What is The CPU Overclocking World Record?

For some folks, overclocking is like squeezing out the very last bits of juice from your favorite old gadget. But for others, it’s a nerdy adventure fueled by the thrill of pushing boundaries. Now, imagine this elite squad of overclockers – they’re like superheroes, but instead of saving the world, they’re in a constant battle to claim the title of the fastest computer on the block.

So, how does one become part of this legendary league of overclockers, you ask? And who’s keeping score in this epic showdown of clock speeds? Well, let’s dive in and find out!

How Are Records Measured?

HWBOT.org is the defacto ultimate judge and jury of overclocking feats. They’re like the grandmasters of this wild overclocking arena, gathering data from every corner of the globe to create the ultimate leader board.

But hold your horses! They don’t just take your word for it. Oh no, there’s a whole rulebook to follow if you want your overclocking shenanigans to be legit. To get your attempt officially recognized, you have to jump through some hoops. First off, you need to use CPUZ (version 1.96 or higher) from CPUID to measure your clock speed. Then, snap a screenshot with all the important bits visible – that means the 3D Mark benchmark score, CPUZ CPU & memory tabs, and even the Windows taskbar should be in full view. No cheating with clipping or cropping, mind you!

Now, here’s the kicker: submitting your 3D Mark scores to HWBOT usually involves a bit of manual labour. You’ve got to copy over results, type in hardware details, and upload those validation screenshots like a champ. But hey, if you’re fancy and have a 3D Mark account, you can skip some of the hassle by linking it directly to your HWBOT profile. Easy peasy, right?

Who Holds The Current Record?

Elmor, the mastermind behind ElmorLabs, teamed up with the Asus Overclocking Team to conquer the overclocking universe. ElmorLabs, born in the bustling streets of Taipei, Taiwan, was the brainchild of Jon Sandström, aka Elmor, back in 2018. These guys are all about pushing the limits, crafting hardware, firmware, and software for PC wizards who love to go to the extreme.

Now, brace yourself for the jaw-dropping moment: they smashed the record books by cranking an Intel Core i9 14900KS to an unbelievable 9117.75 MHz. Yep, you read that right – it’s like putting a rocket booster on your CPU! These overclocking wizards sure know how to make our jaws drop and our computers scream for mercy!

How Did They Manage To Achieve It?

Soon after Intel’s latest and greatest chip went on sale ElmorLabs we’re at it again, trying to top their own previous world records. The team used exotic cooling (liquid Helium) and had to crank the voltage to a huge 1.85V to get that almost 9.12GHz clock speed. When it comes to overclocking challenges like these you have two options, either liquid nitrogen or liquid helium. Liquid nitrogen has an extremely low boiling point of -196 degrees Celsius (-321 degrees Fahrenheit). When poured onto a computer’s components, it rapidly evaporates, absorbing a significant amount of heat and cooling the components to well below their normal operating temperatures. Liquid helium is another ultra-cold coolant like liquid nitrogen but with even lower temperatures, making it an even more extreme method for cooling computer hardware. While less common than liquid nitrogen due to its higher cost and technical challenges, liquid helium can offer even greater cooling performance, allowing for potentially higher overclocks and better benchmark scores.

What Does The Leader Board Look Like?

Since late 2022 the lads at ElmorLabs have reigned supreme, holding the top four spots using Intel’s latest i9 chips. At time of writing the top ten looks as follows:

Now, you may not have access to liquid nitrogen, but we’d still love to hear about your top scores using a delidded cpu and high end cooling system! Comment below!