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Introduction
Things you should know
What are the
benefits?
What are the risks?
What is clock speed
for of processor?
How CPU
manufacturers determine the clock speed of a processor?
How to set the
clock speed of a processor?
What is Overclocking?
How is Overclocking done?
Step 1: Getting
Started
Step 2: BIOS
Step 3: Begin
Overclocking
Recommended Settings
Bus and Processor speed
Remember for reference
More on Overclocking?
Does it reach BIOS setup?
Does it reach a
full working operating system?
How to improve
changes for a successful Overclock
Additional Cooling
Processor Life and Market
Final Thoughts
Some important
factors for successful overclocking
Monitoring Software
Optimized keywords
in searching for more information
______________________________________________________________________
This is a detailed introduction to the
overclocking concept. We suggest you fill out the form at the end
of this page if you would like us to add more to this text.
Introduction
When “fast is not enough” gamers and hobbyists
find and devise new and intriguing ways of taking their hardware to
the max. Even with these fastest chips available, most users still
demand more and say that the speed from even the fastest chips
aren’t fast enough, or they just blatantly just want more. This is
where overclocking comes into the equation; by which users make
their processor run faster than the default recommended speed
setting. Overclocking has become common with all of the newest
hardware devices having the ability to reach overclocked speeds of
over 50%.
Q. If a processor can achieve higher speeds why
don’t manufactures increase them?
A. To regulate the market, making one processor
that can range from 1.6 to 2.4 and just regulate speed is easier
than making a different one for each speed.
Things you should know
The following you should know before and to
successfully overclock a your AMD or Pentium: an overclockable
processor, an overclocking friendly motherboard, and a plan for a
great thermal solutions including heat sink and extra system
cooling fans. Check your system for extra fan locations, later in
this text will be detailed info on how to configure them.
• If you plan to overclock you system then be
sure to select your hardware wisely. There are always overclocking
opportunities. Intel and AMD produce processors that are
overclockable.
• Some motherboards are more overclocking-friendly
than the others, I suggest Asus or Epox. Select a motherboard that
has good reviews, don’t experiment or settle for one that’s not
reputable because the motherboard is the heart of you overclocking
project. Do you homework!
• Once you’ve become an experienced
overclocker, you know to keep the processor and the entire system
cool to ensure stability, select a case that can handle many fans
for optimal airflow. Your number one enemy for overclocking is
heat.
o Add additional system coolers in the front
and back of the case to generate an air flow pattern coming in from
the front and exiting at the back.
o Make sure the cooling fans for the power
supply sucks hot air out of your system box.
o Use thermal compound (do not substitute)
between a good and strong heat sink and the processor to ensure
great thermal contact and thus optimal heat dissipation.
What are the benefits of Overclocking?
• The increased performance with minimum cost
• Satisfaction from achieving it, then later tweaking it.
What are the risks of Overclocking?
• Overclocking may void your system warranty.
• Overclocking may reduce the life-time of your system.
• Overclocking may cause system less stable. If you find your
system unstable at higher speeds, proper testing is the key to a
successful overclock.
What is clock speed for of processor?
The clock speed of a processor is the main
factor that determines the computing power of a computer, measured
in MHz or GHz. To better understand the concept, imagine your car drives
at fixed speed of 1 to 60 mph, although the optimal speed is 50,
nothing prevents it from going faster or slower. You want to run at
higher speeds only at favorable conditions.
How CPU manufacturers determine the clock
speed of a processor?
The manufacturer decides on what speed to stamp
on the processor based on the following factors:
• Core, design, and capabilities of the
processor itself.
• The thermal stability and characteristics of the processor.
• The most advantageous market conditions.
From the above it is clear that given the right
conditions, a processor can be either underclocked or overclocked.
An 900MHz processor can be overclocked to run at 800 or 500MHz as
long as the motherboard allows, or overclocking to 1200MHz.
How to set the clock speed of a processor?
The actual clock speed of a processor is set by
the motherboard. There are two ways to do this.
Hardware jumpers. You can change the jumpers to
get different combinations of basic BUS speeds and multipliers.
This method is used for most brands of motherboards. It is however
inconvenient since you need to actually open the case to access the
motherboard and to know what your doing. So if your looking for a
motherboard that overclocks easily, look for “jumper free”
overclockable motherboards.
With software "jumpers" or “jumper
free” motherboards, you change the clock speeds (and the core
voltage) of a processor using software embedded in the motherboard
BIOS. Most overclockers like this option.
What is
Overclocking?
This is the process of running the device
faster than it is specified to do. Overclocking is an old process
that just recently has gone mainstream. Overclocks can range in the
30-50% range with some creative cooling, if not air cooled then
liquid (Water or Nitrogen). Overclocking achieved by increasing the
frequency at which the processor is multiplied or bus speed.
With a successful overclock, the system will
run stable and exactly the same as it did at the default factory
set frequency, just faster. This often requires more cooling than
stock and increasing voltage on processors improving the speed of
devices, internal and external, and performance improves in
accordance to how much the device is overclocked. If not properly
overclocked, usually from overclocking too much, performance can
actually degrade, as the processor or is over stressed beyond
optimal frequency settings.
Overclocking generally refers to running your
CPU, and these days your video card too, at higher internal CPU
clock and bus speeds than the manufacturer's specs for achieving
better system performance at little or no cost. In the past,
overclocking was simply changing your motherboard's settings for
the next higher CPU Multiplier. It's not as simple anymore, since
both Intel and AMD have locked the multipliers in their CPU's. As a
result, in today's world the bus speed is usually the only easy way
to overclock and achieve CPU speeds that don't officially exist.
Bus speed, as opposed to CPU overclocking changes your whole
motherboard's BUS, affecting PCI, AGP (with all the components
attached to them) as well as Memory speed, so in effect you are
overclocking everything! Because of the fact you are overclocking
your whole system and every component connected to it, one of the
necessary requirements is to have good quality components. You have
a better chance of reaching higher speeds and still running a
stable system with good quality brand name components instead of
cheap hardware. Some brands/models of hardware overclock better
then others, some don't overclock very well at all, so it's a good
idea to already have a rock stable system with good quality
hardware before you attempt overclocking, since overclocking
essentially pushes your system beyond the manufacturer's specs,
adding heat to the equation.
How to
Overclock
Overclocking is accomplished by adjusting the
frequency of either the CPU multiplier or FSB (front side bus)
speed in the Bios of the motherboard. All common day processors
have a multiplier locked, meaning that the rate at which the speed
is multiplied by the front side bus is not adjustable. Therefore to
overclock these processors one must adjust the bus speed.
FSB speeds are an important aspect of
Overclocking because it influences the speed at which all devices
connected to the motherboard operate. There are usually three
default front side bus settings, 66MHz, 100MHz, and 133MHz. The
slowest of the three, 66MHz, and 133MHz the highest, was used by
Pentium II processors slower than 350MHz and all previous
processors starting with the original Pentium line. Today’s
Celerons run at this 100MHz FSB, which is one reason why the
Celeron lags so much behind its older Pentium III brother. 133MHz
FSB is which PIII processors run today, P4 processors depending on
the level you have, can range from 400MHz to even 533MHz and up
operate at this frequency.
Pentium IV processors can be overclocked with
103MHz and 112MHz front side bus speeds easily. Of course, anyone
can overclock this easily, but most often than not, something else
will be required to get an overclock to be successful. More often
than not, voltage adjustment will be required. Increasing the
amount of power that the processor receives will give it the little
extra power to get the processor to be successfully overclocked.
Remember that when overclocking, always move up in the smallest
increments allowable. Doing otherwise could be harmful for the
system
Steps to Overclocking (AMD X1
and X2 Coming)
Step 1: On a blank sheet of
paper draw various vertical lines spacing them approximately 1 inch
apart, and about 4 horizontal lines spaced 2 inches apart. This is
the grid you’ll be using to test for optimal configuration. Label
the chart from left to right, FSB or Front Side Bus, Crashed,
Voltage, leaving the far right box for whatever you wish.
For some reason higher cache, such as a 1.8a
512K 400MHz FBS Pentium 4’s are more successfully overclocked than
a 1.8 256K 400MHz FSB Pentium 4’s. So if you have not yet purchased
your processor, the “a” higher 512K 400MHz FSB processor should be
on your list. If you’re building a system from scratch, use EPOX or
ASUS brands, all their boards are very versatile in respect to
overclocking.
Step 2: Starting up your
system holding down the “DEL” delete key will bring the system into
the BIOS. Once in the BIOS browse around using the left/right
arrows to change categories, and up/down arrows to browse the
current selection… take a few minutes doing this, familiarize
yourself.
At the frequency screen set the frequency
adjustment to manual, this unlocking the FBS multiplier usually on
the far top of the screen. The frequency adjustment also usually
has the clock speed reading as hundreds or thousands. Example, 1.8,
would read 1800, and 2.0 would read 2000. Some manufacturers have
preset settings to automatically overclock the system, ASUS is one.
I would recommend this but know how to reset the CMOS of the
motherboard first, usually by a jumper or holding contacts together
to reset it. If you purchased the motherboard new, then it should
come with a semantic, or locate the model and type it into any
search engine in a hunt for more info.
Step 3: Using you handy chart
write on the next available block the number of the next frequency
level. So if the first frequency level is 133, if you using a
Pentium 4 it is, then the next frequency level would be 134, then
135, and so on. For every upgrade to the frequency setting restart
the computer noting if the startup was successful. If yes, then
follow the same instruction to raise the level again. If not then
raise the voltage of the processor in the smallest increments
available. Restart again and note if it was successful or not.
Ideally you should not raise the voltage of the processor more than
.2, if you do then you MUST invest in better cooling such as liquid
filled heat sinks. Once you have raised the frequency till it
crashes and voltage no more than .2 then retain the previous
successful frequency, and raise the voltage another .05 to add
stability. Restart and run an application such as Si-Sandra to
monitor the temperature of the processor, running the application
for several hours at full stress. If the temperature rises more
than 20% then enter the BIOS and drop the voltage and frequency.
Repeat the process until your processor temperature is within the 20%
threshold.
Recommended
Settings
There are no unique best settings for every
system; however I'll try to give you a basic guideline for a
successful overclocking. If your Motherboard doesn't support the
higher bus speeds than 133, you can still try the rest, get a
calculator and figure out the possible combinations yourself
remember its Multiplier x FSB = Internal CPU speed.
Bus and
Processor speed
The internal clock speed refers to the actual
speed that the CPU is operating at. When you go to the store or
look up system specs you will see, for example, Pentium 4 2.4Ghz.
The 2.4Ghz part refers to the internal operating frequency of the
CPU in question. To make this easy just know that is the speed of
the processor, 2.4 Giga -Hertz in this case. The higher internal
clock of the processor is the faster it processes information and
the more you can do with your computer.
The bus speed refers to the actual motherboard
and its components. They too run in Giga-Hertz (Mhz) and run
together at different dividers, or fractions of the CPU speed. Your
motherboard has traces on it, if you look down at a motherboard and
you see all those long lines running all through it to different
components that are the bus of the motherboard, data paths to all
the components. The Front Side Bus (FSB) by definition is the bus
that connects the processor (CPU) and the main Memory (RAM). The
PCI bus is the bus that connects all the PCI devices (connected to
the PCI expansion slots), as well as the Controller for your Hard
Drive and CD-ROM. These are the main buses you have to worry about
when overclocking. How this all fits together: It takes the FSB
speed (which is also the RAM speed don't forget) multiplied by the
CPU Multiplier to create the Internal Clock speed. For example a
FSB speed of 100 MHz times a multiplier of 24 will equal 2400Mhz or
2.4 GHz. In order to get other bus speeds and try to get different
Internal CPU speeds, your motherboard needs to have more FSB option
settings. Keep in mind when you do overclock the FSB you are overclocking
your memory (RAM) so if you have some modules of some slow cheap
pieces of memory they may not like to be overclocked at all. If you
buy good brand name memory like Kingston, Micron, you will have a
much better chance at overclocking your FSB.
Again, when increasing your FSB speed, you'll
also have to consider all the other devices in your system. Just
because the CPU runs stable at the higher speed settings doesn't
mean you have overclocked successfully. Any of the other devices
can stop functioning or start causing problems. You might need to
edit your CMOS and lower some of the settings for the RAM and/or
Hard Drives to get your system functioning without problems.
It is a fact that by overclocking you increase
the chances of system faults, crashes and overall instability, so
if avoiding a crash is crucial, consider buying faster Processor or
components, rather than overclocking.
Remember
for reference:
PCI Bus = 33Mhz
AGP Bus = 66Mhz
FSB x Multiplier = CPU Internal Clock Speed
FSB x Divider = PCI or AGP Bus Speed
More on
overclocking?
Some processors are tricky, because versions
were released with both 66 and 100 MHz versions. This shouldn't be
a problem though, because most resellers/stores will let you know
what the bus speed the CPU is.
Dangers
In order to overclock your system successfully,
you need the understand the most important issue involved –
Cooling.
Proper Cooling is the MOST important factor in
successful overclocking, running a stable system and keeping your
CPU in good shape. If your overclocked CPU operates at a higher
than specs temperature, it will shorten its life. Other side
effects of overheating can be random crashes and unstable system.
Generally, today's processors are designed to work between 85 and
200 degrees Fahrenheit and anything outside the temperature range
would result in more unstable system and possible damaging of the
CPU. Keep this in mind, cooler is better, try to cool your CPU as
much as you can, put a big fat heatsink on it with a big fan to
help. Just remember the better cooling solution you choose, the
better chances for successful overclocking you have.
Things to
remember:
Note: Don't put the panel back onto your PC
until your done testing the stability of your system.
Turn off and unplug the computer, take off the
case, get your motherboard manual. Check the current clock speed
and multiplier jumper settings on your motherboard, compare them
with your manual, and write them down in the motherboard manual.
Most manuals have an area for notes so use it. Check the supply
voltage jumper settings on your motherboard, compare them with
manual and your CPU marking, and write it down. Change the jumper
settings for clock speed and/or multiplier according to your manual
for the next CPU speed up from the settings currently used. Double
check to make sure everything is ok, and that no jumpers have been
forgotten about or bumped off.
Start computer.
Does
it reach BIOS setup?
If yes, test the system further and work your
PC hard as possible.
No, Turn off computer and change jumper to
higher supply voltage according to manual, if possible.
If you still shouldn't reach BIOS setup, forget
about overclocking to this speed.
Does it reach full
working operation system?
If yes, start your test run by running it for at
least a hour. A PC reaches its maximum temp within about 30 min.
It's better to occur crashes or lock ups now, than coming across
them when it counts!
If no, try another setting or check your
cooling, you also can try some more conservative memory timings in
the BIOS setup. This means increasing the wait states or the
read/write cycles; but don't forget to check later if you gained
speed by trying some benchmarks, cause there's no point in
overclocking if your memory access is getting slower.
If everything works well - congrats, if not,
try another setting, check cooling.
Don't change supply voltage unless you have to.
It only makes the chip hotter.
Don't ever forget: cooling is most important
key to Overclocking!
HOW TO IMPROVE CHANCES FOR A SUCCESSFUL OVERCLOCKING
Additional
Cooling
The number one problem with most Overclocks is
that the processor is generating too much heat and that is what is
causing the processor to be unstable. It is VERY important that you
monitor temperature levels, mainly the processor. That is why extra
cooling with larger heatsinks, more fans, and better airflow is
always imperative. Since increasing the voltage of processors
greatly increases chances in overclocking, and increasing voltage
creates more heat, therefore cooling the processor creates higher
chances for overclocking. The best way to start is by getting a
larger heatsink for the processor. Adding more fans inside the case
will help keep everything cool and will greatly improve chances of
overclocking.
Processor
Life and Market
As newer products come out, more heat will be
generated because of the higher speed that these products achieve.
And to counteract the heat, manufacturers shift manufacturing
processes to a smaller micron size. The smaller sizes of dies
create much less heat, in conversely, faster and more advanced
designs. As processors get older, so do their ability to be
Overclocked and withstand higher clock speeds. After several
processor revisions, processors tend to get more stable, produce
less heat, and have higher clockspeeds. Customarily once a newer
processor is released that processor takes the highest price than
its predecessor. When the newest processor is released, the new
stepping is given to the slower processors; therefore the processor
will have a better theoretical speed it can reach.
Final Thoughts
Some important
factors for successful overclocking
CPU Cooling - Your CPU Heatsink/Fan might do
the trick, but it's very likely you'll need a top quality combo.
Another, often overlooked fact is that a simple Thermal Compound
(from Radio Shack) applied between the heatsink and the CPU can
provide for much better heat transfer and cooler Processor.
Case Cooling - The temperature inside the case
will also increase, as a result of overclocking, heating all of the
devices and possibly increasing the chance of a crash. For ATX
cases, I'd recommend an additional intake fan and exhaust fan. The
size of the case as well as the placement of the cables inside will
also affect its cooling, get rounded cables if you can for best air
flow in the case and use air filters in front of the intake fans
and vents, keep your case cover on for correct airflow and to
reduce dust buildup (dust is an important enemy, it acts as an insulator
keeping your hardware even warmer). For proper airflow, a simple
rule might help reduce heat in your case even further, just install
one more exhaust fan than your intake fans - it's more important to
remove warm air from the case, than to blow cold air in.
Quality Components - RAM, Hard Disks, Video
Cards all can stop functioning at higher bus speeds, quality
components are of course less susceptible to failure under stress.
Also, well built, brand name motherboards can definitely make the
difference between success and failure. Asus and Epox are two well
known very overclockable, easy and friendly motherboards.
Monitoring
Software
There are certain software packages out there
that help you monitor CPU & motherboard temperature, as well as
fan speed. These software utilities can either show readings on
demand, or they can be left running in your system tray, displaying
temperatures and warnings... These utilities rely on new
motherboards with Temperature sensors built into the motherboard.
Most high-end motherboards manufactured in the last few years have
this capability, some even have the temperature and fan speed
readings in the BIOS as well.
Motherboard Monitor -Motherboard Monitor (MBM)
is a tool that will display information from the sensor chip on
your motherboard in your Windows system tray. MBM supports a wide
range of Chipsets & Sensor Chip combinations.
WCPUID - WCPUID is a program that displays
detailed information about the CPU in your system.
This overview guide is just that, an overview
guide to introduce you to the concept of overclocking. Nowadays
overclocking is almost a science, there is so much to it, I could
get very detailed on all these topics I've brought up, and there
are even some others I haven't mentioned. Good Luck!
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