What Intel doesn't want you to know!
Sep 28 '00 (Updated Oct 01 '00)
UPDATED AS OF 10-1-2000
Take a look at any processor price list and compare a 600 MHz (Megahertz) processor to 700 MHz processor. I bet you're looking at a price difference of anywhere from $40 to $100, depending on the brand. Now what if I were to tell you that shopping smart, and knowing your stuff could get you a 600 MHz processor that works at 700Mhz? Scheming? I think not.
Warning:This, along with any information on over clocking anywhere else, is very sensitive stuff. When you over clock a processor, not only do you void the warrantee, you also risk turning that $300 CPU into an expensive paper weight. If you don't have the money to spare, stop here and do not even try it.
Now to the basics. Some processors over clock better than others I suggest you do extensive research on suggestions for different CPUs, before actually doing it. You would want to get a second or third opinion before going in for brain surgery, wouldn't you? From my experience, I've found that the Pentium chips over clock the best. AMD K6 processors over clock pretty well, but they get hot, and the AMD Athlons over clock even better. I wouldn't bother with a Celeron, because they're pretty unstable as it is, and will probably just cause a lot of trouble. The CPU is where to start your quest for speed. Get a good stable processor. I suggest a Pentium III or Athlon. Usually you can get 100 MHz or so out of them. I've talked to a few people who actually over clocked and AMD to 200 MHz more.
Before you overclock!
Always do as much research as possible. This review is just an introduction and couldn't possibly cover all the methods of over clocking all the different CPUs. As stated in my comments for this review, the method of over clocking I describe is very dangerous and blind. You can easily fry the CPU, and its always best to go out on the web to find the exact settings you should have, rather than to walk the jumper/CMOS settings slowly up.
What is involved?
When you have your CPU installed on your motherboard (Main board) and everything is working like normal, then you can begin. First you need a system fan. When you over clock a CPU, most of them heat up faster, and a CPU that runs hot doesn't last long. If you over heat the engine in your car, you won't have that engine for very long. Look around for a nice oversized system fan. Check local computer stores, and just tell them that you're over clocking\ and need something strong. If you have a large computer case (A mid or full tower is nice) then you can use some of the actual cool air units that install just like the rest of the cards.
Now that you have a nice cooling system, its time to get your hands dirty. There are two different settings that control the CPU speeds. Multiplier, and voltage. The multiplier will look something like 2X4 for example, where voltage would have 3.3 on some boards. Most bother boards have these as jumper settings near the actual processor, and you can change it by moving the plastic jumper cap. Most new boards actually have these settings built into the CMOS, and you hit F 2 or DEL when the computer first turns on to access this.
Now you know where everything is. Backup all the files on your system, and then start to up the settings VERY SLOWLY. Usually, you will never jump a setting up more than one position. Start with just the multiplier. If its on your board, make sure you're properly grounded or hold on to the metal computer case, and change the jumper setting up one notch with a pair of needle nose pliers. You'll also want to make sure that the power cord and monitor cords are unplugged before you do this. When you're done, plug everything back in and boot up the computer. In the beginning, it will tell you what kind of processor was detected, followed by the speed. Whatever speed it shows up, is the new speed you reached. Let windows fully boot, and test out a few games. If you encounter more errors than usual, or windows doesn't boot, then give up the quest if you're using and AMD K6. If not, you can try changing the voltage settings up Just one notch. Keep in mind, when you up the voltage settings, you risk overheating the CPU or frying it all together. Don't touch the voltage settings unless you have to. Remember, I mentioned that AMD CPUs run hot, that is why I don't recommend changing the voltage settings. And once again as a reminder, it is better to surf the web under the term "Over Clocking (Such and such CPU)" and find the settings other people have already tried. (www.tomshardware.com is supposed to be a great site for lost of overclocking info) When you do trial and error as I describe, you might want to have a few extra CPU's handy to replace it with. Also, I have been told that stepping up the multiplier without increasing the voltage on a CPU is dangerous and almost a death wish. I have only over clocked AMD K5 and K6 chips and found that an efficient way to do it, however with the new Athlons and most Pentium chips, I believe that you would want to up the voltage as well.
Now what?
At this point you will have either successfully over clocked a processor, failed, or burned it out (Which does fall under the fail category, I think). If it was successful, keep on eye on any error messages. If you tend to get a great deal more GPFs (General Protection Fault) than usual, you might want to put the settings back the way they were. More efficient than that is to keep on eye on your processor temperature. When it gets hot, it performs poorly, and also has a higher risk of becoming damaged. Most new motherboards have a temperature gauge on the CPU built in, and you can access it through the software. It has also been said that over clocking a processor shortens its life, however, how long do we keep these things before putting in a new one? Technology grows fast, and chances are you will only keep your CPU for another couple of years before replacing it with a better one, so why not shorten its life?
(See my comments section for additional info =)
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MDragon53
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Member: Nick LaPrell
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Reviews written: 66
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