Watching the processor reach beyond the 5 GHz mark was impressive, but what punctuated this achievement was how cool the CPU ran while being extremely over-volted. The i7-2600K I worked with managed to skip past 5.2 GHz while pushing a mere 68°C. I'm sure you're wondering what cooler kept this processor running so cool, and here's the shocker: it was a 92mm Cooler Master Hyper TX3.
You read that correctly. This little $26 heatsink used three skinny heat-pipe rods and an Intel push-pin mounting system to tame an overclocked 5.2 GHz CPU to 68°C. It didn't require a ProlimaTech Megahalems or Thermalright Venomous-X, and even our beloved Scythe Mugen-2 would have been wasted on this effort. I think you get my point: it was the lowest possible denominator on the aftermarket cooling scale, and most impressive overclock could be done without all of the extra heat-pipes and copper fins. It's also why there may now be an entire industry poised to collapse as a direct result.
