Overclocking 101

A Step By Step Guide For The First Time Overclocker

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Upon scrolling through our list of FAQ's I discovered that we have shamefully forgotten our roots and have no generalized basic how to for new Overclockers. I intend to create a step by step guide for the new overclocker.

Wikipedia Definition:

Overclocking is the process of forcing a computer component to run at a higher clock rate than it was designed for or was designated by the manufacturer.

Overclocking is usually practiced by PC enthusiasts in order to increase the performance of their computers. Some hardware enthusiasts purchase low-end computer components which they then overclock to higher speeds, while others overclock high-end components to attain levels of performance beyond what they were designed for.

Users who choose to overclock their components usually focus their efforts on processors, video cards, motherboard chipsets, and RAM.

Step by Step

Step 1. Pre-Built Disclaimer: If you have purchased a pre-built PC like a Dell, Gateway, HP, Sony or MDG, unfortunately, you can stop reading here. Your PC can not be overclocked by conventional means (through the BIOS), as the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) has locked your components speed, such that you will be unable to overclock normally. There are several software programs that will allow a modest Overclock of OEM systems be sure to try those before giving up. If you built your own system, please proceed to step 2

Step 2. The BIOS: Now that you have built your new PC you are dying to OC it. If you are not familiar with your BIOS, it's now time to become familiar with it's settings. To enter the BIOS, press delete on most MotherBoards (yours may differ, consult the database in the Terms and Appendices section for your MotherBoard) when your system is booting. If prompted to 'enter setup' do so. Setup is the BIOS. Once you have entered the BIOS, look around a bit, get to know the options, try and learn what they do. It is very helpful to have access to a second PC while overclocking, as you will often need the internet for reference. Almost any term you don't know or would like to know more about, can be found here; a great guide for beginners and experts alike. Once you feel you know where everything is, proceed to step 3.

Step 3. First OC: When you first build a PC, all of your components will run at their stock settings, with the exception of your RAM which will often align itself in a 1:1 ratio with your CPU rather than running at stock (this is especially common if your RAM is faster at stock than your CPU at stock). Enter the BIOS as outlined in step 2, and locate the Front Side Bus (FSB) option (also known as: CPU Bus Speed, CPU Frequency, CPU Bus, Bus Frequency, or something similar; consult your manual) select this option and increase it one notch from its current setting. The FSB is multiplied by the CPU multiplier for your particular chip to create the Clock speed. For example: FSB of 310, and a multiplier of 9X will result in a clock speed 2790Mhz or 2.79Ghz. Press 'F10' too save the setting and boot from there (on most Motherboards) Pressing Esc will prompt you to save on most BIOS as well. Once you boot up, you have now completed your first successful Processor (CPU or Central Processing Unit) Overclock. Congratulations :D

Step 4. No More messing around: You're now thinking, whoop dee doo! 1 FSB that's 'teh suxorz' Lets have some more fun now. First you should locate the PCI, and PCI-e settings, IF you have them, set these to 33.33 MHz and 100MHZ respectively. They will stay locked here for the time being as allowing them to climb too high can damage your components. If you don not have these settings, fear not, they have likely been locked for you, or are being held to sensible limits for you by your PC. You can continue to bump up your FSB, (I like to go 5 at a time, but I'm crazy like that) until it will not boot. At each boot, it is recommended that you run Orthos or Prime95 for 5-10 minutes to check your load temperatures, be sure not to let them get to high for your CPU. When you cannot boot, or are booted but unstable you have likely reached one of two common problems. See steps 5 and 6 to continue clocking higher :D This is known as the 'bottom up' method, some overclockers prefer to jump 15-20 FSB at a time and when they become unstable work back down to a stable clock speed this is known as the 'top down' method. Be sure to give both a try, see what you prefer.

Step 5. Problem #1: Your CPU needs more POWAH! If you have reached the point in step 4 where you can no longer boot, then your CPU likely needs more voltage. Increase the voltage in your BIOS known as 'Vcore' or 'Core Voltage' and try again. If this fails, try bumping it once more. If this fails again, your problem is likely not the voltage and will be resolved in step 6. leave your voltage bumped up by one from it original setting and proceed to the next step. If the voltage increase solved your stability issue, then continue to clock the CPU higher (by returning to step 4, and 5 or 6 if needed)

Step 6. Problem #2: Your Random Access Memory (RAM) is causing the stability issue. If your RAM settings are all set to 'Auto' then this is the time to take them off. When overclocking your CPU, you want to loosen your RAM timings up enough that they will not cause issues with your overclocking so you can push your CPU first, then your RAM second (this will come later). For CPU OCing purposes, set your RAM to stock frequency and 5-5-5-15 timings in the BIOS. (For DDR2 RAM) These timings will be loose enough that you should not encounter a problem, and with the RAM running at stock frequency there should not be an issue here anymore. Having completed Step 5, and or 6 you should now be able to continue OCing your CPU to the desired setting. Enjoy your new found speed!

Step 7. Overclocking your RAM: RAM Overclocking is something of an art, practiced by many, mastered by few. You will no doubt have noticed when taking your little BIOS tour in step 1, that there are nearly a dozen RAM settings, many of which you might never use. For now there are 5 important settings: The four timings and the Frequency. The frequency in most boards is given as several options, usually calculated ratios of the CPU FSB. My board for example, gives the option of 2:3, 1:1, 4:5, and 5:4 I can use others as well, but those are standard. Overclocking RAM is similar to the CPU process, first try to set your RAM to a 1:1 ratio (this is usually ideal) and use rather loose timings. As you tighten the timings or increase the frequency (higher than 1:1) you will eventually need to add more voltage (just like with the CPU) this RAM voltage is labeled as 'VDimm' or 'DRAM Voltage' or similar. Try and get these to boot as high and fast as you can. Be sure to avoid over heating your sticks though. Case flow helps here. :D Good DDR2 Clocks would look like this: 4-4-4-12 @ 1002 MHz for example. A nice DDR clock might look like this: 2-2-2-5 @ 550MHz. These are very high, tight clocks, coveted by many RAM overclockers.

Step 8. Overclocking your GPU: Video card overclocking is done entirely via software. By downloading a program like ATItool, or nTune, you can raise the RAM and GPU Clock speeds of your Graphics Card. Be sure to watch your temperatures when doing this as high temperatures can cause problems. If you reach a nice overclock, be sure to test it for artifacts for at least 5 minutes to ensure it's a stable clock (watch the temperature while testing also) Some cards can reach higher clocks with a voltage mod which can be found by searching for your card this is especially true with the 7 series nVidia cards as they were notoriously high overclockers with volt-mods applied.

Any Changes Or Additions, Please Let Me Know!

Terms And Appendices:

VDroop: This is a drop in voltage noticed between set VCore/VDimm and actual VCore/VDimm if desired, many boards have a VDroop mod which will eliminate this problem. It is put there by manufacturers to protect users from themselves

Other Bios Settings: Most BIOS settings like chipset voltages, and things like Vanderpool and Spread Spectrum can be left to auto, or what they were at originally. For example: I like to leave 'Vanderpool Technologies' off, as I find it slows down my SuperPI times.

Spread Spectrum: This option causes your various components to vary their clock speed between a set interval around the actual clock speed. This is to reduce noise on a specific broadcast frequency. When overclocking it is recommended to turn this option off. -- The Bartender Paradox

Cooling: The better your cooling the higher you will be able to Overclock, because you will be able to maintain safe temperatures with higher voltages. Cooling methods from best to worst are listed below:

1. Liquid N2
2. Dry Ice
3. Custom Cascade Phase
4. Single Stage Phase, tuned by a pro
5. Stock Phase
6. T.E.C. or Peltier
7. Water-cooling with a Slush Box
8. Custom Water-cooling
9. Kit Water-cooling
10. After Market Air Heat Sink And Fan (HSF)
11. Stock Air HSF
12. Bare Chip

Be sure to remember that lapping (the art of fine sanding to flatten your CPU and/or Heatsink to allow for better contact and subsequent heat transfer) and IHS removal (Integrated Heat Sink, the gray top part of your CPU) can also help your temperatures

Temperatures and Voltages: There is a parallel FAQ here where you can find info about temperatures and voltages for your chip

RAM Timings: The four RAM timings mentioned above are defined as follows:
1st #: CAS - Column Address Strobe; time between a command being sent, and the action being taken
2nd #: RAS to CAS - Row Address Strobe to Column Address Strobe Delay; time for the read-write process to occur
3rd #: RP Time - Row Precharge Time; time between commands
4th #: RAS Active - Row Activiation Sequence; time from activation of a row, before it's deactivated
Timings look like this:
CAS - RAStoCAS - RPT - RAS @ Frequency

Changes to the CAS will create the most noticeable effects, the lower the better, and changes to the RAS are better the lower you go, but if you go too low you can get data corruption due to early deactivation.

BIOS Keys: Here is a list i found of keys for entering the BIOS/Setup with different MotherBoards and BIOS makers:
Entering CMOS For Different Motherboards, I did not create this list.

Press Tab during boot=Emachine
Press del during boot= (AMI, Award).
Press Esc during boot= Toshiba.
Press F1 during boot= (Toshiba; Phoenix; Late model PS/1 Value Point and 330s).
Press F2 during boot = (NEC).
Press F10 when square in top RH corner of screen= (Compaq).
Press Ins during boot=IBM PS/2 with reference partition.
Shift Ctrl Alt + Num Pad del= - Olivetti PC Pro.
Ctrl Alt ? =some PS/2s, such as 75 and 90.
Ctrl-Esc = Misc Puters
Ctrl Ins= some PS/2s when pointer at top right of screen.
Press reset twice= some Dells.
Ctrl Alt Enter= Dell.
Ctrl Alt Esc=AST Advantage, Award, Tandon.
Ctrl Alt + =Misc Puters
Ctrl Alt S= Phoenix.
Ctrl Alt Ins= (Zenith, Phoenix)
Ctrl S =(Phoenix).
Ctrl Shift Esc= Tandon 386.

Downloads and Software: For all the downloads and monitoring/benchmarking software you've been looking for, a close friend SDumper has put together a great thread with a list of links for all your testing needs here. (THANKS!)

Source : BlazingPC

Author: Derek "TLD" Love

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