SF3D OC Event - 7GHz broken, 3DMark 06 world record
Written by Andreas G 06 July 2009 20:36

Processor maker AMD supported the overclocking event SF3D overclocking event in Finland and with around ten overclockers from around Europe bunkered up together with the latest Phenom II 42 TWKR processor and loads of liquid nitrogen and liquid helium for some really extreme overclocking. They managed to achieve several impressive results and one of them was 7GHz maximal clock frequency, and a world record in 3DMark06. Ironically none of these were achieved using the new overclockerfriendly TWKR processor, but instead Phenom II X4 955 BE stole the show.

To be completely frank, AMD's Phenom II 42 TWKR processors are handpicked 955 BE processors and with this in mind it is not that weird that the 955 BE samples used in Finland were selected as the best suited for overclocking out of thousands.

Either way it is a mighty impressive screenshot starring an AMD Phenom II processor clocked at 7000,4MHz with all four cores active. The result hasn't been verified but since AMD is supporting this we can't imagine that it would be anything but genuine, unlike some earlier 7GHz+ overclockings.

Except from the impressive max clock frequency, our Finnish colleague Sampsa and Swedish overclocker Elmor managed to grab a new world record in 3DMark06 as they pushed their Phenom II X4 955 BE processor through the entire benchmark while operating at 6.5GHz. The end result was 38,139 points using the following hardware;

Specifications:
AMD Phenom II 955 BE (high leakage sample)
Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P
2x1GB Crucial Value D9GTS
2x Gigabyte HD4870X2
Cooling: Liquid helium on CPU, stock cooling on graphics cards

38,139 points in 3DMark06

The processor was cooled with liquid helium which resulted in temperatures down under -230 degrees Celsius. The same cooling enabled the processor to get through 3DMark05 at incredible 6.67GHz, which resulted in 50.017 points, only 9 points from the current world record.

50,017 points in 3DMark05

AMD has managed to design a fine overclocking processor through its Phenom II architecture and even if the new "PR processor" TWKR, as expected, isn't a God-like creation it may actually come as a relief to regular consumers, since this one will most likely never end up in stores.

We congratulate both AMD and the group of overclockers that has showed what kind of results you can achieve during the right circumstances.

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