Intel Core i7 920 & 965 EE Overclocking

We are doing a little Intel Core i7 overclocking with the new ASUS P6T Deluxe motherboard. The results were impressive, and achieving them could not have been much easier. Those considering the new Core i7 920 processor will no doubt be very interested in our findings.

More than two years ago I found myself writing our first Core 2 Duo overclocking performance article based on the Core 2 Duo E6700 processor. For the first time we showed this new processor operating at 3.66GHz, opposed to its default operating frequency of just 2.66GHz, where at the time it was still incredibly quick.

Now we plan to do much the same with the new Core i7 processors, to see what they are capable of with a little after market cooling. Overclocked to 3.66GHz, the E6700 was easily able to outclass anything at the time, with even Intel’s own most prized Extreme Edition processors no match at their default clock frequencies. So what can the already very fast Core i7 processors do at 3.80GHz and beyond?

Actually, when we first looked at the Core i7 series a few weeks ago we were able to bring you detailed results of the 965 Extreme Edition processor operating at 3.80GHz, and they were impressive. However today we are pushing things a little further, with a new motherboard from ASUS called the P6T Deluxe. This new motherboard is capable of overclocks previously unachievable on the Intel DX58SO (Intel X58) pre-production motherboard.

With a few easy steps, which we will show you shortly, it was possible to push the Core i7 920 processor to a remarkable frequency of 3.80GHz, an impressive 43% overclock. This 1140MHz boost in clock frequency per-core will naturally have a profound impact on performance, and this is what we want to show you. The Core i7 965 Extreme Edition processor was a little less impressive, going from an already high 3.20GHz clock frequency to 4.0GHz, achieving a 25% overclock.

Still, at 4.0GHz the Core i7 is certainly a force to be reckoned with, as you will soon discover. It is important to note that our results were achieved with a high-end air-cooler, the Cooler Master V8. When paired with a $70 US air-cooler this sub-$300 US processor will undoubtedly keep gamers happy for well over 12 months. After all, our Core 2 Duo E6700 processor clocked at 3.66GHz is still quite an impressive bit of kit.

While this article is more or less just showing off the performance of two overclocked Core i7 processors, we will show you exactly how it was done. In fact, like the Core 2 Duo E6700 which we overclocked using the ASUS P5W DH Deluxe motherboard, we found the new ASUS P6T Deluxe to be dead easy when it comes to overclocking. So without wasting any more time, let us show you exactly how it is done.