Throwback Thursday is all about getting a weekly dose of OC nostalgia. A trip down memory lane that we hope seasoned and rookie overclockers will enjoy in equal measure. This Thursday we turn our attention to a point in history when a true great emerged. It is the day when HWBOT recognized the sudden and dramatic rise of AndreYang.

AndreYang in May 2009 had just clinched second place in the HWBOT Overclockers League. No mean feat by any means. It is the means however, that makes his rise all the more fascinating. AndreYang was the first overclocker to really leverage the process known today as binning. It involves testing as many CPUs or GPUs as possible to find a ‘Golden’ chip that performs in an exceptional way that gives you an edge in competitive overclocking. Andre was one of the first overclockers to use binning to gain a tangible advantage over his peers, pushing Golden processors to new heights and in the process mowing down World Records like grass in a field.

Here’s what Massman had to say on the topic in May, 2009:

“In the latest runs Andre used a Intel Xeon W3540 (D0 stepping) CPU. He told in the Xtremesystems forums, that this latest chip is the third he has tested. This golden CPU hits speeds up to 5.5Ghz in 3D benchmarks. Andre told in the XS forums, that he have ordered 12 more Xeons for testing. We will see in the future, what will be the outcome of this very expensive “handpicking”. Luckily some people are able to do this kind of stuff and we can enjoy the results”

AndreYand went on to dominate the sport of Overclocking for several years to come, leaving an indelible mark on the scene that remains today. Binning is now, for better or worse, an integral part of overclocking at its highest level. It is also the legacy of overclockers like AndreYang.

To read the full article from 2009, click here.