Dell cites overclocking issue with high-end quad-core PCs

Dell Inc. has stopped taking orders for one model of its high-end desktop PCs, citing issues related to overclocking quad-core processors from Intel Corp. Dell's XPS 720 H2C is a S$5,939 computer designed to boost video game performance by combining two Nvidia Corp. graphics cards with Intel's Core 2 Extreme chip, overclocked by Dell to run at a higher frequency than Intel intends. The computer uses a liquid radiator to dissipate the extreme heat generated by the setup, a more expensive design than standard air-cooled PCs. Last Wednesday, Dell told customers that it would no longer accept orders for the 'bin +3' version of the computer, which runs Intel's QX6800 Extreme Edition processor at 3.73 GHz instead of the 2.93 GHz it was designed for.