Chasing a Gaming World Record

Quick Overview

The team successfully set a new world record in PCMark 7 with a score of 15030 using an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU cooled by a custom, three-stage industrial chiller system, despite initial issues with condensation and the validation process.

Key Points: The team achieved a PCMark 7 score of 15030, setting a new world record. The extreme cooling setup utilized a custom, three-stage industrial chiller system designed to reach temperatures around -90°C (-130°F) on the CPU. World Record Overclocker Charles "Fugger" Wirth provided his expertise and custom 3D-printed mounting brackets for the sub-zero cooling. Initial setup involved insulating the motherboard with Plasti Dip to prevent condensation damage on sensitive components. The final successful run (Run #10) achieved a score of 15030, narrowly beating the previous record of 15017. The team encountered issues during testing, including condensation freezing bolts solid and a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) due to data file corruption during an early run.

Context: This video documents the process of attempting to set a new world record in the PCMark 7 benchmark using extreme sub-zero cooling techniques. Linus (from Linus Tech Tips) collaborates with world-record overclocker Charles "Fugger" Wirth and his assistant Max "Spicer" to integrate a massive, custom-built, three-stage industrial chiller unit with high-end PC hardware, specifically aiming to push an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU far beyond normal operating parameters.

Detailed Analysis

The video details the challenging process of pushing an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU to its limits using an elaborate, three-stage industrial chiller system capable of reaching sub-zero temperatures around -90°C. The team, including Linus, Charles Wirth, and Max Spicer, first addresses thermal management by applying Plasti Dip to the motherboard backplate to prevent condensation from shorting sensitive components (1:58). They also use custom 3D-printed mounting brackets provided by Wirth to secure the evaporator head (3:44). The power draw of the chiller system alone is measured at approximately 923W (9:19). After multiple trial runs, including one that resulted in a BSOD due to data file corruption (16:24), they begin tuning the BIOS settings, adjusting CPU core voltage override to 1.370V and enabling the ASUS Advanced OC Profile (10:13). They also utilize specialized memory profiles for the Hynix DDR5 RAM (10:24). After several attempts, they achieve a final score of 15030 in PCMark 7 (19:31), successfully beating the previous world record of 15017.