Stay up-to-date via RSS!

The BIOS, that blue screen that is not written in any language that we know but has the cryptic tips on the side…  We will be trying to demystify that today.

As I mentioned yesterday, the key to overclocking is the BIOS.  The BIOS is that daunting screen of options that you can get to by pressing usually the F1 or F5 key right at the system startup.  Sometimes it is the Esc key or the Del key, as well.  It should say when you boot up your system which key to press to set up the computer. 

The BIOS of the computer is pretty confusing.  The good thing for overclockers, there are only a few areas that need to be worried about.  We are going to go through a pretty in depth discussion of what can be found in there, but not all of these features will be used in all cases.  The general rule is the more of these features you have and can change, the more successful the overclock.

• CPU Multiplier
• FSB Frequency
• Vcore
• Vdimm
• Memory Frequency

The CPU Multiplier (Clock Ratio)

The CPU multiplier takes the base CPU frequency and multiplies it by the number that is preset in the system.  This number can be changed.  For example, if the CPU is a AMD 1800+with a base frequency of 133 Mhz and the multiplier is 11.5, then the total is 133 x 11.5, or 1530 Mhz.  Adding to the multiplier in small steps is one way of overclocking (12.5 x 133 = 1663 MHz).  I stress the fact that you need to make small step in the process.  A big jump may not allow you to boot up your computer at all!

Front Side Bus Frequency (System clock)

The FSB is the connection between the NorthBridge and the CPU which is a gateway to the rest of the motherboard.  The higher the frequency of the FSB, the faster communication between the processor and the chipset.  The front side bus of Athlon XP and Intel P4 boards are actually only clocked at 200 MHz.

Vcore

Vcore is the BIOS setting for the CPU voltage.  When you change this, it increases the voltage to the CPU and is almost always necessary when overclocking any signinficant amount.  Another word of warning, make sure your cooling is adequate and keep it monitored through some type of software.

Vdimm

Vdimm is the setting in the BIOS for RAM voltage.  Sometimes increasing
the Vdimm will allow your RAM to overclock better.  Just a warning
though, whenever you update voltages, be aware that it will increase
the heat factor as well.

PCI/AGP Bus Clock

The PCI/AGP bus lock is important for the stability of systems being
overclocked through the front side bus.  On chipsets with the bus being
unlocked, stress can be put on peripherals like the sound cards and the
hard drives as those devices end up running out of spec.

Technorati Tags: cpu, ram, processor, motherboard, cooling, technology, computers, overclock, overclocking guide, hardware, software, bios

Today�s subject in our Overclocking Guide� Hardware

For the most part, there are 4 key hardware components in overclocking your computer:

• CPU
• Cooling system
• RAM
• Motherboard and Chipset

Central Processing Unit or CPU:

Your CPU is the heart and soul of the overclock.  There are many differences and trends in the potential to overclock a processor.  The best indicator of how well one will perform is to do a little research before you buy or before you make up your mind to play with the speed.  You can visit forums such as overclock.net or extremeoverclockers.com to get a good idea of how your chip should react to a change in software.  Newegg.com also has a review column that a lot of people will post overclocking successes on.

Overclocking chips depends on what core they have, generally.  Earlier Palermo cores don�t overclock as well as the Barton cores.  A lot of experienced overclockers look for processors with specific core ID�s because if the the identification tags match a good batch or week, the results will be very similar. 

CPU Cooling

In the process of overclocking, you add extra voltage to your processor.  This increases the amount of heat that your CPU and RAM generates.  Therefore, the cooling system needs to be kept in check.  The most common system is air cooling.  Fans and heatsinks are cheap.  You can upgrade them at a drop of a hat if you need to.  There is an amazing amount of aftermarket support as well.  I have 7 fans on my PC and don�t ever turn off the computer.  It has held strong through almost a year and a half, but I have replaced the fans once.

You may also venture into the realm of watercooling.  I have never tried it, so I can�t necessarily offer any advice (I am the same person who hates changing water pumps in my car, let alone adding liquid to my computer..).

RAM

With
RAM, there is a definite need of quality.  The reason being, the RAM is
related to the front side bus (FSB).  In general, when you change you
FSB from 200 MHz to 210 MHz to overclock your CPU, your RAM will also
increase to accomodate the new speed.  If your RAM can not handle
the increase, it may become unstable and be your failing point.  The
better quality of RAM, the better you can overclock.

Mother Board and Chipset

Your motherboard is a terribly important part of the overclocking process.  The manufacturer of the motherboard and the chipset provider should be noted before you begin the process.  The chipset must be able to withstand increased frequencies running through it, or else your overclock won�t be worth bragging about.  The BIOS is what defines the motherboard.  Most of your software configuration will be done in the BIOS which is a motherboard function. 

Tomorrow, we will discuss the BIOS and software.  Tomorrow is the fun part.

Technorati Tags: cpu, ram, processor, motherboard, cooling, technology, computers, overclock, overclocking guide