performance heights thanks to increased memory frequencies and chip densities. But who said that the DDR3 cannot run faster? Hicookie, a well-known overclocker, this week managed to overclock a Kingston …

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The DDR4 memory era is set to begin in several months from now. It is expected that the DDR4 standard will bring the world new performance heights thanks to increased memory frequencies and chip densities. But who said that the DDR3 cannot run faster? Hicookie, a well-known overclocker, this week managed to overclock a Kingston HyperX DDR3 memory module to whopping 4.50GHz, a frequency that will not be officially achieved by the DDR4 for a couple of years from now.

In a bid to overclock the memory module, Hicookie used a custom mainboard designed especially for record-breaking extreme overclocking by Gigabyte Technology, a Kingston HyperX memory module officially rated to run at 2933MHz, an engineering sample of Intel Core i7-4770K “Haswell” processor as well as a liquid nitrogen cooling system. The mainboard he used was a specially built version of the GA-Z97X-SOC Force with only two memory slots moved towards the CPU socket (in order to ensure clean electrical signals were as clear as possible), lack of any standard holes/mounts for a CPU cooler and possibly some other enhancements.

ddr3_4500_overclock_kingston_gigabyte_lab501ro

Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SOC Force LN2 mainboard. Image by Lab501.ro

Thanks to the fact that the GA-Z97X-SOC Force LN2 was designed to be a DDR3 overclocking record breaker, Hicookie managed to run one Kingston HyperX DDR3 memory module at 4500MHz. Stability of the overclocked PC was high enough to boot the Microsoft Windows XP operating system and run the CPU-Z software.

ddr3_4500_overclock_kingston_gigabyte_lab501ro_1

The testbed with installed cooling devices. Image by Lab501.ro

Maximum bandwidth provided by a DDR3 memory module clocked at 4.50GHz is 36GB/s, which seems to be a lot. However, since all modern mainstream PCs use dual-channel memory sub-systems, 36GB/s can be achieved by running two DDR3 modules at 2250MHz, which is hardly a truly high-speed for modern DDR3 memory sticks as well as the latest microprocessors from Intel. It is impossible to overclock a couple of memory modules to extreme rates like 4.50GHz.

ddr3_4500_overclock_kingston_gigabyte

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While it is definitely remarkable that the DDR4 clock-rates can be achieved with high-speed DDR3 modules, such overclocking lacks any practical sense from the end-user point of view. Still, thanks to the experiment the world knows that the Kingston HyperX memory modules can work at extreme frequencies with the help of the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SOC Force LN2 mainboards.

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