I have an AMD fx-8150 bulldozer series processor. I heard that I can over clock it. What i want to know is what is over clocking ? How it helps my PC ? And how do I over clock my processor ?
Hi Steven,
Overclocking is actually all about getting better performance, when a company releases a piece of hardware with a specification sheet usually that is not actually the maximum specification of that hardware rather its the optimum specifications for that hardware regarding lifetime, stability, heat dissipation and maybe price too. But usually there is hidden potentials that you can unleash.
Overclocking mainly depends on the motherboard you have and the BIOS. some companies try to make it harder to overclock processor, RAM, VGA while others do not mind making the process easier. so if you want to over clock your processor here are the steps :
1) You need to know the type of Motherboard you have to see the possibility of overclocking your processor.
2) Enter setup while the computer is starting (usually by pressing DEL).
3) Find the advanced settings tab ( usually its in this tab ).
4) When overclocking a processor the frequency is actually expressed as the multiple of two values (BASE * MULTIPLIER) for example:
The BASE here is 200 & the MULTIPLIER 13 giving 200*13 = 2600MHz = 2.6GHz
5) Changing either values increases your processor Frequency so giving more performance.
There is also another ways to overclock your processor by means of software, there is actually an official tool for AMD which is AMD Overdrive.
NOTE: When you overclock your processor it usually needs more powerful cooling system because its running on a higher frequency and producing a lot more heat, so a better cooling system is a must.
Hope this answers your question.
The term “overclocking” is the process or the resetting of computer component to make it run faster than the manufacturer-specified speed. The objective of overclocking is to boost the performance of the machine. You may overclock a processor to enhance or boost an old computer’s performance or to conform to a program’s requirements.
The most demanding users like gamers may overclock even a new, top-end computer if the machine supports overclocking options. The frequently overclocked computer component is the processor but other components like motherboard chipsets, RAM, and video card can also be overclocked. The process of overclocking depends on different factors and the most commonly used step is to reset the computer’s bus speed.
Resetting the bus speed depends on the kind of motherboard you have. It may require resetting some jumpers in the motherboard but in systems with SoftMenu BIOS, the bus speed can be set via the system setup interface.
Factors that allow you to successfully overclock include the design of the motherboard with a fast enough bus and a fan or other cooling device that will keep your system cool enough. Overclocking is done with many risks because when taken to extreme, the process can make the system unstable and damage computer components. If you are overclocking your processor, it can fry the processor itself if performed carelessly.
