In Pictures: MSI's Master Overclocking Arena 2013 Finals

Welcome To The Master Overclocking Arena

Back in October, we were invited to the Master Overclocking Arena 2013 Finals. Started in 2009, the MSI contest is now one of the biggest overclocking events in the world.

The online qualifiers started few months ago, where participants from all parts of the world showed their skills in getting as much performance as possible from their components using extreme cooling. Naturally, the liquid nitrogen flowed like water.

Setting The Rules

The online qualifiers ran in two stages. The first was divided into a pair of categories. There was Category A, where you could run any hardware available at the time, except for Intel's Haswell architecture, Nvidia's GeForce GTX Titan, or a server-oriented processor. And there was Category B, which focused on mid-range components like Intel's Core i5-3570K and AMD's FX-8350. It also included any GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost or AMD Radeon HD 7790 and down.

In that first round, the benchmarks used included the old-school SuperPI 32M, Futuremark's newer 3DMark Fire Strike, and Cinebench R11.5. The second stage utilized the same benchmarks, but with a hardware change for Category A. Haswell-based CPUs and GeForce GTX Titans were allowed.

The Top 16 Overclockers Compete In The Finals

At the end of both stages, 16 of the best overclockers in the world won tickets to the finals in Taipei, Taiwan on October 19 and October 20, 2013. We tagged along to document the event, so feel free to follow as we walk through two days of MSI's Master Overclocking Arena 2013.

First, we'll meet those 16 talented individuals who earned the right to attend.

Rbuass From Brazil

There's Rbuass, from Brazil.

T0slty From The Ukraine

Then, T0slty from the Ukraine.

Cyclone, Also From The Ukraine

Meet Cyclone, also from the Ukraine.

Vivi From South Africa

Vivi represents South Africa.

Lucky_nOOb From Indonesia

Lucky_nOOb hails from Indonesia.

Gyrock From Japan

Gyrock is from Japan.

Mikecdm From The U.S.

Mikecdm represented the U.S.

Gnidaol From Brazil

Gnidaol hails from Brazil.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
  • Divyanshu Sah
    Good overclocking.
    Reply
  • rush21hit
    That's a lot of LN2.
    Now, if only the article also display the result of those winners :(
    Reply
  • Horsebadorties
    Not a good place to meet chicks.
    Reply
  • MANOFKRYPTONAK
    Picture 18, I bet thats the only insertion hes ever got... and he doesn't look too happy about it.
    Reply
  • ihog
    It would make too much sense to display the results. What is Tom's, a bunch of idiots? Why would they post absolutely unnecessary and pointless articles?
    Reply
  • saint19
    11844539 said:
    Not a good place to meet chicks.

    11846725 said:
    It would make too much sense to display the results. What is Tom's, a bunch of idiots? Why would they post absolutely unnecessary and pointless articles?

    Thanks for the comments, we would add another picture with the final results.
    Reply
  • FloKid
    If I push this OC button can I win?
    Reply
  • saint19
    11856366 said:
    If I push this OC button can I win?

    At this level, you will need more that a simple button.
    Reply
  • FloKid
    How come a computer can't overclock itself better than a human, if you gave it all the cooling?
    Reply
  • Now overclock your brain.
    Reply