Over Clocking

2||Para · 08-01-2004, 22:44

Can someone tell me the pro's and con's of clocking a PC?

Current system is default and is as follows :

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name MARK-BBOB34FT3Z
System Manufacturer MATSONIC
System Model MS8188E
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 6 Model 8 Stepping 1 AuthenticAMD ~1665 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. Version 07.00T, 02/04/2001
SMBIOS Version 2.3
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
System Directory C:\WINDOWS\System32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.1106 (xpsp1.020828-1920)"
User Name MARK-BBOB34FT3Z\Owner
Time Zone GMT Standard Time
Total Physical Memory 512.00 MB
Available Physical Memory 271.00 MB
Total Virtual Memory 1.53 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.12 GB
Page File Space 1.03 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

Jon M · 08-01-2004, 22:50

I started writing out a nicely formatted list.. but realised that it is a waste of time when you could just do this :
http://www.google.com/search?q=pros+...utf-8&oe=utf-8

the first search result is actually a fairly good place to start

2||Para · 08-01-2004, 22:55

ahhh thankyou.

From reading that article iv'e decided to stay as i am.
Buying a faster processor is a better option than having a unstable PC!

Many Thanks

Sociable · 08-01-2004, 22:55

Short answer is some swear by it but most swear at it.

Like any gamble it has risks and IMHO unless you are very very carefull and pretty tech savy it can all end in tears.

**Paul** · 08-01-2004, 22:59

Simple;

Pro : it goes faster ...

Con : soon after going faster - it stops ...

Xaccers · 08-01-2004, 23:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by pem

Simple;

Pro : it goes faster ...

Con : soon after going faster - it stops ...

Nicely put

2||Para · 08-01-2004, 23:08

On a similar subject, the ststem is still running a geforce2mx G card

Got a FX5800 on order which will go in the machine as soon as it arrives.

In the meantime i hear the g cards can be clocked seperatly[which as geforce2 was peanuts to buy] I would like to do just to see what happens!

Anyone know how you go about that?

Bifta · 08-01-2004, 23:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by pem

Con : soon after going faster - it stops ...

If you cool the components you overclock properly then you generally have absolutely nothing to worry about, be that a decent air cooler, water cooling or phase change etc. As an example of how soon "it stops" I've had an athlon XP 1800+ running as a 2000+ which I use to host a couple of game servers, it's on as often as any other machine is on, 8-12 hours a day, it's well ventilated, it only uses a single heatpipe cooler for the processor and has never crashed.

Bifta · 08-01-2004, 23:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2||Para

On a similar subject, the ststem is still running a geforce2mx G card

Got a FX5800 on order which will go in the machine as soon as it arrives.

In the meantime i hear the g cards can be clocked seperatly[which as geforce2 was peanuts to buy] I would like to do just to see what happens!

Anyone know how you go about that?

Try NVMax, you also might need to up the AGP voltage slightly if you're going to go a bit mad with it.

Ramrod · 08-01-2004, 23:18

Well my athlon 2400xp is overclocked and has been fine for months.
As for the gpu, the nvidia software I am using that came with the card has a utility that allows overclocking, it even overclocks for me.....I just click on the button and it selects the fastest stable settings. Call of Duty ran fine but KOTOR crashed on loading so I just lowered the settings and it's fine now.

2||Para · 08-01-2004, 23:20

TY TY lets see how long it takes me to blow the g card !! watch this space lol

Pritch · 08-01-2004, 23:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2||Para

Can someone tell me the pro's and con's of clocking a PC?

If my experiences are anything to go by, the main disadvantage is that it turns you into a boring sod who keeps wittering on at length to all and sundry about how you overclocked your PC, the difference it's made to the benchmarks, and what extra cooling you installed.

Or maybe that's just a bloke I lived with during my days as a student.

philip.j.fry · 08-01-2004, 23:24

The basis of overclocking is that processors are built in a batch, and because of minute variations in production not all the processors in one batch run at the same speed. All of the processors in that batch are then tested and sold at whatever speed they match most closely, for instance, and 1.0 ghz processor might have an actual speed of 1.05ghz. Alternatively, it may go the other way and be a lower speed.

So if you can find the actual speed of your processor, it is generally safe to run it at that speed. My Gigabyte motherboard (GA-7DXR) came with software that runs tests and automatically selects what is supposedly a safe speed for the processor. My 1.4ghz Athlon runs quite comfortably at 1.5ghz, though I don't bother with it as 1.4ghz is quite enough speed for me...but it's nice knowing that the option is there.

One thing is, if you're going to buy a new processor anyway, there's not much to lose in attempting an overclock so it might be worth giving it a go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2||Para

In the meantime i hear the g cards can be clocked seperatly[which as geforce2 was peanuts to buy] I would like to do just to see what happens!

Anyone know how you go about that?

I can't remember the details exactly, but for my geforce2 I had to add an entry into the registry somewhere. Then under the graphics card configuration (right click on desktop --> properties --> configure graphics card) there was a new tab with a slider bar that allowed for overclocking. Didn't work too well for me, though if I can get a fan for my gfx card I'll be giving it another go.

Found a link: http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1268&p=5

Bifta · 08-01-2004, 23:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pritch

If my experiences are anything to go by, the main disadvantage is that it turns you into a boring sod who keeps wittering on at length to all and sundry about how you overclocked your PC, the difference it's made to the benchmarks, and what extra cooling you installed.

Or maybe that's just a bloke I lived with during my days as a student.

Absolutely, and even though people like us know that it's boring the living crap out of who we're telling about it, we'll carry on regardless

Millay · 09-01-2004, 13:07

Ive never overclocked myself, coz it seems to me by the time you have brought all the cooling equipment it was cheaper to have brought a processor with the extra 100-200mhz speed in the first place.