28 minutes is a lot of time. What can’t be done in this span: You can go through the time loop in Deathloop, watch an episode of the grandiose anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (click here for our spoiler-free review) or take a leisurely stroll in the refreshing winter air.
Or you wait for Windows to start up. No joke! If you’ve always thought your computer’s boot time is high, wait and see what you see in the video below. Of course, you can also find out why the whole procedure is absolutely exciting for tech enthusiasts.
CPU with 5 MHz achieves amazing things
Today’s processors in PCs usually have clock frequencies between 3 and 4 GHz, sometimes lower (power saving mechanisms), sometimes higher (dynamic overclocking). Other devices – such as game consoles or smartphones – are also in this performance range. And even the Nintendo Switch, which is absolutely outdated from today’s perspective, can still access 1,020 MHz per CPU core.
Modern processors are powerful all-rounders, but they are often not in the limelight in gaming systems. Most of the time it is all about the power of the graphics card.
A processor with only 5 MHz is already an announcement. What to do with such a relic from days gone by? Does modern software like Windows even run on it? Questions faced by the developer and Youtuber NTDEV accepted. But there was a small hurdle on his way to enlightenment.
Because to get an original CPU with only 5 MHz is almost impossible. After all, we’re talking about models like the Intel 8086, which saw the light of day on June 8, 1978 and should cost a small fortune today. Except that other hardware needed for Windows operation is not compatible with it.
His solution: undervolting. He took an Intel Pentium S processor from 2009 and lowered its clock to a paltry 5 MHz. The clock rate of 995 MHz is below the minimum requirement of Windows 7
So the goal of the experiment was clear: Can Windows 7 even start and if so, can you work with it?
link to YouTube content
The answer: Yes, Windows 7 starts, but only in safe mode. And also only after NTDEV manually almost all drivers, services and other processes disabled so they don’t overload the hardware at boot-up.
That’s why you have to do without newfangled knick-knacks such as the taskbar, desktop background or start menu with this premium PC. Nobody needs it anyway! you already? Then take a look at this article when you get a chance:
Start menu alternatives for Windows 11
I’ve tried 5 start menu tools and one clear favorite
The only way to work on the 5 MHz PC is via the command line, which is used to start Windows Notepad in the video. In addition, the hobbyist calls up a small tool to display the current clock rate. But the system doesn’t manage more, it’s already running at the absolute limit, which is also underlined by the 28 minutes that are needed to boot up.
Since reading this article shouldn’t have taken you 28 minutes, you still have plenty of time left for further reading pleasure! Great, as we all know, there is never a shortage of attractive options on GameStar, how about this:
Have you ever tried such experiments? If so, how did they look in detail and with what result did they end? And of course, what do you think of NTDEV’s 5MHz attempt? Let us know your thoughts on these topics in the comments!
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