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How to overclock a processor for games. How to overclock your computer: overclocking AMD processor and RAM. Computer overclocking programs

Speeding up your PC may be needed for a variety of reasons. Some users are thinking about how to overclock their computer because there is not enough power for gaming, while others simply want to achieve maximum performance. For outdated equipment, overclocking is practically the only way to extend its service life.

People started thinking about how to overclock a computer at the same time as its appearance. In 8088 processors with a clock speed of 8 MHz, radio amateurs replaced the clock generator, after which it could run at a frequency of 12 MHz, which means 50% faster. In modern computers, the overclocking process is much easier; it can be done by changing the BIOS settings.

There is also appropriate software that allows you to speed up the operation of computer components directly from the Windows environment. The solution to how to overclock an old computer lies in changing the position of special jumpers (switches) on the motherboard.

Determining computer settings

Overclocking RAM

The performance of a computer is affected by both the amount of installed RAM and the speed of its operation. The speed is set by timings, which reflect the execution of operations in nanoseconds. Accordingly, the lower the timings, the higher the memory performance. The speed of data exchange is also affected by the frequency of the system bus: the higher it is, the more operations can be performed per second.

Solutions to how to overclock a computer's RAM are divided into two directions: through the BIOS or software, you can try to lower the memory timings. But success in this case can be achieved if the modules are designed by the manufacturer for low values ​​or when they are set in automatic mode in the BIOS.

Programs for overclocking RAM

Most programs clean and optimize RAM. But there are also those that allow you to make changes directly from the Windows environment. These include RamSmash, Turbo Memory, MemMonster and some others. In addition to changing memory settings, they allow you to control its physical parameters, which greatly simplifies overclocking.

An increase in memory frequency usually occurs when the processor is overclocked, but in this case the timings have to be increased in order to achieve stable operation of the modules. It must be kept in mind that as the memory operating frequency increases, the heat dissipation also increases. Therefore, you need to take care of cooling by installing radiators or more powerful fans in the system unit.

Overclocking a video card

How to overclock your computer to maximum? In this case, you cannot do without speeding up the video card. To do this, use various applications supplied by manufacturers or third-party developers. Modern video cards are slightly inferior in performance to the processor and motherboard.

They also have a central processor, video memory and an internal data transfer bus. Therefore, they overclock both the graphics processor and increase the frequency of the video memory. To ensure stable operation, it may be necessary to replace the standard cooling system with a more powerful one.

Software overclocking of video cards

The manufacturer provides RivaTuner software for overclocking nVidia cards. For Radeon family cards there is also an application supplied by the developer - AMD Catalyst. But there are many other programs that allow you to evaluate the performance of a specific video card and reveal its potential.

The fact is that manufacturers often use the same chip, but on lower models the clock speed and some graphics processing functions are cut. Such programs include GF123clk, NVMax, Raid-on Tuner, PowerStrip. They allow you to configure graphics processing parameters and smoothly increase the frequency of the processor and memory.

Speeding up your hard drive

Before you overclock your computer for gaming, you should understand that the speed of the hard drive is of great importance. Modern games actively load and exchange data with the disk, so a slow hard drive can become a bottleneck in computer performance.

The speed of drives with a spinning disk is much lower than the speed of data transfer and processing by RAM and processor. A good solution is to install a solid state drive (SSD) into the system. It is capable of speeding up data loading and unloading by 2-3 times. At the same time, prices for these devices continue to decline as production volumes increase.

Speed ​​up your Internet experience

One solution to how to overclock your computer in a safe way is to speed up your Internet browsing. Recently, more and more applications and games work online, so this task is becoming more and more urgent. Browser optimization and network connection settings are used to speed things up.

You can manually change browser settings and connection parameters if you have the appropriate knowledge and experience. Special applications to speed up the Internet come to the aid of ordinary users. The most common of them include:

  • Ashampoo Internet Accelerator;
  • SpeedyFox;
  • Speed ​​Connect;
  • Active Speed;
  • cFosSpeed.

Computer overclocking control

Of great importance for how to properly overclock a computer is constant monitoring of the parameters of all components related to overclocking. This is achieved through monitoring in the BIOS, as well as using special applications. The most advanced of them provide comprehensive information about the temperature, supply voltage, and fan speed of all system components.

It is not enough to know how to overclock a computer; you also need to determine the stability of its operation under load. Such functions are also available in many programs. To do this, either complex mathematical functions or playing excerpts from computer games are used. The most popular include the following:

  • CPU-Z;
  • 3DMark;
  • AIDA 64;
  • PCMark

Many motherboard manufacturers complete their products with appropriate programs for monitoring physical parameters.

Applications for general computer overclocking

One of the best solutions on how to overclock your computer in a safe way is to use utilities to clean and optimize your computer. They can both clean and tune the operating system and make changes to the settings of components to increase their performance.

The disadvantages of such complex programs include the high duration of their work. But this is explained by the fact that a scrupulous analysis of all components of the system is carried out, and some operations, such as defragmenting a hard drive, take a long time.

But as a result of such programs, you can get a significant increase in productivity without making changes to the operation of the equipment. And changes that cause components to operate abnormally will, in any case, reduce their service life. The most famous comprehensive utilities include AVG PC Tuneup, Ashampoo Win Optimizer, Glary Utilities and many others.

I think some of you have already come across the concept of Overclocking. Or maybe they didn’t just meet? Perhaps you have even applied this concept “in practice”. That's not the point. This series of articles will be useful for both beginners and people who are not far from Overclocking. Well, let's get started.

Part 1: Theory

Theory

We all learned a little something and somehow...” Let’s first figure out what the word Overclocking itself means. We won’t go into a literal translation, so we’ll limit ourselves to just the Russian understandable synonym - Overclocking.

The main parts of the computer that are overclocked:

1. Processor

(We need to achieve an increase in the nominal processor clock speed).

  • Increasing the system bus frequency.
  • Increasing the memory bus frequency. "Game" with memory timings.

2. Video card

(Overclocking the core and memory of the video card).

  • Increasing graphics core frequency
  • Increasing memory frequency.

I would like to note right away that serious overclocking requires effective and proper cooling of the overclocked components. As well as cooling the particularly hot components of these devices: voltage stabilizers and other power elements.

Why and who needs overclocking?

Imagine this situation. You have decided to upgrade your computer, or rather replace the processor with a newer and more productive one. But I don’t have enough money to buy it, but I really want to buy it. What to do? Save for several months? Why, if you can “follow the path of least resistance,” i.e. buy a less expensive model of the same line and overclock it. (The situation with video cards is much the same). Many may object to me: “But overclocking will require a more efficient and, accordingly, more expensive cooling system!” In fact, by paying a few dollars more for a more efficient cooling system, you still end up with a “win”: after overclocking, you get a more powerful processor, which would cost you much more than a cooler purchased for overclocking - plus it’s not always necessary buy a new cooler, you can simply modify/modify the old one, but we’ll talk about that later.

Low- and mid-price processor models of the same line race quite well and in 90% of cases allow you to get an equal or higher clock frequency than the top (!) processor models of the same line. The remaining 10% can be attributed to a congenital defect of a particular instance, due to which some problems may occur with it even at the nominal frequency, however, time, transitions to new revisions and core steppings, as well as well-established production help reduce the production of defective processors.

There is also an opinion that after overclocking, processors “fly”. I will tell you with all responsibility that nothing can fail so easily, including the processor, of course, if you yourself did not put your hand or a soldering iron to it :). But you should remember that the main enemy during overclocking is temperature! You need to pay special attention to it. In the following parts of the articles, I will tell you in more detail about the permissible operating temperatures of a particular processor, as well as methods to combat it.

And for the future: the key to successful acceleration is a clear head and “straight” hands, plus a little patience and the ability to tell yourself Stop at the right moment.

And now a few words about who overclocking can help:

  1. People who do not have the opportunity to upgrade their computer, but want to get the same performance or almost the same.
  2. People who have the opportunity to upgrade, but do not have enough money for a processor, video card, etc. middle or upper price range.
  3. Poor gamers
  4. Benchers - people who are trying to get the maximum number of “parrots” in any test packages, achieve maximum frequencies, etc.
  5. People who decide to save money on buying a new computer.

This list can be continued endlessly. Overall, if you need higher performance from your iron friend, then overclocking will help you.

PS. All of the above applies to both processors and video cards. By overclocking a video card, you have a real opportunity to increase the performance of the video subsystem almost free of charge. I write almost because... For cooling you will need a fan (possibly several). For more serious overclocking of the graphics core, you will need to replace the already installed radiator with a processor one and modify it a little, and install small radiators on the memory chips. It is also possible to install small radiators on the power elements of the video card and motherboard.

If you are interested in the opportunity to increase the performance of your computer almost free of charge, read on.

Why is overclocking even possible?

The manufacturer tests a batch of processors at the maximum frequency (at which the most expensive and productive model operates) and simply rejects the part that fails the test of processors, setting them to a lower frequency. But among the rejected processors there are copies that are capable of operating at higher frequencies than specified by the manufacturer, so know that if you come across a processor that has not been tested at a higher frequency than specified in its specification, it has some potential for further overclocking.

Overclocking price

For successful overclocking, you will need high-quality components, for example, from reputable manufacturers and, accordingly, models that receive the fewest complaints (more details below). Alternatively, you can go to any forum dedicated to computers and just read what problems are encountered with a particular model of motherboard, processor, power supply, etc. Or write to me. I will answer all questions immediately.

Do not forget about the correct and effective organization of air cooling of both the processor and video card, and the system as a whole.

What does successful overclocking depend on?

  • Motherboard. Manufacturers: Epox, ASUStec, ABIT, Gigabyte, etc. A model that has proven itself in overclocking, with support for the necessary overclocking functions. We will talk about specific models in the following parts of the articles.
  • RAM. Basically, by increasing the frequency of the system bus (FSB), the frequency of the memory bus (RAM) is also increased synchronously with it. Therefore, the RAM must have a certain margin for increasing frequencies. This is usually where inexperienced overclockers run into trouble. Then the frequencies, unless, of course, increasing the memory timings help, FSB and RAM are set asynchronously. However, this also has its own peculiarities: for example, the nForce2 Ultra 400 chipset shows greater performance only in synchronous FSB and RAM mode. You will learn about all these “secrets” and features in the following parts.
  • PSU (Power supply). We can say that the power supply is the “center of stability” of the entire system. The guarantee of stability and operating time of your ENTIRE computer depends on the power supply. The so-called “Chinese” do not provide the required voltage on all main lines (12V, 5V), on which stability of operation depends. So, my “old man” - the Maxtor 541DX 20Gb hard drive went to another world, precisely because of this “Chinese”; by the way, they worked together for less than a month. Draw conclusions, if you know that you do not have the best power supply installed, then it is better not to take risks with overclocking. PSUs from the following manufacturers are good and suitable for overclocking: PowerMan, FSP, Chieftec, Thermaltake (the list can be expanded)
  • Cooling system. I will only consider air cooling systems (coolers) and methods for modifying them, because... they are more accessible to the common man and have a lower price than water systems. However, it is worth noting that processor frequencies are increasing and, along with them, the level of heat dissipation is increasing, so conventional coolers can no longer always cope with the task assigned to them (this certainly does not apply to coolers of the Zalman 7000 series :)). In this regard, non-standard air cooling systems began to appear - coolers with heat pipes. I will talk about them in the following parts.

ANTIHacker aka Clementyonok Vladimir

The speed of which does not suit you at all, then overclocking does not seem such a bad decision. It is important to find and use all available information about overclocking parts similar to yours. It is important to understand that overclocking may also be unsuccessful. But if the frequency increases by only a third, everything should be fine. If you are interested in how to overclock a computer, but the meaning of the actions described in such instructions is extremely unclear to you, then you should not do it. Let's figure it out.

How to overclock a computer?

There are two overclocking methods: through the BIOS and using special utilities running under the operating system. You can use built-in utilities from the processor manufacturer, but it is more efficient and safer to use BIOS. To enter it, you must press the Del button at the initial stages of booting the computer. This key is most often used for this task, but there may be other options. Control in the BIOS is carried out using the arrows on the keyboard. You need to go to the tab called AI Tweaker, where you select the AI ​​Overclock Tuner parameters in the Manual position. You should not touch the voltage parameters, so leave parameters such as CPU Voltage and DRAM Voltage in automatic mode. With a little experience and knowledge of how to overclock a computer, you will be able to effectively use the voltage settings, but you should not do this at the initial stage. Before you start promoting, you must deal with such an important issue as timings. They represent the delay time. Information is read faster if latency is reduced, but this may negatively affect overall performance, since the RAM module will operate at a lower frequency. To achieve high frequencies, you can raise the timings, but beginners should not do this.

To increase the memory frequency, you should select the DRAM Frequency item, it is located on the Advanced home page. You should not set the memory frequency value more than 10-15% higher than the nominal value.

When understanding the question of how to overclock a computer, it is worth noting that it is customary to distinguish between the effective operating frequency and the real one. Usually the effective frequency is higher than the actual frequency. When specifying the frequency characteristics of RAM, it is the effective frequency that is indicated. The results of all changed settings will be saved after pressing F10. If after all your manipulations, then you just need to remove the battery from the motherboard for half an hour, and then put it back in place. This “move” will allow you to return all settings to factory settings.

Computer overclocking programs

Everyone knows that you can overclock a computer if you perform a series of manipulations with the processor, video card and RAM. They are configured to work seamlessly with other devices, but they have a set of parameters that can be adjusted to improve performance. But overclocking also has its downsides. One of them is increased overheating, and a new, more powerful cooler can help you here.

Now we can talk about what programs may be useful. SiSoftware Sandra Professional is designed to show what we are missing for effective overclocking. The most common problem is Riva Tuner is designed to help in overclocking a computer. 3d-Analyze helps to “trick” the PC into It allows you to play modern games on a weak computer. Instructions for each of them can be easily found on the Internet.

With due care everything will work just fine.

Instructions

If the cooling system is efficient enough, you can proceed to overclocking. To do this, go to the BIOS (press the DEL, F2 or F1 key during boot, depending on the board model). Find the characteristics tab. It can be called differently, you can read exactly what it is in the instructions for it.

The simplest is the processor by raising the system bus frequency. In the BIOS, this characteristic is usually called CPU Clock or CPU Frequency. Overclocking is carried out by raising this characteristic.

The final processor frequency is the result of multiplying the bus frequency by the so-called processor multiplier. Accordingly, you can overclock the processor simply by increasing the multiplier. However, in most modern processors it is blocked. The exceptions are AMD's Black series processors and Intel's Extreme series processors, in which the multiplier value can be changed.

note

The operation of increasing processor performance beyond that stated by the manufacturer is called “overclocking.” This should be done with caution, since overclocking the processor leads to increased heat generation and increased load on many computer systems. Before you start overclocking, make sure that the cooling fans are working properly and providing the required level of cooling. If the processor temperature in normal mode exceeds 50 degrees, overclocking it without upgrading the cooling system is contraindicated.

In most cases, you should not increase the processor frequency by more than 20 percent of the nominal frequency.

Increasing the speed of your computer is called overclocking. Overclocking is not as complicated a process as it might seem at first glance. Practice and some experience in the form of a damaged processor invariably confirm this.

Instructions

Today is a fairly simple task. To do this, you need to increase the frequency at which (). There are a large number of programs with which you can “” the processor directly from Windows. For example, Softfsb. Download this program (distribution is free). Launch it. This program will open. Specify the frequency to which you want to “overclock” the processor and press “Y”. Then the program will do everything automatically. No reboot required.

The best option is to overclock the CPU from the BIOS. Go to the BIOS, find the option that controls the memory frequency. If you do not know the exact location, check this in the instructions. Once you have found this option, set the minimum value. Next, find the parameter called AGP/PCI Clock and set the value to 66/33 MHz. Now you need to find the Frequency/Voltage Control parameter. This parameter will be responsible for increasing performance processor. There is no specific value by which to increase the value. It all depends on the characteristics of your personal computer. To start, increase the frequency by 10 MHz. In most cases this should work. Save the changed settings and boot into Windows. Now you need to make sure that the speed of your computer has increased. To do this, download the program CPU-Z. Check the stability of the processor using Super PI or Prime95. Also monitor the processor temperature, it should not rise above 60 degrees, but the lower the temperature, the better.

If everything was successful, then repeat the steps taken and increase the speed of your computer by another 10 MHz. Continue this until the system is stable.

Most PC users, faced with freezes and slow system performance, have more than once thought about improving the performance of their processor. The solution to the problem is overclocking - increasing the speed of the computer by overclocking the processor.

You will need

  • - computer;
  • - program for testing the system;

Instructions

Overclocking is not as complicated a process as it might seem at first glance. All actions are carried out using Bios. Your task is to increase the frequency at which your processor operates. To do this, restart your computer. When you turn it on, press the Del key and the Bios window will open. Depending on the Bios version (for example, Phoenix Bios), launch can also be done using the F1, F2, F10 or Esc keys. Go to Power Bios Setup. Reduce the memory frequency by setting the Memory Frequency to the minimum value. This action is necessary to reduce the limit level.

After this, open the Advanced Chipset Features menu, select HyperTransport Frequency (this parameter may also be called LDT Frequency or HT Frequency). Reduce the frequency to 600 or 400 MHz.
Save the settings and restart your computer by clicking the Save changes and exit button. After the reboot, enter Bios again. Open the Power Bios Setup menu, in the new window select CPU Frequency. Select the item called CPU Host Frequency. Depending on the Bios version, this menu may have a different name; for clarification, read the motherboard instruction manual.

Increase the value to 250 MHz, save the Bios settings and boot the operating system. After turning it on, check its stability and performance. If you are not satisfied with the result, increase the CPU Host Frequency value a few more points. Repeat this action until you achieve the desired result. Do this carefully, too high a value may damage the motherboard. Check system stability after each upgrade. To check the operating system after overclocking, you can use special programs (for example, Everest, HWiNFO32 or Free PC Audit).

note

When overclocking, it is extremely undesirable to heat the processor above 60 degrees.

Sources:

  • how to improve computer performance

To increase the power of your computer, you need to perform a number of operations. Considering the fact that you will need to change the parameters of the processor and RAM, you need to act very carefully.

You will need

  • - Screwdriver;
  • - tweezers.

Instructions

Now find the item responsible for the state of RAM. Reduce the frequency of the bus through which information is supplied to the RAM to the minimum value. This will prevent the bus frequency from increasing during overclocking.

Now open the menu responsible for configuring the CPU parameters. Increase the frequency by 10-20 Hz. If the bus frequency has already reached the maximum level, then increase the processor multiplier by one.

Save the settings for these items and restart the computer by clicking the Save & Exit button. If after the overclocking procedure the computer stops booting, repeat the procedure for entering the BIOS menu.

Repeat the reverse operations to those described in the second and third steps. Those. increase the RAM bus frequency and reduce the processor frequency.

If you are not sure about the correctness of the entered settings, then find the Use Default Settings item or its equivalent, highlight it and press the Enter key. This will reset the BIOS menu settings to factory defaults.

If, after overclocking the computer, it stops loading at all, i.e. If you can't even enter the BIOS menu, then manually reset your computer. Turn it off and open the system unit.

Locate the BIOS battery located on the motherboard. Remove it from the socket using tweezers or a screwdriver. Use these tools to close the contacts to which the battery was adjacent. Place it back into the slot and turn on the computer. Install the CPU-Z program and make sure that your processor is stable.

The process of increasing the performance of a central processor is called overclocking. It is usually used when working with relatively old processors, because their modern analogs already have a high speed of processing and transmitting information.

You will need

  • - Clock Gen;
  • - Core Center.

Instructions

It is important to understand that the process of overclocking a central processor can damage the device. Only do it if there is really a need for it. Install the Clock Gen program or any equivalent that allows you to perform a CPU stability test. If this device already has problems with its operation, then it is better to refuse to artificially increase its performance.

To optimize CPU performance, use the BIOS menu functions. You should not overclock the CPU using programs running in Windows. Firstly, changes to CPU parameters will occur only after the operating system is started, and secondly, not all such utilities are equipped with a high-quality protection system. Open the BIOS menu after restarting your computer.

Go to the Advanced Chipset Configurations or Advanced Setup menu. The name of the menu depends on the motherboard model. Choose how to increase CPU performance: changing the bus frequency or multiplier. It is better to use the first option, because it allows you to fine-tune the processor parameters.

Even if you have a powerful computer, you are not at all immune from the fact that your games will not slow down. Very often, in order to speed up the game, it is enough to perform a small optimization of the OS - and the games start to “fly”!

In this article I would like to focus on the simplest and most effective ways to speed things up. It is worth noting that the article will not cover the topic of “overclocking” and purchasing new PC components. Because the first is a rather dangerous thing for the computer’s performance, and the second requires money...

1. System requirements and settings in the game

Well, firstly, system requirements are indicated for any game. Many users believe that if the game satisfies what they read on the disc box, then everything is great. Meanwhile, on disks, the minimum requirements are most often written. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to a small variety of requirements:

- minimum- game requirements necessary to run it at the lowest performance settings;

So, if your PC meets only the minimum system requirements, then set the game settings to the minimum values: low resolution, graphics quality to minimum, etc. It is practically impossible to replace the performance of a piece of hardware with a program!

2. Removing programs that load your computer

It often happens that the game slows down not because there are not enough system requirements for its normal operation, but because another program is running simultaneously with it, heavily loading your system. For example, the anti-virus program on the hard drive is checking (by the way, sometimes such a scan runs automatically on a schedule if you have configured it). Naturally, the computer cannot cope with the tasks and begins to slow down.

If this happens during the game, press the “Win” button (or Cntrl+Tab) - in general, minimize the game and go to the desktop. Then launch the task manager (Cntrl+Alt+Del or Cntrl+Shift+Esc) and see what process or program is loading your PC.

The same applies to the hard drive, which can accumulate a large number of temporary files. It is recommended to clean the hard drive: .

By the way, many people will also find this post about Windows acceleration useful: .

4. Defragment your hard drive

All files that you copy to your hard drive are written scattered in “pieces”* (the concept is simplified). So, over time, there are more and more of these scattered pieces, and in order to put them together, the computer needs more time. Because of which you may experience decreased performance.

The easiest way is to use the standard Windows feature. Go to “my computer”, right-click on the desired drive, and select “properties”.

Thirdly, for many users it can significantly slow down the work. I recommend disabling it and checking the game's functionality.

Fourth, disable any effects in the OS, for example, Aero: .

Fifth, choose a simple theme, like a classic one. For information on how to change Windows themes and design, see

You also need to go into the hidden settings of the Windows OS. There are many checkboxes that affect the speed of work and which the developers have removed away from prying eyes. To change these settings, special programs are used. They are called tweakers(). By the way, each OS has its own tweaker!

6. Setting up the video card

In this section of the article, we will change the settings of the video card, making it work at maximum performance. We will operate in the “native” drivers without any additional utilities.

As you know, default settings do not always provide optimal settings for each user. Naturally, if you have a new powerful PC, then there is no point in changing anything, because... the games will still “fly” for you. But for the rest, it’s worth looking at what the video card driver developers are offering us to change...

6.1 Ati Radeon

For some reason, it is believed that these cards are better suited for videos and documents, but not for games. Perhaps this was earlier, today they work quite well with games, and there is no such thing in them that some old games are no longer supported (a similar effect was observed on some models of Nvidia cards).

Go to settings (it’s best to open them using the “start” menu).

Next, go to the tab 3D(the name may be slightly different in different versions). Here you need to set Direct 3D and OpenLG performance to maximum (just move the slider towards speed)!

It would be a good idea to look into the “special settings”.

This function will allow you to configure many parameters of the Nvidia video card for maximum operating speed. The quality of the picture, of course, will decrease, but games will slow down less, or even stop altogether. For many dynamic games, the number of frames (FPS) is more important than the clarity of the picture itself, which most players will not even have time to pay attention to...

Conclusion

In the article, we looked at the simplest and fastest ways to optimize your computer to speed up games. Of course, no settings or programs can replace new hardware. If you have the opportunity, then, of course, it’s worth upgrading your computer components.

If you know any other ways to speed up games, please share in the comments, I will be very grateful.