Overdrive PC
| Type | Privately Owned |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Richmond, Virginia |
| Products |
Desktops Peripherals |
| Parent | Velocity Micro |
| Website | www.overdrivepc.com |
Overdrive PC is a privately held computer manufacturer located in Richmond, VA (USA), specializing in extreme high-end computers. Overdrive PC’s product line includes gaming systems, notebooks, and digital media creation workstations. Overdrive PC claims to offer some of the fastest gaming PCs in the world through their exclusive HyperClocking technology which allows them the overclock parts far beyond factory settings while still maintaining stability.
History
Overdrive PC began in 1999, by Mario Cifaldi, in Atlanta, Georgia as a builder of overclocked gaming PCs. In 2001, Overdrive PC was offered an opportunity to appear in Maximum PC's boutique roundup article entitled "Minor League, Major Performance". The review that appeared there helped propel Overdrive PC onto the national stage and earn it the rabid enthusiast following it still enjoys today. In February 2009, 2 years after being acquired by Velocity Micro, Mario Cifaldi left Overdrive PC. [1]
HyperClocking
Overdrive PC’s claim to fame is its so called “HyperClocking” technology. Essentially an extreme form of overclocking, HyperClocking is the practice of raising default clock speeds of core components to values higher than stated by the part manufacturer. This advanced engineering process allows Overdrive PC to create “the fastest systems in the industry” [2] while still using traditional air cooling methods.
Velocity Micro Acquisition
In May 2007, Velocity Micro, another independently owned PC builder, acquired the former competing boutique builder. Since that acquisition, Velocity Micro has incorporated Overdrive PCs Hyperclocking techniques into many of its own extreme gaming systems. Overdrive PC has since moved to Velocity Micro’s Richmond facility and remains a separate brand under Velocity Micro ownership. [3]
On June 12, 2012, Velocity Micro relaunched the OPC brand as a line of high-end gaming PCS, featuring an hex-core Intel i7 3960X Hyperclocked to 4.6GHz, 3 NVIDIA Geforce GTX 680 video cards and over 2 terabyte of storage. The machine starts at $7,999. [4] [5]