overclocking

[Wren57]

simple question: what is overclocking, how can you tell if your computer is doing it, what harm does it do, and how do you correct it?

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by highlander
simple question: what is overclocking, how can you tell if your computer is doing it, what harm does it do, and how do you correct it?

Whoa, deep subject. check out www.overclockers.com for a site/forum dedicated to it.

Overclocking is pushing the clock speed of your system above stock specs. You can tell that your computer is doing it because you set it that was. You can also use programs such as WINCPUID to give you info about your overclock.

The harm can be fatal if you're not careful. OC'ing results in higher temps (can kill things if you don't cool well) and higher front side bus speeds (FSB). If you raise the FSB too far out of spec, you can kill your harddrives, etc.

You'll need a good power supply, good stepping CPU, good motherboard with OC options, good RAM, and GREAT cooling. This cooling will result in a louder computer sometimes.

There are two ways to overclock, and I'm really only familiar with AMD systems, though pentiums can get killer OC's. Ask Maxvla if you want to know about Pentium OC'ing. You can raise the FSB, or you can raise the CPU multiplier. The clock speed of your CPU is determined by multiplying the multiplier and FSB together. Say if you have a multiplier of 10 and FSB of 133, you have a 1330MHz CPU. Most chips do not allow you to adjust the multiplier without doing some sort of physical mod to the chip itself. Most boards (not boards from Dells, Gateways, etc.) will allow you to raise your FSB. Default for a Pally AMD athlon is 133MHz.

Say you have an AMD athlon XP1600+ chip. Stock specs are multi of 10.5 and FSB of 133. For every 1 MHz you raise the FSB, you gain 10.5MHz on your system.

There is much, much, much more to this, but just ask if you think you want to try it. DON'T just go in and jack the FSB or you can say goodbye to some components if you don't change the dividers, etc.

P4 1.6a (stock 1600mhz) @ 2664mhz
Futuremark 3DMark2001se: 14,133

ask away.

[ebpda9]

save yourself the headaches and get the fastest processor available

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by hondaman-iac
save yourself the headaches and get the fastest processor available

BAH, what fun is that?

[ebpda9]

Originally posted by 94_AcCoRd_EX
BAH, what fun is that?

finding screw that will fit in the motherboard and the chassis

Originally posted by hondaman-iac
save yourself the headaches and get the fastest processor available

fastest cpu available is more than a hundred dollars more expensive than the one that is just a few mhz slower.

latest greatest is quite stupid actually.

[Wren57]

my processor is a 1ghz athlon thunderbird, running something like a mk-a78a or something motherboard with 384mb sdram... so should i use that program to check my clock speed? and what should it be?

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by highlander
my processor is a 1ghz athlon thunderbird, running something like a mk-a78a or something motherboard with 384mb sdram... so should i use that program to check my clock speed? and what should it be?

Umm.... your clock speed is 1GHz then. You won't get much of an OC out of that chip anyway, maybe 200MHz. What brand is that mobo?

[Wren57]

hmm *crackin open cpu case to check*...
iCue IS-MK7AV ver1.1

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by highlander
hmm *crackin open cpu case to check*...
iCue IS-MK7AV ver1.1

Weird, never heard of iCue. When was this purchased?

Boot up, and go into the BIOS. Does it have FSB settings? How about VCore? This might not be an overclockable board.

Some boards have physical jumpers you can set to OC, but I don't know about yours.

[Wren57]

no, it doesnt have FSB or VCore... the computer was bought online from a basement company about 2 years ago... great cpu too!

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by highlander
no, it doesnt have FSB or VCore... the computer was bought online from a basement company about 2 years ago... great cpu too!

You really can't overclock this computer most likely. You can check the mobo manual for physical jumper settings to see if you can up the FSB, but its not too likely.