3.10 GHz At Stock Voltage

When we overclock processors, we test their stability with Prime95's new version 25.5a, which comes with multi-core support. Our CPU has to make it through several test loops without crashing, freezing or the benchmark exiting before we consider it stable.

The factory-set multiplier is 13x; we started from there and increased the multiplier step by step. Initially, we did not increase the processor's core voltage, to prevent a rapid rise in thermal power dissipation, and to get a better impression of the CPU's potential.

The CPU was rock stable using a multiplier of 15.5x.

To say we were surprised by what we found would be quite the understatement. The CPU was rock solid in Prime95 up to a multiplier of 15.5x, which equates to a core frequency of 3.10 GHz - at stock core voltage!

At this frequency, the memory was running at DDR2-775.

Prime95 completes its stability test without incident at 3.10 GHz.

One of the four promotional stickers for the Black Edition processors.