Basic Steps
Exactly how is an overclock accomplished? Simply by
adjusting the frequency of either the CPU multiplier or front side bus speed.
All common day processors have a multiplier lock, meaning that the rate at which
the speed is multiplied by the front side bus is not adjustable. This change
came once Intel learned that some crooked manufacturers were relabeling
processors that were able to be overclocked and selling them as that processor,
increasing profits for them.
Adjusting the multiplier is simple. Just look at the
motherboard user manual, and see how adjustment of the multiplier is
accomplished. If you have a pre-Pentium II 350MHz processor and it was
manufactured prior to August 1998, your Pentium II processor might not be
multiplier locked. This means you can adjust your multiplier to overclock and
still keep the same bus speed. This was the traditional way to overclock and is
much more reliable than increasing the bus speed. This is because adjusting the
front side bus also changes the speed at which local buses operate at (AGP, PCI,
and ISA). This can pose a problem with some devices in the buses that have
limits at which can operate. If you have a processor that was created
post-Pentium II 350MHz, August 1998, your processor is multiplier locked and the
only way that overclocking can be achieved is by increasing the bus speed.
Bus speeds are an important aspect to keep in mind
because it influences the speed at which all devices connected to the
motherboard operate. There are three default front side bus settings, 66MHz,
100MHz, and 133MHz. The slowest of the three, 66MHz, was used by Pentium II
processors slower than 350MHz and all previous processors starting with the
original Pentium line. Today’s Celeron processors still run at this 66MHz front
side bus, which is one reason why the Celeron lags so much behind its older
Pentium III brother. 100MHz front side bus is which most processors run today,
all Pentium II processors 350MHz and up operate at this frequency as do all of
the first generation Pentium III processors and some of the newer Pentium IIIs.
Only the newest Pentium III processors operate at 133MHz front side bus.
Keeping this in mind, the most obvious choices for overclocking are the slower
66MHz and 100MHz front side buses as there are no more standard frequencies
beyond 133MHz.
Celeron and older Pentium II processors can be easily
overclocked by going up to 75MHz and 83MHz since these front side bus speeds are
found on almost every motherboard. Newer Pentium II and Pentium III processors
can overclock easier with 103MHz and 112MHz front side bus speeds easily. Of
course, anyone can overclock this easily, but most often than not, something
else will be required to get an overclock to be successful. Often, voltage
adjustment will be required. Increasing the amount of power that the processor
receives will give it the little extra power to get the processor to be
successfully overclocked. Remember that when overclocking, always move up in
small increments. Doing otherwise could be harmful for the system. There have
even been cases where processors have been burned out rendering it useless!
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