Preparation time :Benching in very humid climates was approached by each person in his own way. The locals had a very big advantage here. Though when the competition was half way, most setups were still running strong. This perfectly reflecting the skill level and flexibility to adapt of the present overclockers.
Some pictures of insulation and rigs, Zolkorn removes the CPU bracket for maximum contact and to avoid issues in the bracket
Some go heavy on the Vaseline
Some prefer other means and bath the entire setup in a non conductive mineral oil (courtesy of MikeGuava)
Other Americans (Sno.LCN) use the less greasy approach
Matose uses a minimum on eraser kneaded gum ( this to make a required mobo swap easier )
Many others go flat-out ( I imagine they liked Playdoh as kids :p )
Some started off with air cooling to see if all components were okay, some went straight to mount the LN2 pot. A few clockers removed the heatpipe to redo the TIM, others didn't bother and left it untouched.
There was a wide variety of pots out there, from the famous Kingpin F1 pots, to ryba's lineup and loads of oriental versions
Kingpins latest creation the Gemini, with removable base
Is he loosing his touch