Guide to overclocking, version 1

This guide was written for http://optamumpc.com , which is now located at http://area51.neverstudy.com . Anyways overclocking is the process of pushing your hardware beyond factory specs. In doing this, nor I or your hardware manufacturers (AMD, Intel, Ati, Nvidia, and motherboard companies) take any responsibility for damage done. Overclocking past a certain point will void your warranty (except if you do it this other way for Nvidia cards, which I suggest googling).

1. The Basics-What is Overclocking?

Overclocking is pushing hardware to perform out of the manufacturer's specifications. Life if you processor runs at 3.0 ghz, you can overclock it to 3.2 if wanted. So how do you do this?That's why I wrote this guide!

Some terms
•gpu:graphic processing unit, generally refers to the graphic/video card
•graphic/video card: a card usually AGP or PCIe, greatly improves graphics on
a computer. In this guide I will also include how to overclock this card. Good
investment even if you aren't into graphics, 3d, or gaming
•CPU: central processing unit. The "brain" of the computer. This will be what
you will mainly be overclocking through this guide. Everything done in a
computer goes through this. This component is easily located on your
motherboard.
•BIOS: The little chip on your motherboard that contains boot information, and
and speed, voltages, the time, safety features and such like that. This is where
CPU overclocking will take place. When you boot up your computer, at one
point you will usually see a bunch of bootup scripts and you also usually see
something that tells you to press a key to get into athe setup or bios. More
explanation later in this guide.
•artifacts: the most usual indication when you have overclocked your graphic
card too much. these are on the most part errors in rendering and producing
models, and if it's really bad your desktop will have a lot of weird stuff as well.
Anyways you don't want these.

Well this is the first version of the guide, probably never to be updated again, so I'll explain anything else as we go.

2.What are the factors in overclocking?

For the graphic card, the main factors are the cooling on the card (headsink, fan, both, etc), airflow in the case (is the air going to your cooler/card from the cpu as warm air? or is it cool air from case fans and result of good airflow?), and voltage (I'm not too good with this so I'm on going through cpu voltage). Just remember that the graphic card is meant to run at higher temperatures than the cpu, so if the air around it is warm, don't worry, it's supposed to be that way.

CPU has about the same factors as the graphic card, but voltage on the most part, is easier to modify. Voltage is more essential to get good overclocks than on the graphic card, but I have seen crazy overclocks on cards with major voltage mods. Voltage on CPU is mainly for stability. Also, 3rd party coolers are very effective.

3.Jumping Right In..

First realize that you will probably get a 10% easily (usually). But after that, it make take lots of time and patience.

3-1 The Tools You'll Need:

1)Benchmarking Programs
-CPU: SiSSoft Sandra
SuperPi
-GFX and CPU: Aquamark 3
3DMark03
3DMark05
All of these are free. The 3dmark's and Aquamark have a free basic version
that allows you to run the tests you'll need. The free stuff is all you will
need, all you will be paying for is hardware, if you don't already have it,
And maybe if you want better overclocks, aftermarker coolers.

2)Overclocking Programs
-CPU: You won't need any programs at all to overclock the cpu.
-Graphic: ATI: ATI Tools or RadLinker
Nvidia: I heard there was a built-in tool with the Nvidia
drivers, or else search google.

3)Optimized Drivers
The standard drivers don't optimize things and settings nor do they
usually allow you to overclock, because they reset the clock settings
whenever you open a game or anything 3d/opengl.

A few drivers to look up are:
•Omega Drivers
•DNA Drivers

3-2Alright, FINALLY CPU Overclocking
Well, I'm too lazy to go into anymore detail. So we're going to get on the
process.

My CPU Overclocking 'process'

1.Benchmark
2.compare
3.Adjust
4.Stress test for stability

Step 1:Benchmark
Even when you haven't started overclocking, benchmarking is important.
When you just start, compare your benchmarks with other people who have
a similar, if not the same, set up as yours. Sandra has this feature
built in as a comparison feature between memory and cpu types/brands.
After you've overclocked a bit, compare it to your old scores, make sure
that there is improvement and monitor your progrss and improvement.

Notes:Don't fret that you haven't overclocked yet. You need to know this
stuff, so you get almost guaranteed results and you don't fry your
hardware. Also, try to disable everything when running benchmarks,
you'll get the best out of it.

Step 2:Compare
Compare your benchmark results with your previous ones and other people's
scores that have simlar rigs as your own. This is because if you
overclock, you need to know that you are making progress.

Step 3:Adjust
This is where we will overclokc. After benchmakrks and stress tests and
all that, restart your computer. On Dell's and computer's like those,
(Sony, Compaq, HP, etc) it might be harder if not "impossible" to get into
the BIOS. Well once you get into the BIOS (during your bootup somewhere in
in all the bootup information, it should tell you what button to press to
get into the bios)you'll be presented with a menu. Use the arrow keys to
go through the menu and find a section something along the lines of "CPU
and Voltage" or "CPU Settings" or "Voltages" or something like that. There
you can edit the CPU clocks and in some cases, the multipliers. I won't
change the multiplier, but if you're smart it can be a great way to
increase getting higher clocks. Just get the best combination for the best
clock speeds. EXAMPLE:

FSB:200
multiplier:10
---------------
2000mhz

Increase the FSB by the smallest possible ammount at a time, then quit out
of the bios (remember to save as you quit) and load up windows.

Step 5:Stress Test for Stability
Now is the time to run all the stress tests you have, and if you have the
time, a dozen times each. The more you do it, the more accurate the
stability results are. This is where patience comes in. You are
going to need to stress test a lot, because if you are doing something
important on your computer, you'd want the computer to be stble and not
crash and lose your work.

Now repeat the process. And remember to increase the FSB by little increments, don't modify the voltage unless you are sure on cooling because although voltage may improve stability and open a door to higher overclocks, it will generate TONS more heat and eat the lifespan of your CPU unless you have sufficient cooling to get rid of the excess heat.

That's about it on CPU overclocking. At the end of the guide there is a section of tips to get better results.

3-3 Video/Graphic Overclocking
I'll start with ATI. Well actually, for both cards, if you had installed
optimized hacked drivers, you should benchmark and see a great improvement
already.

Install ATI Tool, the run it. This will be relatively simple. ATI tool
alreadt has everything, pretty much "dummy proof".

Well just keep the defaults in mind. Now press the "Find Max Core" button.
Wait a while, and it will have found the highest core speed your card can
take before producing artifacts. If it doesn't ever finish, then just stop
When you feel you need to and just test for artifacts and make sure it is
stable. Then press the "Find Max Mem" button and it's the same thing except
with memory. When you press the button you'll get a message saying "Your core
has been modified..blah blah," just click the choice that leaves the core
overclocked. After it's done, or you pick your won speeds, save the setup as
a new profile in ATI tools.

I'm way too lazy to do Nvidia, look up a guide on the net.

Now benchmark with graphics to see how your computer has improved in
performance. With overclocking, you'll see the most improvement in games and
rendering, although some people claim to see a difference in photoshop and 2d
images.

4.Tips to Getting Better Results

4-1 CPU
Run more stress tests! Also there is a program called CPU burn-in (I also
believe that Sandra has a feature for this, for memory and cpu). This
makes the CPU run hard and hot, so it's easier to get higher clocks after
it has been stressed and broken into.

4-2 Graphics
For the lifespan of your card, only overclock when you need to, and that's when you open a 3d program or rendering, and games, and for those few people who think there is a difference, photos and art programs.

3rd party coolers are very useful too, but along with these, you need good
airflow in your case so that the air going to the cooler or fan isn't
from the cpu or other hot components, but cool air from outside or atleast
cool air. Or else mod your case or get a new one, if you have the cash.


I've written so much, so I'll stop here. Hopefully you learned a lot, that was my purpose.
If you have questions or comments, email me @ alexso.azn(at)gmail.com

this has been the one tutorial if been looking for...



thanks much amhso =)

Ya pretty good tutorial...But for the new people that are gonna try it...Ya gotta be careful because if you tweak it too much then it would probably get too warm (If it has rpm) then it would be damaged...

Just a post for people thinking that if I put a few more mhz to the reccomended settings above nothing bad would happen...

Careful!

Put a hardware damage warning up there?

Also...I read before that you were supposed to put copied tutorials in quotes and such.

So you dont get credits for someone else's words...

They punish for that so... I'd change it before they catch you and this way you won't lose anything by the punishing.

Quick Quick!

That's mine that i wrote for another forum. And I will revise it when I have the time for a disclaimer about damage and such.

good read, i just upgraded my ram to 1 gig (previosly 512). Im using dual channel memory with 2 corsair 512mb ram. Im currently overclocking at 10 percent but for some reason when increase it to 20%, i cant get to windows setup. probly due to instability.

Wow. This is extremly helpful. Thank you so much for posting this. I was thinking about OCing my computer sometime soon but to be honest, I had no idea what I was going to need to be doing. This is an absolute life saver to me. Every other guide I've looked up is like trying to read Latin. I saved your text for later referance. Thanks again.