Beginner’s Overclocking Guide
January 4, 2008
Disclaimer: Game and Tech Reviews is NOT responsible for any damage that occurs to your system while performing overclocking.
Download links:
CPU-Z: http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
Speedfan: http://www.almico.com/sfdownload.php
Prime95: http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=103
Glossary:
Overclocking – Running a CPU at a higher frequency than it’s supposed to run at
BIOS – Basic Input Output System- This preps all of your system components and runs tests to make sure everything is functioning properly.
CPU (Central Processing Unit) or Processor – If you don’t know what this is you probably shouldn’t be over clocking in the first place. But, if you want to continue, the CPU handles all the data. Literally every shred of information is passed through this chip. Basically it just does a whole bunch of math very fast
FSB (Front Side Bus) – This relays information from the CPU and the north bridge. The faster this is the higher the performance.
Clock Multiplier– Basically this allows the CPU to run at a higher speed/frequency than the North Bridge and FSB. The CPU speed is found my multiplying the FSB with the clock multiplier. For example: 9 x 333= 2.997
Megahertz – A hertz is a standard unit of frequency. It basically refers to the cycles per second. 5 MHz means 5 cycles per second. A kilohertz is 10^3. A megahertz is 10^6. A gigahertz is 10^9
vCore – Is the amount of voltage that the CPU is receiving from the power supply.
TJunction – Refers to the thermal sensors (Digital Thermal Sensors) placed in each core.
TJunction Max– Shutdown
TCase – Refers to the thermal sensor (Case Thermal Diode) placed on the CPU die.
Ambient Temperature – Room temperature
Load – Refers to CPU under full stress, 100% usage in each core. These are the only temperatures that really matter
Idle – Refers to the CPU under little to no stress. These temperatures mean little to nothing.
Throttling – A safety feature included with modern processors to save components from damage. This occurs at about 5C below TJunction Max. It is said to “throttle back.” If heating continues, the system will shut down.
Stepping – Means the revision on the processor.
Secrets of overclocking 😉 :
The first unwritten secret of overclocking is quite simple: buy a motherboard conducive to overclocking. It’s that simple. If you don’t have a motherboard that lets you easily access the key settings involved in overclocking, you’re in for hell of a hard time overclocking. I recommend purchasing enthusiast friendly motherboards such as EVGA, Asus, or sometimes Gigabyte. You should really research both your processor and motherboard to check to see if they are suitable for your overclocking desires.
The second secret to overclocking is picking a processor that overclocks well. Now, each processor overclocks differently, but some processors handle higher bus speeds and heat better than others. For example, the G0 revision of the Intel Q6600 overclocks much higher than the initial B3 processor. This is because it is a revision and Intel has made modification to the architecture and refined it to handle heat better. Also, the extreme series that Intel offers will overclock better because of their unlocked multipliers. But, believe me you will pay for that. The extreme series will run you an average of 500 USD more than a Core 2 Duo. To they joy of enthusiasts everywhere, Intel has recently embraced overclocking and has even showed a Qx9650 clocked somewhere over 5GHz at their annual press conference. AMD is lacking behind and has been for sometime. Long gone are the days when almost every enthusiast was sporting an AMD processor. AMD is now barely getting by as a budget processor company, and they failed to keep up with Intel with the release of their 65nm Phenom chip. So, what does this all mean? Do your research!
The third secret to overclocking is proper cooling. Bottom line stock cooling will simply NOT cut it. There is a reason that extreme overclockers use water cooling, dry ice, and liquid nitrogen when they overclock. Heat is the number one enemy of overclocking. While processors are made to run at sub-zero temperatures, they do not handle higher temperatures as well. Different processors have different points at which they will fail. Most, if not all, modern CPU’s and motherboards will shot off before permanent damage is done. I recommend investing in water cooling if you really want to push your CPU up there. Or at least investing in some nice There are some terms you must know before you begin messing with settings. There are some inherent risks with overclocking one should be aware of. First, it will reduce the life of the component. This is because it is running outside of the recommended zone. Second, if proper cooling is not used the ambient temperature in the case could rise to dangerous levels potentially damaging other components. Third, overclocking can and probably will void the warranty on your CPU.
Rules:
1. Do not exceed 1.5 volts under the vCore setting.
2. All temperatures should be taken into consider when under load.
3. Always have some sort of active cooling.
4. Crashing is normal and part of the overclocking process. If your computer crashes and it doesn’t turn on right away, don’t panic. Turn it off at the power supply, wait 10-30 seconds, and try again.
5. Under no circumstances should you exceed the TJunction or TCase maximums.
So, you’ve bought a nice, shiny new processor, and you want to overclock the hell out of it? Who can blame you? Here’s a general guide on how to overclock your processor; and, more importantly, do it as safely as possible. Must have software: CPU-Z, Speedfan or CoreTemp, and Prime95. CPU-Z is necessary for viewing what kind of processor you have, the multiplier, the FSB, operating frequency, and other crucial data. Speedfan and CoreTemp allow you to see the temperature of the processor. Prime95 is a stress test program that allows you to test the stability of your overclock. Boot your computer and load your operating system. Download and install the necessary programs. Open CPU-Z and look on the left side to determine what stepping processor you have. Newer revisions overclock better. So, it’s better to have a newer stepping. Open CoreTemp and take a look at your TJunction Max. This is the temperature at which shutdown will occur, and throttling will occur at ~5C bellow the TJunction Max. However, for 24/7 overclocks it is advised to stay at ~20C-30C below the TJunction Max.
Note: Only trust CPU-Z for accurate clock speeds. And only use Core Temp to monitor core temperatures if you have a quad core.
1. Restart your computer and enter your BIOS. Each motherboard manufacturer has a different way of accessing the BIOS; so, take a look at the opening screen for the correct key to hit. The most common key/key combinations are: Delete, F1, F2, F3, F5, F10, Escape, Insert, Control + Escape, Alt + Escape, Control + Alt + Escape, Control + Alt + Enter. If none of that work, you either aren’t pressing them fast enough or your motherboard manufacturer has a different way of accessing the BIOS. Find the manufacturer’s website and it should be listed there.
2. Disable any type of Speedstep or power saving features your motherboard may have. This is a power saving feature, but it can lead to system instability during higher clock speeds. Stress test with out it enabled to find a stable overclock, and then enable it and stress test again to see if the system remains stable. Intel uses speed step and is usually listed under EIST, C1E, and Speedstep. AMD uses Cool’n’Quiet and PowerNow!
3. Raise the FSB is large increments until failure occurs. It is normal for the computer to not boot right away. Relax. Just unplug it or turn it off at the PSU and wait 15-20 seconds. It should boot up again. Lower the FSB until you can boot again. You can and probably will need to increase voltage to the vCore and the north bridge. Up it in the lowest increments your motherboard will allow. Raising this will increase heat. Do not go over 1.5v to the core.
4. Begin stress testing with Prime95. Run small TFF’s for a minimum of 6 hours. I recommend running it overnight to truly test system stability. If a crash occurs, lower the FSB or raise the voltages until it becomes stable. Watch temperatures using either CoreTemp or Speed Fan. 24/7 temperatures should not exceed TJunction Max – 25C. So, if your TJunction Max is 100C, temperatures (under load) should not exceed 75C.
5. Enjoy the performance boost an overclocked CPU can bring to you!
Feel free to leave comments and questions here. I will answer them promptly.
EVGA 8600GT Overclocking Guide
December 21, 2007
GPU Overclocking Guide
Disclaimer: Game and Tech Reviews is NOT responsible for any damage to your components.
So, you’ve bought a really low budget Directx 10 card? Wanna squeeze every last ounce of performance out of it? You bet you do! You are gonna need ATITool to do the overclocking. You can find a download here: http://www.techpowerup.com/atitool/ . Take a moment and get used to the program. nTune can also be used to overclock; and, can be easily accessed by right clicking on the desktop and selecting “NVIDIA Control Panel”, choosing the “Performance” tab, and then by clicking on “View System Information.” This also comes in handy because you can manually turn the stock fan to the desired speed. Check your card stats out with GPU-z available for download here: http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/896/mirrors.php .
So, what exactly are we doing here? Well, a graphic card works using the same basic parts as a CPU does, only it uses different architecture. It has a clock speed for the processor or the core. And a clock speed for the RAM or memory. For the 8600GT, the core comes at 540MHz and the memory comes at 700MHz. By using the sliders on ATITool, I was able to get mine to a very stable 710/750. A higher clock speed is better than a higher memory speed. But, as a general rule of thumb the memory should be equal to or greater than the core frequency. You can use the auto finders to get a general estimate of what your card will do. But, I really recommend you do it manually. Scan for artifacts to test stability, and I also recommend using a 3dMark program. My overclock boosted my score 1000 points. Expect crashes, snow, and a weird screen flashes. Just restart and try again. Don’t be alarmed if it doesn’t start right back up again. This IS normal. Just turn it off, wait a few seconds, and try again. I really recommend you have proper cooling and do NOT exceed temperatures of over 70C. I suggest you invest in some decent cooling if you wanna push it really high. Every card overclocks differently. And, you at some point will hit a wall because of voltage. There are other guides out there, but they require soldering a resistor on to your card and/or shading in parts with a pencil. I chose not a write a guide on this because its way to risky and plus it would void my lovely warranty. And, I can’t afford to not be eligible for the “Step up” plan.
Q6600 (G0 Stepping) Overclock Guide
December 12, 2007
DISCLAIMER: Game and Tech Reviews is not responsible for any damage you do to your CPU or other components.
In this tutorial, I will walk you through the over clocking process on a Asus P5K-E motherboard. First, you are going to need several programs to record temperatures, monitor your processes, and stress test. You are going to need coretemp to monitor your….well… core temperatures. A download can be found here: http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/ . You are also going to need CPU-Z to list all the different settings found on your processor and RAM. Download link: http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php . Finally, to test system stability you will need Prime95 v25: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Prime95_d4363.html .
A very important note: Make sure you have proper cooling. Stock cooling will probably not cut it. The T-Junction on the Q6600 (G0) is 100C. The T-junction is the maximum temperature at the junction between the processor die and the PCB it sits on. I recommend you don’t press past 75C. It will shut down to avoid damage, but it is best not to push it. I have a Thermalright 120 Extreme. That is one of the best heat sinks available right now. You will need proper cooling to over clock your CPU. Over clocking is a trial and error process. You will probably crash a couple of times. After a crash your computer might not restart right away. THIS IS NORMAL. Turn off your PSU, wait about 15-30 seconds and try again. Different CPU’s over clock differently. If you haven’t already done so make sure your chip is a G0 revision by looking at CPU-Z. This revision runs cooler and over clocks better. Your results will probably differ from mine. This is a very basic tutorial, and is written for those with very limited computer knowledge, so, vcore, North Bridge, and RAM voltages will not be altered. They will all remain on auto. This reduces the chances of damaging your precious new system.
Let’s start with a run down of all the terms you are going to need to know. Here is a very simple diagram of how the computer works: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/Motherboard_diagram.png It is very important to understand how the computer works before you begin to tamper with it.
BIOS – Basic Input Output System- This preps all of your system components and runs tests to make sure everything is functioning properly.
CPU (Central Processing Unit) – If you don’t know what this is you probably shouldn’t be over clocking in the first place. But, if you want to continue, the CPU handles all the data. Literally every shred of information is passed through this chip. Basically it just does a whole bunch of math.
FSB (Front Side Bus) – This relays information from the CPU and the north bridge.
Clock Multiplier– Basically this allows the CPU to run at a higher speed/frequency than the North Bridge and FSB. The CPU speed is found my multiplying the FSB with the clock multiplier. For example: 9 x 333= 299.7
Let’s Go!
Restart your computer and hit delete during the first few seconds. This will bring you to the BIOS.
Use your keyboard to select the “Advanced” tab on the top. You will see a whole bunch of different settings; and, this is intimidating at first.
Switch the Ai Overclocking to manual. This begins the trail and error. The higher the FSB the higher the performance. So, drop your Ratio CMOS Setting (multiplier) to 7; and, try 475 for your FSB frequency. If, it doesn’t boot or it’s not stable in a stress test lower it by increments of 5. I found mine was stable at 7 x 470 which gives me 3.29. Not bad for no voltage increases. It runs at about 57C under load and 30C idle. Remember, idle temperature mean next to nothing. Load temperature is what matters. Your results WILL vary. You may find that your FSB is stable at 480. That’s great. Just always remember TEST STABILITY. Run small FFT’s and then Large FFT’s. I recommend doing stress tests of 5 hrs minimum. Prime95 is your stress test application, and you should see 4 instances of it running: 1 for each core. Remember to watch your temperatures during testing. They should not exceed 70C.
(For those of you wondering why your CPU-Z reads a low clock speed. It’s because your CPU isn’t under stress, and you have C1E enabled on the CPU Configuration menu. This drops down you multiplier to x6 to save power during times of low CPU usage.)
Pictures:
Guide to Ripping and Converting DVD’s
December 6, 2007
Guide To Ripping And Converting DVD’s
Programs Needed (All Freeware): AutoGK, DVD Shrink, and Videora iPod converter
PART 1 – DVD Shrink:
Download Link: http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/DVD-Shrink-Download-4128.html
Place the DVD you want to rip in your DVD-ROM or DVD-RAM. Open upDVD Shrink and select the Re-author tab on the top.
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Drag and drop the file located under the Main Movie tab.
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Go to the Compression Setting tab and deselect every Audio except the one you need. Make sure you deselect the sub pictures too. Go to the compression tab and select no compression. This will give you the full quality of the DVD. I recommend you don’t start compressing until after AutoGK.
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Click Backup! on the top bar and disregard the warning message. Since we are going to compress it later it doesn’t matter.
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Select your output folder, and make sure under DVD Region, Region Free is selected.
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It will begin encoding and look like this. You can deselect Enable Video Preview if you want to save RAM.
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Part 2 – AutoGK:
Download Link: http://www.autogk.me.uk/modules.php?name=Downloads Find the folder you just named, open the Video folder and select the .IFO named VTS_01_0.IFOSelect the output destination. I want the best quality, so I am going to enter 100 in the Target Quality box.
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AutoGK makes it very easy to select a custom size. Click Add Job and then Start. Sit back and relax.Time depends on your CPU and target quality, size, etc.
Optional Part Three – Videora iPod Converter:
Download Link: http://www.videora.com/en-us/Converter/iPod/
Choose your iPod type. It also gives you a conversion guide using DVD Decrypter if you select the DVD tab on the first page. Choose Video File and press Convert New File. The latest version of Videora makes this process incredibility simple. You can use the Normal Mode or Power Mode depending on how comfortable you feel. The best quality is usually the one that takes up the most space. The best code an iPod can recognize is x246. Once completed, just locate the converted file and drag into your iTunes Library. Update your iPod and enjoy!
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