CSZ sets a new Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 record in the wPrime 1024m benchmark

Because the Core 2 Quad Q8400 has a relatively low multiplier, overclocking it depends heavily on the quality and capabilities of your motherboard and RAM. Many enthusiasts take the easy route by grabbing an X48 motherboard with DDR3 slots. However, as this record shows, you don't actually need high-end gear to push this Q8000-series quad.

Hungarian overclocker CSZ used a fairly average GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R motherboard, while a slightly pricier and rarer kit of OCZ DDR2 PC2-9200 Reaper HPC Edition RAM took care of memory. That said, a cheaper and more common kit like the GeIL DDR2-1066 PC8500 Ultra would have theoretically done the job too.

A custom water cooling loop kept the Q8400's temps in check, allowing CSZ to push the CPU to 4,197.52 MHz (a 57.45% overclock). According to CPU-Z, the core voltage was set to 1.552V. If that reading is accurate, it's an impressively low voltage for ~4.2 GHz.

The enthusiast's benchmarking session resulted in a time of 4 minutes, 32 seconds, and 234 milliseconds:

This secured the top spot for the Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 in the wPrime - 1024m category.

Source: HWBot submission page