HANDS ON GUIDE

Extreme Overclocking

Changing the FSB and vcore are only the first steps when it comes to overclocking. We spoke to two seasoned overclockers, both members of the Extreme Prometeia UK (EPUK) forums, to get some tips about tweaking a PC for maximum performance, as well as how to get started with sub-zero cooling.

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‘Test the RAM settings you use, and play with MHz vs timing combinations to find out what gives the best performance or stability,’ continues Kenny.

‘Relying only on one set narrows your options – try slacker timings to find out if there’s a benefit to running a higher RAM speed. When you break in a new system, test the RAM fully first, so you know what it can do. It makes fault finding so much easier.’

Number 8: It doesn't always make sense

‘I tried a set of DDR2 in the dual-channel slots further away from the CPU, and when I switched to the slots nearer the CPU, and swapped the stick order I managed to find 50MHz of full stability at the same voltage and timings,’ says Kenny. ‘Find out what works for your RAM and board combination.’

Number 9: Keep your BIOS up to date

‘Early release BIOSes are generally an absolute pain, irrespective of company, but once they mature, they can offers major boosts – maybe not in terms of FSB, but for performance per clock (PPC) and bandwidth, every free boost is welcome.’

Number 10: Don't get strapped down

Memory speeds are calculated based on ratios in relation to the FSB, and at certain FSB speeds, the chipset is pre-programmed to change memory timings – these speeds are known as straps. ‘Think of straps as akin to gears on cars,’ explains Kenny. ‘The performance is like the engine revs – just after changing gear (strap) the revs (performance) dip. Straps can kill performance. The best example is still the Asus P5B. A 405MHz FSB with any multiplier will perform much worse than 395MHz due to the strap change at 401FSB. Learn your way around straps and don’t assume that higher numbers are always better.’

Number 11: The biggest danger is going broke and breaking things

When asked what the big dangers from overclocking are, Peter replies, ‘Ending up with a PC that doesn’t work and an empty wallet!’ His worst experience was killing a pair of GeForce 8800 GTX cards with a bad BIOS flash.

Kenny reckons he’s been lucky though. ‘I’ve killed a video card while carrying out a volt mod, and occasionally, I’ll kill something from static. When I seriously overclock, it’s with dry ice for benchmarking.

‘From setup to finish, I take it fairly seriously, and so far, it’s always gone according to plan, even if some of the results miss the mark. The two main dangers are breaking something you can’t afford to lose, or becoming addicted to the hobby. Each time an overclocker wants to step up a level, be it cooling or quality of gear, the wallet feels the pain the most!’

Kenny adds, ‘Electric shock is possible, or a solder burn when you’re trying a volt mod. I’ve covered the back of my hand in freezing acetone. That was pretty itchy, but I learned from it.

‘Use your common sense, and hopefully, it will only be emotional and financial pain you feel! Everyone makes mistakes – they’re part of life, just as long as you learn from them.’

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