Gigabyte motherboard with record memory frequency.
Credit: Gigabyte
Memory cooling isn't something most of us tend to worry about, but if you're breaking world records for RAM overclocking, it's paramount. Overclocker HiCookie used Gigabyte's Z890 Aorus motherboard and a Core Ultra 285K to push a single stick of V-Color Manta XFinity RGB DDR5 CUDIMM memory to just shy of 13,000 megatransfers per second (MTps). And they used liquid nitrogen to keep the memory as cold as possible for the attempt.
Hardcore overclocking rarely approaches anything close to what you or I would use in day-to-day life. The CPU and motherboard were specifically chosen to support extreme overclocking and new CUDIMM memory modules, which can operate at much higher frequencies. On top of that, the CPU was downclocked to just a few hundred megahertz to prevent it from bottlenecking the memory, and the timings on the RAM were loosened to the extremely inefficient 68-127-127-127-2T. It was also cooled by liquid nitrogen, which is both extremely dangerous and very finite. It boils off the second it's poured onto any components.
But the results speak for themselves. Gigabyte and Hicookie managed to achieve a speed of 12,752 MTps in this unique configuration, breaking all previous world records (including their own 12,726, set in January) and edging ever closer to the 13,000 MTps that overclockers have been chasing for the past year. They're getting ever closer.
Validation of overclocking record results.
Validation of overclocking record results.
Credit: HWBot
Hicookie is now the number one overclocker for DDR5 memory, which kicks off a new leg in a rivalry they've held with another overclocker for a few months. Following Hicookie's original record run in January, another famed overclocker, Spave, achieved a speed of 12,735MTps, narrowly taking the top spot and leading to the new record run this week.
Although the Intel Z890 platform has been hit with criticism since its release for poor CPU overclocking performance, it has proved itself incredibly capable of boosting memory frequencies. The Gigabyte board used in this particular record attempt was an especially designed board for the purposes, too. As TechSpot highlights, it's not even designed for high-end PC enthusiasts but exclusively for the tweakers and hardcore overclocking crowd. It has uprated VRMs for added stability under extreme conditions and even on-board frequency controls for fine-tuning components.
While that might not be appealing for consumers, it clearly made a difference here. Now we wait to see if Spave or another capable overclocker can push the envelope even further.