The Hardware ZoneLooking for buying a new PC or accessories? having a hardware problem? then this is the place for you to talk about PC hardwares and gizmos!
This guide will not tell you how to overclock but it will arm you with general overclocking information which I and most of my buddies experienced I will assume that you already know at least a little about working on computers.
Hopefully, you aren't afraid to open up the case to install a new PCI card or swap hard drives. You do have enough sense to unplug the power cord before opening up your computer case, right?
First of all you should be aware of Static Electricity. Static electricity can kill electronic components, especially CPUs, so you should always ground yourself on the metal computer chassis before working inside the case. You really don't need a lot of fancy tools. Most work can be accomplished by just using a screwdriver, a regular screwdriver, and a pair of needle nosed pliers.
What is Overclocking?
Overclocking is running your computer at a faster clock speed than the manufacturer's specifications. But, why do we overclock our computers?
Well, this brings us to the philosophy of overclocking. Different people have different reasons for overclocking. For some, it's to save money by maximizing their computer components. Gamers overclock in order to increase frame rates in their favorite 3D game. For some “tharkies” overclocking is a hobby. It’s not a simple job; you have to keep various aspects of the PC always in mind
Overclocking Disclaimers
Two identical PCs will not overclock the same. Just because “X” is running his Celeron chip at 2GHz, does not mean that your CPU will do the same. Often, it's several different factors including luck that allow some systems to overclock more than others. There are absolutely no guarantees in overclocking. Despite your computer geek skills and knowledge, you are dealing with random chance to a degree.
Is there a risk of damaging components when overclocking?
Quite simply “Yes” however, if you use common sense and follow the basic guidelines laid out in this article, then the risks are extremely low to nearly non-existent. Too much heat and too much voltage are the most frequent methods of frying components. Overclock at your own risk! Don't blame me if you toast a component! Also, most warranties are void if they find out you were overclocking, which they usually don’t.
Basic Overclocking Components
Computer Case:
For budget users buy a generic cheap-o case, cut and hack holes into it, and then mount a host of fans into the newly modded case. Most cases have one exhaust fan at the power supply and one intake fan in the front lower area. You probably need at least two more case fans, another intake and exhaust. Plan ahead when installing extra fans. For example, put the intakes all in the front and the exhaust fans in the back, so they're not fighting each other.
For those that aren't handy with power tools or just plain lack the time to modify a case, then spend the extra money and get a good case with all the cooling stuff already built into it. Consider getting a case big enough where nothing overhangs the motherboard. Removable mobo tray and side panels are great features.
Power Supply:
You need a good quality power supply for overclocking, because bumping up the CPU core voltage, using multiple fans, water cooling pumps, and other stuff like that requires lots of extra wattage. Most cases already have a power supply. If you tried to save money by getting a cheap generic case, then you got a cheap generic 235 watt power supply too.
In my opinion, 350 watt power supplies is minimum nowadays, and if you are planning on running a GeForce 8000 series, then think about buying a 500w unit.
Motherboard:
It does not pay to be cheap here. If you can't afford a good motherboard, then save some bucks, beg your spouses, borrow from Mom and Dad, or do whatever you have to do to get enough money to buy a high quality motherboard. DO NOT SKIMP! This is the heart of your machine.
Personally, I like Asus and Gigabyte, don’t buy Intel motherboard (except 975XBX) if you plan to overclock. You want a mobo with lots of FSB and voltage adjustments that can be easily changed in the BIOS.
CPU:
Do a whole bunch of research, ask lots of questions, and then do a fair amount of window shopping around before investing in a processor. Look at the overclockers.com CPU database to see which chips have been successfully overclocked.
Personally, the best Intel chip for your overclocking buck right now is the Core2Duo Series. From AMD side Athlon64 and AthlonX2 are very definitely worth considering too. Use CPU-Z to get all information about your CPU
COOLING:
This is extremely important when you're overclocking. I can't stress cooling enough. Heat is THE ENEMY! Do not try to raise the core voltage until you have good cooling. Stock Intel coolers are good enough for a little overclock. But if you want to join among the Elite then forget it.
Get an aftermarket cooler which are worth the money When installing your CPU cooler, use a good quality thermal paste. Do not attempt to use that crappy thermal tape that comes with most coolers. Arctic Silver thermal paste is probably the best. Other things you can do to improve cooling are as simple and cheap as rerouting power wires and securing them out of the way.
Additionally, round your flat data cables by wrapping them with electrical or duct tape and moving them out of the way. This trick vastly improves air circulation through the case interior and cost very little to do and your PC looks neat and organized. RAM
Memory:
This is another place that you should not get cheap generic parts. Buy the best and the most you can afford. The minimum should be DDR2-667 preferably two 1024 MB sticks in dual channel mode (I hope you know what is Dual Channel mode). Corsair is the best Crucial and Kingston is good brands. Lots of DDR2-800 memories available right now too which are affordable.
Video Card:
The AGP era is gone. The PCI-X is by far better than AGP. I prefer the GeForce 8000 series video cards. Many folks swear by the AMD/ATI cards too, but I don't have much experience with them.Hard drives:
High quality hard drives are worth there weight in gold to the overclocker. Extreme overclocking can cause data corruption and, in rare occasions, scramble your hard drive. Usually the drive is not permanently damaged and can be reformatted, but it's a huge hassle if you don't have your data backed up.
Plan on spending a little extra and get a fast SATA300 hard drive rather than old ATA133 if your motherboard supports it. Seagate, Western Digital and Hitachi are good brands. SATA 300 drives come with a jumper to reduce speed to SATA 150 so don’t forget to remove the jumper in your SATA drive. HDD temperature should not exceed 55C
Other Components:
Overclocking usually causes the PCI bus to run out of spec (faster than normal), therefore, you'll need to buy, beg, or borrow good components that will run OK when overclocked. CD-ROM drives, sound cards, modems, and other miscellaneous components should all be high quality and selected because they can handle being overclocked. High quality doesn’t mean the most expensive ones; you just have to judge the component by just looking at it and using common sense
Basic Overclocking Procedures
If you have built a computer following these basics, then the actual overclocking part will be quite easy. Make sure you have good cooling and watch your CPU load temps like a hawk. Nowadays motherboards have built in temperature monitoring capabilities and temperature trips which is an excellent feature for overclockers, further more good boards have on board BIOS reset switches which you can press anytime to set the settings to default.
Use Lavalys Everest or other software to get dull information of your PC After each step of the overclocking process, thoroughly test your computer system for stability. I use the following programs: SiSoft Sandra, Prime95, 3DMark2005, Fraps and the some game demo loop. Monitoring temps and testing for stability is critical during all phases of overclocking. First, make sure the computer runs OK at the default settings. Your objective is to find the highest, stable CPU speed.
Overclocking
Remember: CPU speed = CPU Multiplier x Front Side Bus (FSB)
INTEL CPUs:
Increase the front side bus (FSB) speed a little at a time from BIOS, and then test for stability. Set CPU multiplier to max. Note that you may have to decrease the multiplier if the CPU becomes unstable. Test its stability. Constantly monitor the temperature, it should not exceed or reach 70C
AMD CPUs:
Increase the front side bus (FSB) speed a little at a time. Note that you may have to decrease the multiplier if the CPU becomes unstable. Test for stability. Constantly monitor the temperature, it should not exceed or reach 70C
For best performance, you want to find the highest FSB and CPU speed that will run your system without any problems. If the computer won't boot crashes, freezes up, pops up error messages or gives you the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), then it's unstable. Raise the voltage one notch at a time until it becomes stable again (check CPU load temps each time).
For safety's sake, don't raise the CPU core voltage anymore than 10% to15% above default. If nothing works reset the BIOS and start all over again. If you follow these steps, you will get a successful overclock
Very nice guide I have seen lots of peoples with a question that, how much they can over-clock their CPU? I mean how they find out the limit of over clocking? for example if they are using Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz, what is the last limit of over clocking? can like 2.8GHz or more?
Secondly you mention that other components like PCI becomes faster? this will also affect the PCI express? Is 16X PCI express becomes 20X? (I haven't heard anything like that yet)..
U can overclock E6600 to about 3 Ghz without breaking a sweat with air cooling on a nice mobo..... there isn't a formula or script for overclocking.... it depends upon your luck and the quality of your PC.....
no PCI-e doesn't become 20X... it remains 16X.... actually its quite complicated to explain PCI-e overclocking, the overclocking part is easy though...... you can also overclock your GPU to gain extra FPS..... heck you can overclock each part of your PC to get a good result overall
The E6600 overclocks like a charm i managed to up it to 3 Ghz on my asus P5B-VM i would've gone higher but that requires me to increase the PCI-X frequency over 120 and if it goes over 120 the hard drive is not recognized.
I have seen lots of peoples with a question that, how much they can over-clock their CPU? I mean how they find out the limit of over clocking? for example if they are using Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz, what is the last limit of over clocking? can like 2.8GHz or more?
Linear Mode
