Extreme overclocking

Posted at: Tuesday 28th February 2006 by Ben Hardwidge

They destroy expensive components for fun, they dabble with liquid nitrogen and they even mod beer coolers into PC cooling systems. Ben Hardwidge speaks to the extreme overclockers

However, his best tip for anyone new to phase-change cooling is simply to 'be methodical and follow the instructions carefully. Attention to detail is the key, as is asking the guys on the www.extreme prometeia.com before you start. Once you have the basic knowledge, you can then move on to ways of easily improving the performance of the unit. You'll never want to go back once you've tasted the overclocking power that a phase-change unit provides. It isn't something you can rush, but the rewards are excellent. You don't have to use dielectric grease either, it's just added insurance for more cautious people. Plus once you've made the investment, you can keep getting the maximum performance from every CPU you buy'.

Meanwhile, Barry's advice is to visit the forums at www.xtremesystems.org, where you'll find access to 'a whole industry of people that do all the electrical mods and special BIOSes. This is the hub of the world where the champions meet. They all come from different countries, but this is where they publish their latest news.'

Tempted to get in on the action and build the fastest PC in the world? Then join the friendly and welcoming extreme overclocking community and start getting involved.