I've been putting together PCs for a good long time, though I don't have nearly the experience of most of you guys. I feel that I understand the components well enough to delve into overclocking. I've got two goals here - one is just to learn how to max out system performance, and the other is because I just think it's cool to tinker.
I just bought a new gaming PC, putting together my first decently fast machine in a long time, and though I'm sure it's not perfect for overclocking, I think it'll let me dabble a little. I put all the specs here in my sig file so you experts can look at it and roll your eyes and call me a noob.
Anyway, without sounding too stupid, what I'm looking for is a good solid intro to overclocking, and some "what next" type of resources, too. Before I start changing settings, I'd like to understand what I'm fiddling with. What does it mean exactly to change your CPU multiplier, or adjust your core voltage, or change the memory divider? Which numbers have to line up right, and which are more forgiving? Which settings are more likely to ignite my computer in a (totally cool, but expensive) ball of fire, and which are relatively safe? I'm sure there's some kind of newbie guide out there somewhere, and if not, then one of you guys should write one!
Point me in the right direction and get me started, and then help me with followup questions that I'm sure to have. Then I'll start fiddling and you guys can laugh at how silly my attempts are. It'll be informative for me (and hopefully others, too) and amusing for you.
And by the way, yes, I realize that overclocking might destroy my CPU, or burn up my RAM, and that the performance gains I get might not be all that impressive, and so forth. And that you have to be really patient. And that not all settings work on all systems, even with identical components. But all this sounds really fun to me, and I want to do it for fun as much for performance.
I just bought a new gaming PC, putting together my first decently fast machine in a long time, and though I'm sure it's not perfect for overclocking, I think it'll let me dabble a little. I put all the specs here in my sig file so you experts can look at it and roll your eyes and call me a noob.
Anyway, without sounding too stupid, what I'm looking for is a good solid intro to overclocking, and some "what next" type of resources, too. Before I start changing settings, I'd like to understand what I'm fiddling with. What does it mean exactly to change your CPU multiplier, or adjust your core voltage, or change the memory divider? Which numbers have to line up right, and which are more forgiving? Which settings are more likely to ignite my computer in a (totally cool, but expensive) ball of fire, and which are relatively safe? I'm sure there's some kind of newbie guide out there somewhere, and if not, then one of you guys should write one!
Point me in the right direction and get me started, and then help me with followup questions that I'm sure to have. Then I'll start fiddling and you guys can laugh at how silly my attempts are. It'll be informative for me (and hopefully others, too) and amusing for you.
And by the way, yes, I realize that overclocking might destroy my CPU, or burn up my RAM, and that the performance gains I get might not be all that impressive, and so forth. And that you have to be really patient. And that not all settings work on all systems, even with identical components. But all this sounds really fun to me, and I want to do it for fun as much for performance.