The CPU frequency world record keeps being broken, but not by Intel's new Core 200S processor. A Chinese user named "wytiwx" pushed the Intel i9-14900KF to over 9.12 GHz, officially taking the crown from Elmor. Interesting fact: HWBot's data shows that Elmor was the only one to break into the 9 GHz realm so far, but not anymore.

The testbed that achieved this feat was powered by an i9-14900KF with all E cores disabled and Hyper-Threading turned off. The setup was paired with an Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Apex and 16GB of DDR5 memory. The overclocker chose Windows 7 (6.1) as the operating system, which is certainly an interesting choice.

Typically, the i9-14900KF is available in a no-iGPU configuration with 24 cores (8 P and 16 E) and 32 threads, with a turbo frequency of 6 GHz out of the box. This processor is Intel's fastest gaming CPU; but it's been surpassed by AMD's top-tier X3D counterparts. These X3D CPUs have been Intel's Achilles' heel, although the blue team actually has a response to AMD's V-Cache technology; it's just not for consumers.

With a core voltage of 1.387V, probably under liquid nitrogen or helium, the i9-14900KF managed to hit 9.121 GHz, beating the previous world record by a narrow margin of 4 MHz. So, Elmor might soon reclaim his crown. While the i9-14900KS seems to be the top choice for overclocking, it is essentially just a more optimized version of the i9-14900K.

Besides the performance drop fiasco, the Raptor Lake series is Intel's first series to replace AMD's Piledriver FX-8350 after a 12-year gap. Again, these record-breaking overclocks are impressive, but they don't tell the story of how the silicon will perform in the real world, as they involve exotic cooling solutions and extreme settings.

That being said, Arrow Lake also has decent overclocking potential with memory. The newer process node and disaggregated layout may limit the peak core clock potential, but that's the trade-off made for increased efficiency. Still, 25 years ago, Intel said we would have 10 GHz CPUs by 2005… Frequency isn't everything when it comes to CPU performance, but that same 10 GHz barrier will be the next big milestone for the overclocking community.

5 Reasons Why You Should Overclock Your CPU

CPU overclocking is one of those topics that tends to stir up passions and spark debate. Many users ignore it, while others claim it's necessary. If you've never tried overclocking your CPU, there are plenty of reasons to consider it.

Besides the performance benefits, overclocking your CPU can extend the life of aging hardware, and for some users it can be a fun side project.

1. Performance of some games has been improved

Better gaming performance is a big motivator for overclockers. While gains are minimal on most modern processors, enthusiasts and casual users alike are always tempted by the prospect of pushing their CPUs to their limits. Generally speaking, overclocking can improve not only your average FPS, but also the 1% and 0.1% minimums, making gameplay smoother and even helping you jump from sub-60 FPS to 60+ FPS. Depending on the type of games you play, a small overclock can also deliver disproportionate gains.

Some games are more CPU-bound than others, especially at 1080p resolution. For example, RTS games or simulations like Sid Meier's Civilization series, the Cities: Skylines series, and even single-player games like Cyberpunk 2077. Any game that requires rendering a lot of NPCs, objects, or other elements will require serious CPU horsepower. In these cases, overclocking your CPU can often deliver more than the bare minimum performance boost, making the process worth a try.

Of course, your mileage may vary depending on your CPU model and silicon lottery. However, almost every user can achieve a stable overclock through trial and error. Moreover, there are more than enough overclocking guides on the Internet. As long as you dial in the frequency and voltage settings carefully, you should be able to safely extract some extra gaming performance from your CPU.

2. Achieve faster productivity in many applications

Outside of a few game genres, gaming overclocking isn’t a game-changer (no pun intended), especially given the factory performance of modern Intel and AMD processors. However, this isn’t the case for productivity workloads like photo editing, video editing, rendering, and 3D simulations. If you primarily run these workloads, then CPU overclocking can actually allow you to see significant gains in programs like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Blender, and more.

Unlike gaming, where performance is often GPU-bound, productivity applications can better utilize enhanced CPU performance. Multi-core workloads can take full advantage of a successful all-core overclock, helping you save time and be more efficient. While productivity applications will always prefer more cores, you can try to maximize the performance of your existing CPU.

That being said, if your computer is part of your professional build, you might prefer to spend more money on a CPU with more cores rather than overclocking one with fewer cores. This is because even if you get a highly overclockable CPU, the time and effort spent to achieve a worthwhile overclock might be better spent on your work rather than simply buying a more expensive but more powerful processor. Gamers don't always need a high-end CPU for a quality gaming experience, but professionals need all the CPU horsepower they can get. So for the latter kind of user, the importance of buying "more CPUs" makes sense.

3. Simple overclocking method everyone can use

Despite the promise of extra performance, overclocking isn't for everyone. It requires patience, expertise, and the ability to calmly deal with stability issues. However, automated overclocking mechanisms make overclocking accessible to more users.

For example, AMD's PBO adjusts the processor's power and current settings, letting you boost the performance of your Ryzen CPU with a single click. You don't have to tweak BIOS settings, as you can enable PBO in a Windows environment using Ryzen Master. The gains you get from PBO may not be as great in gaming as they are in productivity applications, but it's a faster and easier way to get an extra percentage point of performance out of your CPU.

Intel Performance Maximizer works similarly on Intel CPUs, finding the maximum possible overclock values on the chip and applying them like a one-click auto-tuner. It's not as dynamic as AMD's PBO, as it doesn't adjust the overclock based on thermal and power conditions, but it's still helpful for beginners.

Modern Intel and AMD processors already have other automatic boost mechanisms, like AMD's Precision Boost and Intel's Turbo Boost, that run in the background without user input, but features like PBO and Intel's Performance Maximizer could provide more control and performance for users willing to experiment more with their chips.

4. Delaying CPU upgrades by pushing existing CPUs

The latest AMD and Intel CPUs may be running close to their performance limits out of the box, but previous generations used to be able to get significant boosts through overclocking. In fact, it's often recommended to buy a chip one step below what you actually need, then overclock it to reach the performance levels of the next model up. Buying a Ryzen 5 5600 instead of a Ryzen 5 5600X, or a Ryzen 7 7700 instead of a Ryzen 7 7700X, are still worthwhile trade-offs.

So if you have an older CPU and don't want to upgrade your system right now, you should definitely try overclocking. You might get a few extra FPS or shave a few seconds off your render time, keeping your setup relevant at least until the next generation of CPUs. Most users don't upgrade their CPUs as often as they upgrade their graphics cards or other components, so you probably already have a fairly old chip that you can overclock.

Most gamers still use 1080p as their primary resolution. This group of users can benefit the most from CPU overclocking, especially when playing more CPU-reliant games. If you're a budget-conscious user who doesn't want to upgrade as often as others, overclocking your existing processor can help you maximize the value of your device over its lifetime.

5. Overclocking can be an exciting DIY project

Finally, overclocking can be a fun hobby that you can invest your time in. If you're bored with your Steam library and have nothing else to think about, you can try fiddling with your CPU to test your DIY skills. Overclocking requires curiosity, trial and error, and initiative from each user, so it's bound to be an enriching experience.

Overclocking isn't an exact science, as each user needs to find the best settings for their chip on their own. So if you're a beginner, there's no reason to skip overclocking altogether. Following reliable tutorials from reputable publications and other users on Reddit, you can start with a minimal overclock that won't affect system stability.

Once you're confident enough, you can move on to the next level and push your CPU further to see how far you can go. Of course, you'll need a powerful cooling setup to handle the increased heat output of the processor, but as long as you don't act recklessly, you can safely push your CPU and gain valuable experience in the process.

Overclocking may not be as important as it once was, but it still guarantees a performance boost to your hardware that otherwise wouldn't be fully utilized. Of course, whether it's worth the heat and power consumption cost is up to you.

Overclocking your CPU takes some time, effort, and patience, and the results may not seem worth it, depending on the programs you run. Still, I recommend that everyone try CPU overclocking at least once. If nothing else, it can get you familiar with processors, some overclocking and monitoring programs, and introduce you to new computing experiences.

Source: Content compiled from tomshardware

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