A Beginner's Introduction to Overclocking Your Intel Processor

[AWS]

I read this a while back and used it to overclock an older Intel Xeon. It's been updated for newer processor and still is the best overclocking guide I have see.

If you want to squeeze every last ounce of processing power out of your new computer or aging system, overclocking is a great—if slightly nerve-racking—option. Here are some simple guidelines for safely overclocking your processor.

Simply put, overclocking your processor (or CPU) involves running your processor at a faster speed than was intended out of the box. While overclocking, at its core (no pun intended), can be quite simple, there's a bit more to it than just tweaking one setting. The harder you push your processor, the more voltage you need to give it, because without enough power, the CPU can't run fast enough. However, higher voltage also means higher temperatures, so you need to be careful not to overheat your CPU, which can lower its life, not to mention fry it completely if you aren't careful.

Full guide here.

 

[Rich-M]

I shall give this a read though I have never been a fan of over clocking and not sure I will ever do any....

 

[IceMan37]

I have been overclocking since the Celeron 500, when I had to use a pencil to mark the notches on the ceramic. Not so much these days I'm getting older now, but I can still give it a run. Thanks for the link

 

[Rich-M]

I guess I have just never understood the reasoning. If I want a certain speed, I buy that cpu not try to stretch the one below it. I just feel like I would be asking for trouble, (that I seem to find no matter how cautious I am anyway).

 

[IceMan37]

Ah rich we come from different places. No matter friend. How I learned most of what I know was pushing hardware to the utmost limits. Breaking it. Fixing it. Break it again. Fix it. Push it. I come from that place. You don't, and that's ok!

 

[AWS]

Ah rich we come from different places. No matter friend. How I learned most of what I know was pushing hardware to the utmost limits. Breaking it. Fixing it. Break it again. Fix it. Push it. I come from that place. You don't, and that's ok!

That sounds like how I did it.

 

[IceMan37]

I guess I have just never understood the reasoning. If I want a certain speed, I buy that cpu not try to stretch the one below it. I just feel like I would be asking for trouble, (that I seem to find no matter how cautious I am anyway).

Then you might not need the Gigabyte mATX Z87 motherboard that was listed in your profile @ TSF. No need for the Z87 which gives you the plethora of voltages and bios options. You can get by with a H81 with no mosfets on the VRM's. Simple. No confusing bios. No OC options other than your standard Intel Turbo Boost.

 

[Rich-M]

Then you might not need the Gigabyte mATX Z87 motherboard that was listed in your profile @ TSF. No need for the Z87 which gives you the plethora of voltages and bios options. You can get by with a H81 with no mosfets on the VRM's. Simple. No confusing bios. No OC options other than your standard Intel Turbo Boost.

You are right William that is why I bought this board because I intended to take a shot at oc for a change and I got sidetracked. I also felt I had some growth as I wanted to wait until some of the ram above 1600 became more stable then I can zap it up to 16 Gb easily with higher speed ram when my next shot of system boredom strikes! Each to his own....
I have to add an addendum though. When I used to have a bunch of desktops I was more likely to blow a system apart for fun and games but now that I have only one and I use it to run 2 businesses, I have to be more careful. I have the All-in-One in my TV room but I don't consider that a serious desktop and my laptop which I really only use traveling which is almost never so my stability is with this one desktop and I am afraid to mess with it because in the past it never failed at my busiest time my main system went down and that always gave me a sinking feeling to go out and work on someone elses unit when mine was in the crapper and I had no time to fix it! Catch my drift? That is one of the disadvantages of running an in-home business in a town hose and that means always having to "legislate" space to do something. The upside is no grass to cut or snow to shovel but that has its price! I added the server for all files so that ion an emergency I can hook up the laptop and take off without missing a thing and the All-in-One does the same thing. Then along came Crypto Locker and I added a Nas drive to backup the server once a week....(that is if I could remember to turn it on).

 

[shortordercook]

I guess I have just never understood the reasoning. If I want a certain speed, I buy that cpu not try to stretch the one below it. I just feel like I would be asking for trouble, (that I seem to find no matter how cautious I am anyway).

Good outlook, from what I'm beginning to gather.. I would tend to follow that path, unless entirely unable for a week or two.