New Contest Ideas
 

PMed Kal about these ideas, interested in what others think.

For the next contest, instead of being speed limited, have a price cap or generation cap.
IE,
Price cap.
Using newegg prices, or launch MSRPs, have a $700 limit of hardware (or whatever price you would pick).

So someone has an E8400, EP45 mobo, 4gb of 1066 ram, and a 9800GT. Newegg prices would be around $450 or so, so they could compete.

Someone with an i7 975, Classified mobo, 285s, etc... Could not, because their stuff would come to over the $700 limit.

This would also open it up more for people with AMD, and have a larger range of people and hardware compeating. Could have a budget competition too of around $300 for AMD X2s or Pentium Ds with 9500GTs or 4650s etc...

Or have a competition by generation. Nothing newer then a certain month of a certain year or something.


Just ideas. Feel free to mix them with anything else you may have in mind for the future.


The problem with speed limitations, is you can easily cheat it with software OCing tools. I made an example by running 32m Pi at 164x20 instead of 160x20, then using TurboV, set it to 160BCLK. See if you can find anything wrong with this screen by the info in it by itself.

I like the price limit idea, if anyone bitches than a reciept from a retail store must be shown as proof or a current retail price that falls within restrictions. I vote that cooling components should be included in the price restriction as well.


Good idea Cecil!

New contest ideas are always welcome for consideration.

Cheating will always be an issue not easily resolved. What we're looking for here is a level playing feild. The primary component is trust and honor within these contests. People can cheat a little or they can cheat alot and it will be difficult to detect. We as admin try to ferret out the undesirables and keep a good clean membership. We can't please everyone all the time.

Even with this new idea, you will have the extreme cold people owning people on air. The intent and goals of the low clock challenge is to allow people limited in their cooling hardware to have a chance to compete in something and get better at the particular benchmark. It's not geared towards pro's with extreme cooling at their disposal. Again, its difficult to regulate but we can sure as hell try.

I have my own intentions mapped out for each particular contest and these intentions don't always fall in line with the competitors. But thats the privelege of digging into your own pocket to foster some fever.

Discussion is always healthy tho, so lets discuss.

If you looked you would have seen that cooling was to be included in pricetag in my addition, I do however see your point. How about adding a couple of temp monitors into the screenie? Simply say no sub zero cooling and if someone has a score that is too good to be true just shove a boot in where they won't like it!

I did look and it was inconsequential. No need for the wise assitude during the discussion.

Most software temp monitors do not register below 0c and I do not see the feesibility of requiring benchers to take videos demonstrating running benchmarks and probe placements at the same time then uploading videos.

Just make it for air and water only, and require realtemp be shown with a second one open showing the Tjmax. Anything under 30C wouldnt be air or water.

DINGDINGDING!!!!! We have a winner! That was what I was suggesting (or at least trying to) but it seems as though the suggestion was undesirable.

Whatever, it was still a great suggestion Cecil.

Yes, it could be. I run a water loop, without a rad, and my res is a 20L pail. When I'm running 32M SPi, I change out my water while my Waza file is transfering from one drive to another. Right now the coldest water I can get out of the tap is about 10C, which would put my min temp at somewhere under 20C. Someone with an AC blowing on their rad would also have lower temps.

The idea of a Low Clock Challenge is to limit CPU speed and force contestants to develop into better tweakers. I know I've learned alot in the last few days and really surprised myself with my latest run.

The price cap idea may have merit, allthough I'm not sure how to price my cooling setup, as I machined the block myself. Taking R+D into consideration, I've got better than 1K into the WB alone.

Under 30C is easy with water when idle, but after running a bench or stressing, it would go up.

As for the cooling, I say that have nothing to do with the price limit. Just the main parts,
board
cpu
ram
vid card/s

And just provide proof that you arent in sub zero temps. And for the most part, we would know if someone had extreme cooling by the CPU speed.

You could have a contest to think up a contest... Best contest idea wins a prize! j/k

The $$$ cap would work fairly well I imagine. As long as you go by MSRP or newegg pricing for purposes of the contest. Would make AMD systems more competitive and give those people a chance.

A hardware revision/generation restriction might actually exclude some people since they might not be able to spend the dough to get a particular series card.