TheOverclocker Issue 22 | Page 9

by accident, score sharing *can* happen by accident because CPUs can be shared for 3D benchmarks. Manipulation - only deliberate. Points and rankings are motivators for cheating without a doubt, but it's a positive motivator for the vast majority so I don't want to see it changed too much because of the actions of a few. I love that HWBot has leader boards for everything. Maybe some people are cheating so they get noticed by a company. I hope companies see that as a really poor "audition" and refuse to support them. The sad thing is that so much can't be enforced at HWBot level. There are a lot of results out there that look a bit questionable, especially in terms of sharing, but without a smoking gun, HWBot can't do anything. I get a bit of flak occasionally for wanting more rules, more enforcement and more ethics, but I believe in those things. Any thoughts on live overclocking competitions, be it past or future ones? They're important for sure; the overclockers who do well at MOA, GOOC, etc are a special breed. Let's not ignore the events in the Far East that we don't hear so much about Galaxy events and such. They aren't my cup of tea however; it's not how I bench. I want competitions like that to expand. It would be great if these events crossed media borders and were covered or at least mentioned in wider computing circles or even in non-computing circles. I declined an invite to MOA this year. I'd rather not have all that nice hardware and the scores that go with it, than go to a competition I’ve not earned any right to be at, then come in last place and paint a bad picture of UK overclocking. I don't think someone can be given a higher honour than being asked to represent their country at an event of ANY kind, computer-related or not. Is there anything you would like to extend to the community and other readers? Go to an OC meet, it will give you a whole new perspective on overclocking. You might have to travel a long way for it, but it will be worth it. If there aren't OC meets near you, try setting one up. Overclock.net has a guide on things such as venues and what you will need. Have fun; respect your rivals, even if you don't know who they are. Thank you to everyone who's contributed to all the good things that the extreme overclocking scene has built up over the last 7 years! Outside of overclocking, what else are you as passionate about and spent an equal amount of time if not more doing? Well, I’m a care-giver because my Mom’s health is pretty poor. That takes up a lot of my time. I don't think "passionate" is the right word, but I think it's the right thing to do. My social life has taken a hit because of it, so...I sleep, I bench and I care. That's probably 95% of my life at the moment. (Sorry to hear that Kenny, best wishes – Ed!) Do you have any advice for overclockers just starting out? Read everything you can find that’s connected to the hardware or process you're starting out with. Don't expect every guide or piece of advice to match up. Test one variable at a time. Test as many settings as you can. Be gentle with voltage. Take notes on everything. Take your time. If it stops being fun, take a step back for a few days. If you take an unexpected gold medal with 20%, 30% lower MHz than the other top scores on the leader board, it's a bugged score, don't submit it. [ The OverClocker ] Issue 22 | 2012 The OverClocker 9