Thursday, August 27, 2009

Intel Core i7 Extreme Overclocking with LN2

Intel Core i7 Extreme Overclocking with LN2
Introduction and Test System


Enthusiast level hardware is exciting, especially if you can make use of its full potential. When Intel released the monster 3.33GHz Core i7 975 processor, they laid claim to the highest performing desktop CPU on the market. Interestingly enough, they were competing with themselves as the 3.2GHz 965 held the pole position up to that point. But the new model was welcome as it brought with it the new D0 stepping which lowered operating voltage requirements, tightened up memory timings and brought slightly cooler temperatures. Of course enthusiasts also noticed another tangible benefit in the form of higher overclocking headroom.

Intel's Extreme Edition processors are not for everybody. Economically, they just don't make much sense for mainstream users. These extravagant chips were designed for smaller segment of the market where the consumers who buy them tend to push their hardware a lot harder than most folks. Here, workstation professionals, overclockers, benchmark freaks, and extreme enthusiasts spend as much time tweaking system settings for optimal performance as they do operating their computers. Besides the small speed bump that the 975 features at its stock settings, the main advantage it has over its more affordable siblings is an unlocked multiplier which provides coveted flexibility to overclockers as they push core speeds to new heights. If overclocking is an art, using an Extreme Edition processor is like painting with the finest tools on an immaculate canvas.

In order to push the limits of the 975, we decided to leave the safe confines of air cooling and enter the precarious world of sub-zero chilling. Liquid nitrogen, or LN2, is commonly used as a coolant within the overclocking scene and can reach much lower temperatures than air, water, or the phase change cooling you may be accustomed to. While we are used to seeing processors operate in air-cooled settings of around 40'C, the use of LN2 will allow us to push clock speeds all the way down in the -80'C range in order to unlock the overclocking capabilities of both the motherboard and CPU. We paired a Core i7 975 processor with the EVGA X58 Classified motherboard to find out just how far we can go with the X58 platform and Intel's current flagship CPU.

We used enthusiast-level components in our test bench in order enhance overclocking headroom as much as possible. EVGA released the X58 Classified motherboard earlier this year and they held absolutely nothing back. This flagship motherboard comes with every high end feature the X58 platform offers and then some. We reviewed the Limited Edition 759 model which also features two 8-pin 12V CPU power connectors, which gives us a bit more power loading headroom, and a 10 phase digital PWM with a switching frequency up to 1,333KHz to support extreme overclocking. Listening to needs of overclocking enthusiasts, EVGA has seemingly created the ultimate platform for competitive X58 extreme benchmarking, with a little help from our friend Liquid Nitrogen that is.

Furthermore, the 2000MHz OCZ Blade memory kit we used provides high-end performance and breathing room as we push the processor way beyond stock. We even threw on a pair of EVGA GTX 295 graphics cards to push our video benchmark results over the top. Next, let's check out the cooling hardware we needed in order to reach sub-zero temperatures.


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Intel Core i7 Extreme Overclocking with LN2 BIOS Settings and Overclocking

Intel Core i7 Extreme Overclocking with LN2 BIOS Settings and Overclocking


Overclocking is not an exact science. Every processor is different for example and just because your friend's Core i7 processor hit 4.5GHz on air doesn't mean that yours will, even if using the same settings and hardware. Many factors can influence what a processor is capable of. These factors include complementary components like the motherboard, memory, power supply and cooling. In addition, user experience definitely comes into play as there is an abundance of modifiable settings within the BIOS.


To overclock the 975, we wanted to find a stable starting point and work our way up to maximum frequency. The settings shown above are the ones we used to achieve a comfortable 4.22GHz overclock. From this point, we raised the host clock and multiplier to achieve higher CPU frequencies.

We are focusing primarily on CPU overclocking in this article so memory settings are kept relatively loose throughout testing. Our RAM is rated at 2000MHz 7-8-7-20 1T at 1.65V. Using high frequency DIMMs will help you during overclocking efforts as raising QPI also raised memory speed. As such, having the headroom that these sticks provide is a luxury. We used CAS 8 settings and raised tRFC to 88 in order to give us plenty of room for overclocking.
We disabled SpeedStep and CxE function within the CPU Feature menu. HT Technology or hyperthreading is left on during the benchmarks. For single threaded tests, you can disable hyperthreading and the processor should run cooler under a load and may provide higher overclocks.

Unlike air or watercooling, using liquid nitrogen brings the added complication of temperature swing that must be controlled by pouring small amounts of LN2 in the pot from time to time. Maintaining the temperature of the pot at a certain level is the only way to assure stability throughout a benchmark. Long running tests are the most difficult to complete due to the varying degree of loads placed on the processor and the attempt to keep temperatures within the optimal range.

Through testing, we have found that our retail Core i7 975 achieves a stable maximum frequency between -100' to -115'F, depending on the benchmark used. Our goal was to reach 5GHz or higher and run a series of benchmarks to test performance.

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Intel Core i7 Extreme Overclocking with LN2 SuperPi and wPrime

Intel Core i7 Extreme Overclocking with LN2 SuperPi and wPrime


SuperPI Mod 1.5 is a single threaded, overclocking benchmark that calculates Pi to a specific number of digits after the decimal point. It is used by many overclockers to test performance and stability of their systems.


With the Core i7 975 clocked to 5GHz, we finished SuperPI 1M in an impressive 8.235 seconds. That's a full 4 seconds faster than our stock clocked 975 ran and a 50% speed increase.

The CPU benchmarking application, wPrime, is designed to use a highly multithreaded approach to calculating the square roots of large amounts of numbers. It places a 100% load on the CPU while in use.

The great thing about wPrime is the fact that it makes use of all 8 threads the Core i7 offers. With the 975 at 4.92GHz, we finished the 32M calculation at a blazing 5.029 seconds.

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Intel Core i7 Extreme Overclocking with LN2 3DMark06 and Vantage

Core i7 Extreme Overclocking with LN2 3DMark06 and Vantage

3DMark06 is a hard-core, forward-looking 3D rending benchmark that pushes a system and its GPUs to the limits. The test includes Shader Model 2.0, Shader Model 3.0, and HDR tests. To push the system, scenes are rendered with very high geometric detail and shader complexity, and with extensive use of lighting and soft shadows. The maximum shader length 3DMark06 supports is 512 instructions. The 3DMark06 Overall Score is a weighted average based on the SM 2.0 and HDR / SM3.0, and CPU scores.


3DMark06 is a hard-core, forward-looking 3D rending benchmark that pushes a system and its GPUs to the limits. The test includes Shader Model 2.0, Shader Model 3.0, and HDR tests. To push the system, scenes are rendered with very high geometric detail and shader complexity, and with extensive use of lighting and soft shadows. The maximum shader length 3DMark06 supports is 512 instructions. The 3DMark06 Overall Score is a weighted average based on the SM 2.0 and HDR / SM3.0, and CPU scores.


The latest version of Futuremark's synthetic 3D gaming benchmark, 3DMark Vantage, is specifically bound to Windows Vista-based systems because it uses some advanced visual technologies that are only available with DirectX 10, which isn't available on previous versions of Windows. 3DMark Vantage isn't simply a port of 3DMark06 to DirectX 10 though. With this latest version of the benchmark, Futuremark has incorporated two new graphics tests, two new CPU tests, several new feature tests, in addition to support for the latest PC hardware. We tested the graphics cards here with 3DMark Vantage's Performance preset option, which uses a resolution of 1280x1024.


Futuremark's latest graphics benchmark, 3DMark Vantage, takes even longer to run than 3DMark06. We were able to successfully complete the test at a CPU overclock of 4.71GHz which provided us with a 23% CPU performance increase and 12% boost overall.

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Intel Core i7 Extreme Overclocking with LN2 Conclusion

Intel Core i7 Extreme Overclocking with LN2 Conclusion


For enthusiasts, too much is never enough. Higher frequencies, more voltage, and colder temps can become addictive. Our initial experience with Liquid Nitrogen cooling has been both exciting and eye opening. We assaulted the processor with hours of LN2 benching and after every freeze or blue screen caused by instability, the system rebooted, posted to desktop, and begged for more punishment.

We crossed into the world of extreme overclocking with a product made specifically for the enthusiast or power user and came away very impressed. The Core i7 975 Extreme Edition lived up to its name and provided extreme frequencies that matched the intense cooling capability of liquid nitrogen. As more over clockers are finding out, the more affordable Core i7 920 D0 revision will overclock to similar frequencies as the Core i7 975 CPU when using air or watercooling. But the limits of Core i7 can only be reached with Extreme Edition processors with their added flexibility of the CPU multiplier and sub-zero cooling. The price premium is a major hurdle for those who want the best, but that seems to be the case with most high end products.

Since we employed a rock solid motherboard like the EVGA X58 Classified and smoldering fast DDR3-2000MHz memory as the foundation of our test bench, we were able to concentrate our efforts on the processor without worrying about these components holding us back. The processor held up nicely but we're sure there's more headroom available as Core i7 processors have been known to reach up to 6GHz under LN2. No, we didn't break any records, but the frequencies and scores achieved represent the highest we've been able to accomplish with any X58 system to date. You can be sure we'll continue to push the limits of Intel's Core i7 platform - so stay tuned for follow-up fun.


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Friday, August 14, 2009

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition CPU

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition CPU

PCMark Vantage Performance


We ran a handful of processors and platforms, including the new Phenom II X4 955 BE and 945, through Futuremark’s latest system performance metric built especially for Windows Vista, PCMark Vantage. PCMark Vantage runs through a host of different usage scenarios to simulate different types of workloads including High Definition TV and movie playback and manipulation, gaming, image editing and manipulation, music compression, communications, and productivity. Most of the tests are multi-threaded as well, so the tests can exploit the additional resources offered by a quad-core CPU.

In PCMark Vantage's Productivity, Communications, and Music tests, and in overall PCMarks, the Phenom II X4 965 BE performed very well, and was able to outpace the more expensive Core i7 920. In the remaining tests, however, the quad-core Intel processors we tested, with the exception of the Q9400, had the edge. And in the gaming test, the Core i7 was simply in a league of its own.

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AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition CPU

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition CPU

Our Test Systems and SANDRA


How We Configured Our Test Systems: When configuring our test systems for this article, we first entered their respective system BIOSes and set each board to its "Optimized" or "High performance Defaults". We then saved the settings, re-entered the BIOS and set the memory timings for each platform manually. The hard drives were then formatted, and Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 was installed. When the Windows installation was complete, we fully updated the OS, and installed the of the drivers necessary for our components. Auto-Updating and Windows Defender were then disabled and we installed all of our benchmarking software, defragged the hard drives, and ran the tests.


The Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition performed very well in the sampling of synthetic SiSoft SANDRA tests that we ran. Due to its relatively high frequency, the 965 obviously outran every other AMD-built CPU by a fair margin and it hung in there with similarly clocked Penryn-based Core 2 processors, although Intel did have the edge overall. Core i7 processors held onto sizable leads in most tests, except for the integer portion of the Multimedia benchmark where AMD's new flagship was very strong.

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AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition CPU

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition CPU Review

Vital Signs and Overclocking

Like its predecessors, the AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition looks just like the original Phenoms, due to its use of similar packaging and the same heat spreader design. The chip utilizes AMD's Socket AM3 938-pin organic micro pin grid array (micro-PGA) packaging, which is backward compatible with Socket AM2+. Here's what the processor looks like, from both sides...

Like all previous socket AM3-compatible processors that have been introduced over the last few months, the Socket AM3 Phenom II X4 965 is designed to work with both DDR2 and DDR3 memory types, and with Socket AM3 or AM2+ motherboards. Socket AM2+ processors do not have the ability to work with DDR3 memory though, so AMD made some changes to the Socket AM3 pin configuration to prevent AM2+ processors from being plugged into AM3 sockets. Socket AM3 processors like the 965 BE pictured above have 938 pins, whereas socket AM2 processors have 940; two pins have been removed. If you look close at the shot of the processor's underside above, you'll notice that there are two groups of three and two groups of two pins missing on the underside of the Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition--on AM2+ processors, four groups of two pins are removed. Keying the processors and sockets in this way prevents AM2+ processors from being installed on AM3 motherboards, but allows AM3 processors to be installed on either type of motherboard.
To get glimpse into the Phenom II 965 Black Edition's inner workings, we fired up CPU-Z to take a peek at its core and cache configurations. CPU-Z correctly identifies the processor as Phenom II X4 based on the core codenamed "Deneb", but incorrectly identifies it as an AM2+ CPU (we had it installed in an AM3 motherboard). As the information shows, the chips are manufactured using GlobalFoundries' 45nm process technology and our particular sample has a stepping designation of 2 and core revision of RB-C2. The Phenom II X4 965 BE chip is clocked at 3.4GHz, due to its 17x multiplier and 200MHz base clock, the HT link is running at 2.0GHz, and there is 512K of L1 Data / Instruction cache, 2MB of L2 cache (512K per core), and 6MB of shared L3 cache available, for a total of 8MB combined L2 and L3 cache.
Phenom II's have earned a reputation for being highly overclockable processors. In a previous article, we were able to achieve a clock speed increase of about 800MHz over stock with the Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition; other Phenom IIs we tested didn't fare quite as well, but 600MHz to 700MHz increases were not uncommon using nothing but the stock air cooler.

With that in mind, we set out to overclock the new Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition using the stock AMD PIB cooler and an Asus 790FX based motherboard. With a bump in CPU core voltage to 1.5v, we were able to take the Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition to just over 3.8GHz with complete stability--only a ~400MHz increase. 3.9GHz - 4GHz would load Windows, but no amount of voltage allowed us to maintain stability during testing. Remember, Black Edition processors are unlocked, so we were able to achieve this overclock by merely altering the CPU multiplier and voltage in the system BIOS or via AMD's OverDrive utility. As you can see in the screencap above, while overclocked, the 965 BE zipped along at a toasty 65'C+. That's a bit warm, but keep in mind we were using the stock cooler and it's the middle of the summer. While idling, the chip barely broke the 35'C barrier.


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AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition CPU

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition CPU Review

AMD is launching a brand new flagship desktop processor today, dubbed the Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition. As you can probably surmise from its name--if you're familiar with AMD's naming convention--the Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition is virtually identical to the 955 it supplants at the top of AMD's desktop processor line-up, save for the 965's higher default clock speed. Whereas the 955 clocked in at a speedy 3.2GHz, the new 965 arrives at a lofty 3.4GHz, making it the highest clocked CPU to come from AMD to date.

The Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition is based on the same core as all current socket AM3, quad-core Phenom II processors and it as the same cache configuration and overall feature set. There are some slight differences to its specifications, however, which we have listed for you below. The 965 BE's differentiating features are, as we've mentioned, it's higher frequency of 3.4GHz and also its higher maximum TDP of 140W. Please take note of the higher TDP, as not all socket AM2+/AM3 motherboards will support it.

Once you're done taking a gander at the specifications below, check out some related articles and hunker down for some testing and benchmarks as we find out what AMD,s new Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition is made of...
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Processor

The new Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition is an update to AMD's Dragon Platform. The Dragon Platform itself is not new, however. In fact, most of its core components have already been available for quite some time now. As such, we have already covered them in-depth here on HotHardware in previous articles, so we won't do the same again here. We will, however, recommend that you take a look at a few recent articles to get familiar with the underlying technology and components that comprise AMD's Dragon platform.

All of the various 7-series chipset, Phenom, Phenom II, Athlon, and Spider related articles listed above cover the gamut of features that make up the majority of the Dragon the platform--with the exception of the new Phenom II 965 Black Edition featured here, of course.


See Next Page For More Detail

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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

AMD Quad-Core Processors

AMD Quad-Core Processors

This is the latest technology found by the amd quad core processor among the all processor of technology this is the main and famous to all the peoples around the world. AMD Opteron processors also enable stable, long-term server and workstation solutions with industry-leading performance and energy efficiency. They’re designed to simplify your IT management — now and in the future. Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ Processors: Deliver industry leading power efficiency and virtualization with balanced performance.
AMD Phenom™ X4 Quad-Core Processors: True quad-core performance for the way businesses multi-task today, and for the next-generation applications employees will need in the near future. Stable commercial AMD Phenom™ X4 quad-core processors offer industry-leading platform stability and longevity, investment protection, and the exceptional performance you expect from AMD. Plus, unique features for energy efficiency.

Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ Processors: Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processors with Direct Connect Architecture are designed to deliver industry leading power efficiency, optimal virtualization, outstanding performance, and low TCO — all within a consistent footprint and thermal envelopes.This are all the familiar of this amd quad core processor latest technology and it was the competition for the intel company processor Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors with Direct Connect Architecture are designed for optimum multi-threaded application performance. We start with a native quad-core design — featuring four cores on a single piece of silicon for more efficient data sharing — and add an enhanced cache structure and integrated memory controller designed to sustain multi-threaded application throughput. Direct Connect Architecture is a tested and proven architecture — in market since 2003, and available only from AMD.This familiar processor was the latest technology by the amd company of groups.


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Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology

Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology

This was the main and useful processor technology launched by the intel company and it was mainly used by all the peoples around the world. It was the main features in intel centrino and its described below With new hafnium-based circuitry and up to 6MB L2 cache, you can multitask compute-intensive applications up to 2x as fast, while the new Intel® HD Boost gives you up to 50 percent more speed for hi-def multimedia applications.¹ Plus, you'll enjoy a 3x performance improvement for a super-enhanced hi-def video experience and smoother playback with VC-1 hardware acceleration and optional Intel® Graphics Technology. Intel® Intelligent Power Capability gives you breakthrough enabled battery life so you can stay unplugged longer. The low-leakage, hafnium-based 45nm processor delivers unrivaled energy efficiency while Deep Power Down Technology lets you save power by using it only when you need it. No matter where you're at, you'll have the battery power you need to enjoy DVDs, hours of music, the coolest games, and much more. Plus, with built-in wireless connectivity, you can connect to public Wi-Fi networks around the globe, no wires attached to it and it features are all described below under the section of it. This technology was launched by the intel company and this processor is consists of some chip model which was placed in the board of the intel company and each and every chip consists of different capacity and frequency of working and it was mainly used for the purpose of office for the faster and to store many datas for the purpose of all.

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Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology

Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology

This was the main and useful processor technology launched by the intel company and it was mainly used by all the peoples around the world. It was the main features in intel centrino and its described below With new hafnium-based circuitry and up to 6MB L2 cache, you can multitask compute-intensive applications up to 2x as fast, while the new Intel® HD Boost gives you up to 50 percent more speed for hi-def multimedia applications.¹ Plus, you'll enjoy a 3x performance improvement for a super-enhanced hi-def video experience and smoother playback with VC-1 hardware acceleration and optional Intel® Graphics Technology. Intel® Intelligent Power Capability gives you breakthrough enabled battery life so you can stay unplugged longer. The low-leakage, hafnium-based 45nm processor delivers unrivaled energy efficiency while Deep Power Down Technology lets you save power by using it only when you need it. No matter where you're at, you'll have the battery power you need to enjoy DVDs, hours of music, the coolest games, and much more. Plus, with built-in wireless connectivity, you can connect to public Wi-Fi networks around the globe, no wires attached to it and it features are all described below under the section of it. This technology was launched by the intel company and this processor is consists of some chip model which was placed in the board of the intel company and each and every chip consists of different capacity and frequency of working and it was mainly used for the purpose of office for the faster and to store many datas for the purpose of all.

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