Bring The Best Out Of Your PC | Computers

By KayBrener
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Just like turbo charging a 4 cylinder engine in a coup, you, too, can push your computer's CPU-central processing unit, the brains of your PC-to faster speeds; the more data your CPU can process in a given interval of time, the faster and smoother CPU intensive programs will run-think video games, video editing software and suchlike. The vendor supplied factory presets of your CPU and GPU-graphics processing unit-can usually be altered, overclocked to jack up your CPU's performance, yet still run comfortably and in a stable state.

Bearing that in mind, realize then that you don't need to break the bank, shelling out thousands for a new gaming box, as one can often achieve the same results of a newly assembled gaming PC simply by overclocking your existing CPU and graphics chip, and the price is certainly right: free! Before you decide on upgrading your existing processor or graphics chip, try bumping up the clock speed to see if you can squeeze a little more juice out of your current hardware; you may be very happy with the results and end up saving a pretty penny.

Tricks of the Overclocking Trade

As a first time overclocker, it is reasonable to worry about the lifespan and warranty of your CPU. As more and more people choose to overclock their computers, sometimes going to extreme, most factories void your warranty if any overclocking occurs. The rule of thumb when overclocking is caution. You will have nothing to worry if you are doing it with care and, in time, you will have more control over your computer.

Any increase in speed of the CPU has as an immediate result an increase in temperature that it will produce. Therefore, it is always advisable to keep an eye on your CPU temperature when overclocking it. Extra heat dispersers, a more powerful CPU fan, and case fans will keep your computer temperature low, making overclocking safe and without any problems.

Work on the Multiplier

There are basically two methods for overclocking your box: stepping-up your PC's FSB-front side bus-frequency, or increasing your CPU's multiplier to achieve the same results. Altering your CPU's multiplier can be done without even opening up your PC's case; however, most modern CPUs have their multipliers locked. If your CPU's multiplier can be changed, you'll need to go into the BIOS to find and crank up this setting. This is how your CPU's multiplier works: say your FSB is clocked at 200 MHz, the multiplier at 10; your CPU is now clocked at 2.0 GHz, as 200 x 10 is 2000; upping the multiplier to 12 will then set your CPU at 2.4 GHz. This process usually takes a little trial and error to achieve desired satisfaction and stability.

Play with the FSB

When the multiplier is locked and you cannot do anything to change it, another method is to push the bus over its threshold, established by the producers. This way of overclocking is even more appreciated than the multiplier one, as it works as a booster for the CPU speed clock, but also allows data transfers to be made at a faster pace between the CPU and the computer memory.

Do not panic if sometimes your computer will freeze after a FSB tweak. Careful planning, trial and error, and different settings for the memory and the voltage from the BIOS will assure your success.

Overclocking your PC is a great way to squeeze every bit of performance out of your CPU; after all, you paid for it; why not get what you paid for?

About the Author

Kay Brenner is a PC troubleshooting consultant who specializes in restoring your slow PC, saving you time and money wrestling with a sick computer. To learn how to avoid computer problems, download a free PC Check Up

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