What's overclocking

[Fraserl]

My friend was telling me how he overclocked his processor from 2.7Ghz to 3.2 Ghz,
So it's effectively making it bigger?
So A) What are the dangers B) why don't companies who supply the proccesers overclock them and C) how do i do it?

[mmettin]

Could you enter your system information into the space for that in your User CP then enable viewing of it? Or could you make a detailed signature listing all of your parts? This will help others answer this and future questions, and you only need to do it once. As an example of the level of detail we need, you can click on my system dropdown or look at some of the other signatures you see here. Thanks.

[Keven]

B) why don't companies who supply the proccesers overclock them

They do.

For example, the Intel Core i7-920, Core i7-930 and i7-940 are all the same processor (Bloomfield), just set to different clockspeeds.

[Poci]

why don't companies who supply the proccesers overclock

They do.

[Fraserl]

ok so how would i do it?

[Poci]

Recent high end AMD and intel CPUs have a "turbo" mode which automatically raises CPU speed above default, not sure about intels but on AMDs it only does it on some of the cores not all of them.

As for manual OCing your best solution would be to look at sticky posts here or just google a general OC guide for you particular processor. And most important make sure your motherboard bios has the ability to OC.

If your running something pre built OEM like an HP or Dell you will not be able to OC through bios.

[mmettin]

ok so how would i do it?

Could you enter your system information into the space for that in your User CP then enable viewing of it? Or could you make a detailed signature listing all of your parts? This will help others answer this and future questions, and you only need to do it once. As an example of the level of detail we need, you can click on my system dropdown or look at some of the other signatures you see here. Thanks.

Can you answer the above question?

Then MAYBE we can advise you on how to overclock (if your equipment is even capable)

[Meridian]

It doesn't make it bigger - all processors of the same type are the same size, no matter the speed - but it does make it faster.

1) The only real danger is possibly shortening the life of the CPU, but even here things get complicated: no-one knows how long a CPU will last under normal circumstances, and how long once overclocked. And the danger is really only at insane speeds. You can overclock graphics cards as well, and they can be damaged more easily by it. The main real-world danger is reduced margins of stability.

2) As several people have pointed out, effectively they do. But they do it only to a limited degree, due to the stability issue: to stay within warranty the CPU must work normally in a Delhi sweatshop at 45oC. An overclocked machine probably wouldn't.

3) As above: it varies, so we'd need to know your hardware.


M

[kbohip]

why don't companies who supply the proccesers overclock them..

20 years ago, my Dad used to buy his computers from a local computer shop. Back then I didn't know a cpu from a Honda so I didn't build them for him. Anyway, on the front of the cases, there was a button labeled "Turbo". There was even an led numeric display showing the current cpu speed. If I remember right, activating the "Turbo" would increase the cpu speed from 25mhz (yes, you read that right) all the way up to an insanely high 33mhz!

The thing is, I don't know if the cpu had a stock clock of 25 or 33. In other words the turbo button may have just been marketing, and took the cpu from an underclocked state of 25mhz to the stock rating of 33mhz. I do know it was supposed to overclock the chip by the touch of a button though.

So to make a long story short, yes, some pc manufacturers did in fact used to send out their pc's with a factory overclock option. I'm actually sort of surprised someone like Cooler Master or Corsair hasn't come up with a case that could do this same thing nowadays. Bring back the turbo button!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo_button

BTW, just noticed that almost a whole MONTH went by before a single post was made in the oc forum. That just sucks on so many levels. I remember when this place was lit up with excitement with everyone trying to get everything they could out of their Athlons.

[Poci]

It doesn't make it bigger - all processors of the same type are the same size, no matter the speed - but it does make it faster.

1) The only real danger is possibly shortening the life of the CPU, but even here things get complicated: no-one knows how long a CPU will last under normal circumstances, and how long once overclocked. And the danger is really only at insane speeds. You can overclock graphics cards as well, and they can be damaged more easily by it. The main real-world danger is reduced margins of stability.

2) As several people have pointed out, effectively they do. But they do it only to a limited degree, due to the stability issue: to stay within warranty the CPU must work normally in a Delhi sweatshop at 45oC. An overclocked machine probably wouldn't.

3) As above: it varies, so we'd need to know your hardware.

Delhi sweatshop, LOL.
You should see my current room, add ganja and cigarrete smoke and you get an oven plus early BROWN dust bunnies. It gets so bad sometimes I have to open windows, which then kills my battlefield playing time cause I have to hear friggen buses and cars and worst of all police sirens that confuse me for a second making me think a bomb has been planted at an mcom station......

20 years ago, my Dad used to buy his computers from a local computer shop. Back then I didn't know a cpu from a Honda so I didn't build them for him. Anyway, on the front of the cases, there was a button labeled "Turbo". There was even an led numeric display showing the current cpu speed. If I remember right, activating the "Turbo" would increase the cpu speed from 25mhz (yes, you read that right) all the way up to an insanely high 33mhz!

The thing is, I don't know if the cpu had a stock clock of 25 or 33. In other words the turbo button may have just been marketing, and took the cpu from an underclocked state of 25mhz to the stock rating of 33mhz. I do know it was supposed to overclock the chip by the touch of a button though.

So to make a long story short, yes, some pc manufacturers did in fact used to send out their pc's with a factory overclock option. I'm actually sort of surprised someone like Cooler Master or Corsair hasn't come up with a case that could do this same thing nowadays. Bring back the turbo button!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo_button

BTW, just noticed that almost a whole MONTH went by before a single post was made in the oc forum. That just sucks on so many levels. I remember when this place was lit up with excitement with everyone trying to get everything they could out of their Athlons.

I had those turbo buttons in high school computers in the 90s before I even became a tech. I think they just underclocked by default and in turbo mode they ran at normal speeds.

[Invictus]

Overclocking is when you set your watch or clock 10 minutes ahead so your never late to your appointments.

[Meridian]

20 years ago, my Dad used to buy his computers from a local computer shop. Back then I didn't know a cpu from a Honda so I didn't build them for him. Anyway, on the front of the cases, there was a button labeled "Turbo". There was even an led numeric display showing the current cpu speed. If I remember right, activating the "Turbo" would increase the cpu speed from 25mhz (yes, you read that right) all the way up to an insanely high 33mhz!

The thing is, I don't know if the cpu had a stock clock of 25 or 33. In other words the turbo button may have just been marketing, and took the cpu from an underclocked state of 25mhz to the stock rating of 33mhz. I do know it was supposed to overclock the chip by the touch of a button though.

If you read the wiki you linked too, or like some of us, you were old enough to remember, then you'd know that the higher speed was correct, and the job of the turbo button was to slow the system, not speed it.


M

[Fraserl]

Can you answer the above question?

Then MAYBE we can advise you on how to overclock (if your equipment is even capable)

its a quad core 3.0Ghz processer, there.

[Fraserl]

You can overclock graphics cards as well, and they can be damaged more easily by it. The main real-world danger is reduced margins of stability

Ok well i would like to overclock my GPU but i DEFIANTLY don't want to do any long term damage to it. it's a ATI Radeon HD 5450 2GB so it would be damn expensive to replace.. is there any way i can maybe just slightly overclock it and be 100% confident it wont break

[mmettin]

its a quad core 3.0Ghz processer, there.

Amd? Intel ?