An Overclocking Journey: Part II
What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been…
Conclusions (IMHO):
There are so many variables in the art of
overclocking. That fact makes it difficult for me to pinpoint any single factor
which worked better than others. Nonetheless, here are some important issues that
will surely effect your ability to overclock:
Processor Cooling - It's quite possible that your
retail heatsink and fan will serve its purpose, but chances are highly unlikely that
you'll achieve any huge gains unless you spend the money on a top quality heatsink and fan
combo (Alpha, GlobalWin, Vantec, etc.). Many people often overlook the necessity of
thermal compound. Thermal compound provides necessary heat transfer and causes
teh processor to run at much cooler temperatures. If you only spend $1.50 on a tube
of Radio Shack thermal compound and apply it between the CPU and heatsink, this can easily
make the difference that puts you over the top.
Ambient Case Temperature - As a result of the
increased CPU temperature as a result of overclocking, the internal case temperature will
also increase and increase the temperature of your internal computer peripherals.
This increase in temperature increases the likelihood of a crashes and
lockups. I personally believe that you can't have too many fans in your case.
Additionally, he size of the case and the placement of cables inside
will affect airflow and cooling inside the case.
High Quality Components - In my experience I've
found that the quality of your components (i.e. Video Card, SDRAM, Hard Drive(s), etc.)
definitely make a difference. Devices can stop functioning at higher bus speeds and
quality components are much less susceptible to failure under the stresses of
overclocking. Finally, your motherboard definitely effects overclocking success and
failure. A well constructed, brand name (my personal favorites are ABit and Soyo)
motherboard is an absolute necessity.
Resources for People Like Me (Functionally Challenged):
I’ve tried quite a few “tricks”
that I’ve seen mentioned in the newsgroups and in articles on the web. So, I’ve
included a compilation (K-Tel greatest hits on 8-Track cassette. Sorry, no COD’s) down below. The list that I’ve included is not an
all-inclusive list of resources, only sites that I’ve stumbled on and have had
success using their methods.
PIII Heatsink and Fan Removal:
The TechZone
David James' SECC II Removal Guide at
DBestern.com
Jim's Guide at Millisec.com
Nick's Guide to PIII
Heatsink Removal
Making Spacers:
David James' PIII Spacer Guide at
DBestern.com
PIII Heat Exchange with Berquist Thermal Pads:
Jim Phillip's CPU Cooling Tip at
Millisec.com
More Essential Ass-Kissing:
Jim Phillips from Millisec.com for all you've done to help me
out.
Lipo for his
editorial expertise and digitital photography savvy.
Goldie for all the advise
and for hooking me up with the awesome processor.
All my buds in the #hocp mIRC
channel on devilsown.digital-web.net.
Special thanks to Ryan Wild AKA: MadHatter the HTML Rembrandt...
Thanks to eveyone who helped me out. I apologize if I didn't
mention you specifically...
Thanks to everyone who emailed me with feedback on Part 1!
Please feel free to send any questions or comments on this article
to DivideBy0.
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