Overclock record breaker: 7.5 GHz reached on new Intel Core i7-7740X Kaby Lake-X processor

Impact

The Intel Core i7-7740X hasn't even formally released yet, but overclockers have already used the Kaby Lake-X CPU to break several world record. According to PC Gamer, at a Gigabyte sponsored overclocking event teams used liquid Helium to cool the processor while pushing it to the max.

(Editor's Note: The engineering sample CPU used for the records is referred to as an i7-7740K. In this article we'll be using the consumer product designation the CPU will have upon release: i7-7740X.)

Overclock record breaker: i7-7740X sets new records in 3DMark03, 3DMark06 and Aquamark

Overclockers utilized Gigabyte's new X299-SOC Champion motherboard in their record attempts and were able to keep the i7-7740X cool with an absurd amount of liquid helium. According to the team, it cost about $4.40 a second in liquid helium to cool the CPU, and for their combined record attempts a total of $20,000 of the ultracold liquid was used.

Aquamark, 3DMark 03 and 3DMark06 are some of the premiere programs when it comes to testing processor performance under load, and the i7-7740X now has the world record in all three programs. This is a big deal for Intel and Gigabyte because enthusiasts tend to gravitate towards brands that can provide the best overclocking capabilities.

If a piece of hardware can take a high overclock, that tends to mean it has higher tolerances and is more reliable. Gigabyte and Intel are both likely to move more than a few products thanks to these records.

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