What Is Overclocking?
Overclocking involves altering your computer system hardware settings to operate at a faster speed than the manufacturer's rating. This can pertain to the motherboard bus speed, the CPU speed, or both. Also known as pushing or speed margining, the exercise has become extremely popularized, particularly among gamers and modders. Many of them buy low-end computer parts which they then overclock to higher speeds, or overclock high-end components to achieve levels of performance beyond the designated values. Other people overclock obsolete components to keep pace with new system demands, instead of buying new hardware. Users who overclock their components primarily center their efforts on processors, video cards, motherboard chipsets, and Random Access Memory (RAM).
To someone who doesn't understand much (yet) about how PCs function, it may seem odd that you are able to run components of the system faster than they are meant to run. Is not a Pentium with MMX 166 always going to run at 166 MHz? The answer is "no". There are numerous parts of the PC that have the capability of operating at assorted speeds. This is established into the hardware mainly for flexibility, to permit many different pieces of hardware to function together, and to make motherboard design less complicated and more affordable. Generally CPU chips are tested by the manufacturer to determine at what speed they fail. They are then rated at a speed one step lower than this. Because the tests are quite rigorous the thought is that it may be feasible to push the CPU slightly faster than its rating while preserving stability in the system. Occasionally, when manufacturers are short on stock, they package faster GHz chips as slower ones; overclockers view this as a windfall.
There is also evidence that in numerous cases, the processor manufacturer will on occasion deliberately underrate chips in order to meet market demand and create differentiation between high-end and low-end product. When a chip is new, the manufacturing process in all likelihood legitimately creates a small issue of faster parts and a high issue of slower parts. As the chip matures, more high-end chips are created. It is possible that if "too many" high-end chips are made to meet demand, some may be labeled at the lower speed to satisfy orders. What is more, occasionally dedicated production lines are employed to make chips of different speeds, only they're created at rates not meeting demand forecasts and may be marked at a lower speed. These chips naturally would be easily "overclockable" since they were never labeled at their full potential in the first place.
Quick Tips For Overclocking Your Computer
If you are considering trying this, here are some basic rules to keep in mind:
- Don't overclock unless you accept that you may harm your equipment.
- Always take small steps when increasing voltages, bus speeds and multipliers.
- Never alter BIOS settings if you're uncertain of the results or what role they perform.
- Never assume that you'll get the same speeds as someone else, there can be many reasons why you won't.
- Remember simply because it boots and runs for a while doesn't mean your system is safe or entirely stable.
Overclocking can be very complex due to the little subtleties involved in addition to some luck. It's essential to do your homework on processors as well as select quality memory and have an understanding of what various chipsets are capable of. Key points that we can't emphasize enough are patience and caution. It would be excellent if every chip overclocks by 100% right out of the package but they don't and that's a pretty great way to fry a new processor. Another ingredient is risk. Know that overclocking your processor may shorten its lifespan.
Speed Up Your Computer Without Upgrading Hardware
The seductive idea behind overclocking is to boost system performance at very little cost. In most cases you only need to modify a couple of settings on your motherboard to make your system run faster. In other cases you only have to add a couple of components (typically for cooling) to attain the performance increase. Because the speed of the hardware is controlled by the jumper settings, to overclock you "simply" modify the jumper settings on the motherboard. In truth, a Pentium 133 doesn't "know" that it is a Pentium 133. It only answers to the clock signals and settings it sees coming from the motherboard. If you have a Pentium 133 and wish to overclock it to Pentium 166, you "pretend" that it's a 166 and jumper the motherboard that way. If you are lucky, it will work. If you aren't, it won't work (or worse). There are risks involved and, well, the possibility of no gain whatsoever.
Results from overclocking the CPU alone must be balanced against the remainder of the system's specifications, namely the bus speed of the motherboard, memory, et cetera. For example, a 20% gain in processor speed doesn't typically translate to a 20% overall improvement. The CPU may be running faster than the rest of the system, running in a "hurry up and wait" environment. Consequently the increase may present a good benchmark improvement but little real-world difference.
Unsuccessful overclocking can result in an unstable system at best, and in the worst case scenario can damage the CPU. While the latter is less common, it happens. Your CPU could be weakened by so-called 'electromigration'. Electromigration happens on the actual silicon chip of your CPU in areas which function at a very high temperature, and can cause permanent damage to the chip. However, electromigration doesn't instantly damage your chip. It is a slow-moving process, which more or less reduces the life span of a CPU operating at a very high temperature. A normal CPU is intended to live for about 10 years.
Overclocking is big plus in online gaming. Combine your overclocked PC with any one of the broadband Internet Service Providers and you have a lethal combo for gaming in the major MMO's or the latest First Person Shooter.