We have already tested this RAM in a previous article, and we have demonstrated that it can achieve a frequency of 500MHz with 3-4-4-12 timings. Therefore, RAM speed wasn’t an issue with our overclocking tests. After many reboots and cmos clears, we managed to push our 4200+ to 2.61 GHz at 1.45V. It is important to note that if we had access to more versatile processor, we could have gone further. This limit was from the CPU, not the cooler itself. We tested by running two instances of Prime95 for 45 minutes, each set to have an affinity to one of the two cores. We were at 100% utilization the entire time. Our tests were performed at stock settings, as well as overclocked settings. We recorded idle and load temperatures. Here are the results


These results are very impressive. At stock speeds while the computer was idling, the temperature was 6 degrees Celsius BELOW the ambient temperature. When we put a load on it, it only went 7 degrees above what we were feeling in our room. Adding voltage to a processor greatly increases the heat that it dissipates, and thus, the temperature. Our idle temps were still below ambient, albeit barely. Our load went up a lot steeper than at stock settings, but still kept a 1.45V processor under 50 degrees by a good margin. This kind of performance can’t be achieved by even the most expensive, bulky water cooler on the market. But the Freezone can do it with the footprint of a bargain-bin all-in-one kit. The performance here is impressive, to say the very least. But how does it affect your games? Throughout our previous tests, we’ve discovered that Counter-Strike 1.6 is probably the best test to use when measuring a CPU’s gaming capabilities. We followed our standard procedure of playing a demo straight from GotFrag and recording the FPS with fraps. Here’s what we got:


As you can see in this comparison, overclocking our processor in the most CPU-limited game in common use gave us a 9% performance boost, which is sizable. Honestly, you could get this kind of overclock even on stock cooling, but the Freezone can take these speeds and keep your processor cooler than any air cooler will accomplish, even at stock speeds.