Superoverclocker takes the stage at CeBIT (photos)
Nick Shih shows his technique for supercooling chips to run them far beyond their rated clock speed. It used to be for better videogaming, but now overclocking is a competition in and of itself.
Stephen Shankland
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
Overclocker Nick Shih, who led a global overclocking competition for 18 months, shows how he got a chip down to -196 degrees Celsius, the boiling point of liquid nitrogen.
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Liquid nitrogen bath for overclocking a chip
Nick Shih pours liquid nitrogen to keep a processor supercooled and maximally overclockable at CeBIT.
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Chilled chips at CeBIT overclocking event
A chilled chip is surrounded by a fog of cold, sinking air.
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Liquid nitrogen breath
Overclocker Nick Shih shows what happens when you drink from a can of liquid nitrogen: water vapor in your chilled breath condenses.
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Liquid nitrogen tank
The liquid nitrogen tank's metal nozzle is covered with a layer of frost condensed out of the air.
