Kings of the Overclockers - a Gautam interview
Hardware Questions Athlon XP + NF7-S = old school overclocking fun YG: I will carry around my dead Riva TNT2 card forever, and I have a special place in my heart for my first unlocked Intel Celeron processor. Is there a hardware era or specific piece of hardware that you're nostalgic for? G: I'm absolutely nostalgic for my good ol' [AMD] Athlon XP 1700+ and Abit NF7-S [motherboard]. Still the most fun overclocking platform ever. :D
YG: AMD is all but having a fire sale on processors right now, and Intel's recently released some new Core 2 Duo processors which are very competitively priced. As hardware eras go, is this one of the better times to get into overclocking and benchmarking, value-wise? G: To be honest, no, this is not a good time value-wise. And things will probably just get worse. I hate to be bleak, but it's the truth. When I began, the lowest end CPU's from AMD were unlocked and often overclocked just as well as the top of the line. Not only that, they were well below $100, and $100 was considered expensive for a motherboard in those days. You could get top of the line performance for very, very cheap. These days, you can still get a midrange [Intel] Core 2 and match top-of-the-line performance, but even low-end and midrange parts are much more expensive in general these days. Furthermore, multiplier issues usually prevent midrange CPU's from getting close to the top-end ones in terms of absolute highest clocks on exotic cooling. Not only that, video card prices are absolutely astronomical, and to make things worse, you have to buy two of them if you want to compete seriously.
YG: On one hand, overclocking has the potential to destroy hardware and create warranty issues for a company. On the other hand, however, supporting the enthusiast market by tacitly/explicitly promoting overclocking is a great way to build a brand from the top down. Are hardware companies, from chip makers to video card manufacturers and re-branders, generally supportive of overclocking? G: There are a lot of manufacturers these days that promote overclocking, to the point where overclocking is becoming an industry in itself. On the one hand its nice to have products catered to the enthusiast, but on the other, it takes the DIY aspect away from it.
YG: Do the results generated by the overclocking and benchmarking community have tangible value to hardware companies? If so, do companies recognize that value and are they appreciative of the community? G: Results generated by the overclocking community are critical to hardware manufacturers. Products are very often gauged, if even on a subconscious level, by the best results put out by them. It's not only big benchmark results that help in generating sales, but even more so, all the daily gossip and regular results put out by overclockers on forums. Enthusiasts know this stuff the best, and when the community likes a certain product, word catches on quick.
YG: With regards to product development, how relevant are the results of the overclocking and benchmarking community to computer hardware in the big picture? In other words, over a period of years, has the community been responsible for or otherwise influenced major shifts in hardware development? G: Major shifts, probably not, except for cooling. The top heatsinks and waterblocks are marketed to overclocking and more or less designed for it in mind. Minor things such as voltage options in BIOS and the like definitely stem from the overclocking community's demands though.
YG: Some companies seed better-than-average performing hardware to well-known members of the overclocking and benchmarking community prior to retail release. These individuals often post results on forums, creating a demand for a product which may or may not perform at the same level when available at retail. In effect, a group of influential consumers then end up making purchasing decisions on the open market without full information. How do you feel about this practice of seeding? Do you think that influential individuals who report results should be required to disclose the source of any hardware which they received for free or were otherwise compensated or reimbursed for? G: It's a tricky topic. On one hand, the handouts are exaggerated. For example, a CPU or video card can't really be "handpicked" for liquid nitrogen cooling. How something clocks on air [i.e. with a standard heatsink-and-fan cooling solution] is usually no indication of how it clocks under extreme cold, so the murmurs of the top overclockers getting handpicked parts is pretty much bunk. However, what peeves me in general is when results get posted well before the release of a product. It's annoying to me both as a consumer and a competitor. It would indeed be very refreshing to see full disclosure whenever an industry connection is involved as well.
Wrapping it UpYG: This is a hobby with longevity – as long as there's hardware to overclocking and benchmark, there will be a community to push hardware to its limits. Where do you see benchmarking in the near future? In the long term? G: I see clocks and cooling getting progressively more insane, and hardware manufacturers taking overclocking and benchmarking progressively more seriously. Furthermore, overclocking seems like it'll just keep getting more mainstream, to the point where nearly anyone that knows anything about a computer will engage in it.
YG: In the name of altruism, do you have any advice for those getting starting with overclocking and/or benchmarking? What are some good resources for the uninitiated? G: My advice is to certainly think big if you want to, but at the same time, start small, take things easy and practice. Don't blow a bunch of money on cooling and CPU's until you've learned the ropes, or nothing but disaster will await you. At the same time, if do your best, there are certainly no bounds to what you can achieve. Don't be intimidated by people with a bunch of connections and free hardware.
YG: Finally, any thoughts or comments that you'd like to add which I neglected to cover in my questions? G: You did a truly excellent job with the questions, and I'm very thankful for this opportunity!
We would like to thank Gautam for taking time out of his busy life to answer our questions! If you have any comments on this interview or wish to discuss the points raised further, then click right here (registration not required).
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