AMD FX CPUs Sets Guinness World Record for Overclocking!
On August 31st, in Austin, Texas, computing history was made as an overclocked CPU achieved a mind-boggling 8.429 GHz frequency reading.
That would be the world’s first 8 core desktop processor, the just-launched AMD FX CPU, code-named “Zambezi”, in case anyone wanted to know. Designed for extreme gaming and HD media at super resolution, and benefiting from a new architecture built for modern multi-threaded workloads and personal performance tuning, the AMD FX CPU can be unlocked to achieve a measurable frequency and performance boost with overclocking.1
Fortunately for prosterity and fans of extreme processor performance everywhere, a Guinness official was on hand that fateful day (alongside other distinguished tech journalists) to testify that the previous record of 8.308 GHz was properly pulverized by a dream team of extreme overclockers and AMD technologists—armed with a motherlode of liquid helium to be used as a cooling mechanism—who had spent days preparing for their systems for the chance to truly “beat the clock”.2
Listen to industry observers tell the story of the new world record victory by AMD3
“We applaud AMD for their entry into Guinness World Records® for achieving the Highest Frequency of a Computer Processor”
- Freddie Hoff, adjudicator for Guinness World Records.
“The record-breaking processor speed that resides in the AMD FX CPU clearly demonstrates performance gains for the new AMD ‘Bulldozer’ multi-core architecture, which will provide x86 computing power for this CPU and future AMD Accelerated Processing Units.”
- Chris Cloran, Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Client Group at AMD
“By combining Liquid Nitrogen with Liquid Helium, the fastest microchip ever now comes from AMD. By having Turbo Mode enabled with at least two cores running, Zambezi achieved 8.429 GHz, i.e. almost eight and a half G's, soundly beating the previous champion, half a decade old Intel Celeron.”
- Bright Side of News
“Not only is the incredible frequency achieved by AMD a great indication of the overclocking potential of Bulldozer, but it also shows that the chip doesn't necessarily suffer from the cold bugs that often plague modern CPUs.”
- Bit-tech.net
“That's right, AMD, Intel's least-favorite chip-making rival, who apparently managed to jam prototype processing tech, incantations from a book of magic, a sacrificial dove and a bag of gilded runestones into a box to coax an AMD FX desktop processor from zero to 8.429GHz in no time flat.”
- Time Magazine - TechLand
“It’s amazing what people can do with one of AMD’s new eight-core FX processors, a specially built chassis, and a few tanks of liquid helium.”
- TechCrunch
“So, AMD's got the fastest silicon in the west and it's chipping away at Intel's processor predominance.”
- Engadget
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- Testing conducted in AMD performance labs using liquid helium. Final frequency obtained was 8.429GHx on August 31, 2011. AMD’s AMD’s product warranty does not cover damages caused by overclocking, even when overclocking is enabled via AMD OverDrive™ software. Extreme overclocking with liquid helium and liquid nitrogen should only be attempted by professional overclockers.
- AMD’s product warranty does not cover damages caused by overclocking, even when overclocking is enabled via AMD OverDrive™ software. Extreme overclocking with liquid helium and liquid nitrogen should only be attempted by professional overclockers.
- Quotes, in order of appearance:
- Freddie Hoff, adjudicator for Guinness World Records.
http://www.amd.com/us/press-releases/Pages/amd-showcases-worlds-2011sept13.aspx
- Chris Cloran, Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Client Group at AMD
http://www.amd.com/us/press-releases/Pages/amd-showcases-worlds-2011sept13.aspx
- Bright Side of News
http://www.brightsideofnews.com/news/2011/9/13/amd-trounces-intel-guinness-crowns-bulldozer-as-the-fastest-x86-cpu.aspx
- Bit-tech.net
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2011/09/13/amd-overclocks-bulldozer-to-8-429ghz/1/
- Time Magazine - TechLand
http://techland.time.com/2011/09/13/watch-amd-breaks-8ghz-world-record-with-daring-cpu-overclock/
- TechCrunch
http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/13/amds-new-fx-processor-reaches-world-record-clock-speed/
- Engadget
http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/13/amd-gets-guiness-world-record-for-fastest-cpu-with-overclocked-o/