What's overclocking?

[Danster]

Hi I just want to know what overclocking means i'v seen it a coulpe of time on some threds and dont know what it means can someone please explian.
Thanks

(how cool is this site)

 

[NightWolf0829]

Overclocking is the term used to say that you have essentially "Upgraded" your *pardon my language* Pc, i'm not too sure if Mac's will. I have a pc laying around and its overclocked. for the most info go to (http://overclockers.com/topiclist/index20.asp#OVERCLOCKING EXPERIENCES AND TIPS) for the most info, thats how i learned, on that site.

Cheers, Justin

 

[ApplejustWorks]

I'd just like to add that:
Overclocking:
1. Decreases the life of your system
2. Voids the Warranty
3. Could cause a fire(I've seen it happen)
4. Causes MANY other problems.

As well, I'm not so sure if it can be done on Macs(Thumbs up for Apple on that one...Who wants to see a dead Mac?)

 

[immdb]

I'd just like to add that:
Overclocking:
1. Decreases the life of your system
2. Voids the Warranty
3. Could cause a fire(I've seen it happen)
4. Causes MANY other problems.

As well, I'm not so sure if it can be done on Macs(Thumbs up for Apple on that one...Who wants to see a dead Mac?)

#1 how can you tell?
#2 I would agree with
#3 overclocked a little too much!
#4 ???

I overclocked a B/W shortly after I got it (new) and it is still being used everyday without a problem.

 

[immdb]

#1 how can you tell?
#2 I would agree with
#3 overclocked a little too much!
#4 ???

I overclocked a B/W shortly after I got it (new) and it is still being used everyday without a problem.

Take it back…it wasn't my B/W. It was a PPC 7200. It was used for several years without a problem…still works, just went to the Old Macs Home.

 

[Padawan]

I'd just like to add that:
Overclocking:
1. Decreases the life of your system
2. Voids the Warranty
3. Could cause a fire(I've seen it happen)
4. Causes MANY other problems.

As well, I'm not so sure if it can be done on Macs(Thumbs up for Apple on that one...Who wants to see a dead Mac?)

1. Not necessarily.

2. This is true, but the Macs that most people over-clock have normally exceeded the warranty period anyway.

3. I'm not sure where you saw this happen, but if someone caused a machine to catch fire by over-clocking it, I wouldn't let them anywhere near my computer.

4. This is an extreme over-generalization. If done properly, over-clocking can be a reliable and relatively inexpensive method of increasing a computer's performance. However, as with many things, if done incorrectly there can obviously be negative results.

It is definitely possible to over-clock certain Macs, though not all of them. Beige G3's are particularly easy to over-clock, and in fact I'm writing this on a Beige G3 AIO 233 that I've over-clocked very successfully to 300 MHz with no problems whatsoever.

To answer the original question, over-clocking is basically making changes to the "settings" of your CPU to make it run at a faster clock speed than it originally did. If you'd like some info on over-clocking a Mac, just send me a PM. I can certainly help with Beige G3's, and I've done some research on other models as well.

 

[Danster]

So if i upgrade my 1.8 G5 to a 2ghz G5 i have overclocked my computer? Is that what it means and can you evan buy a G5 processer?

 

[trpnmonkey41]

No that is not overclocking that is just upgrading

Overclocking requires going into the firmware and system settings that normal users are meant to never see and adjusting some of the clock speeds on the machine to set them run higher than they are set to.

I do not think they sell G5 upgrades yet

 

[Padawan]

So if i upgrade my 1.8 G5 to a 2ghz G5 i have overclocked my computer? Is that what it means and can you evan buy a G5 processer?

No, I think you've misunderstood. Over-clocking involves changing settings to make your existing processor run at a higher clock speed. If you have a G5 though, the point is moot, since I've yet to read of someone succeeding in OC'ing one, and the information I've seen indicates it would be a very complicated and difficult process (if it's even possible).

 

[Danster]

Ah i rember a mac mag i got and it tell's you how to overclock a G4 by changing the pins to different places using a soldering iorn and making it faster i didn't under stand it but i think i do now

 

[sivp]

The correct term of overcloacking is when you manually configure your hardware to use a little more voltage then it really should. This will increas the speed, but in turn it will decrease reliability, life span, and just cause a great deal of problems for like an extra 3 seconds loading something..

I don't recommend it.

 

[Padawan]

The correct term of overcloacking is when you manually configure your hardware to use a little more voltage then it really should. This will increas the speed, but in turn it will decrease reliability, life span, and just cause a great deal of problems for like an extra 3 seconds loading something..

I don't recommend it.

Again, this is a gross generalization. If done properly (and reasonably), over-clocking has very few negative side-effects.

 

[witeshark]

Overclocking is a re wiring of the jumpers on the board around the CPU to "turbo" the speed a bit. CPU's are designed with a bit of overkill so it can be safely done with added cooling. I would never do any of that on a Mac though

 

[Avalon]

The correct term of overcloacking is when you manually configure your hardware to use a little more voltage then it really should. This will increas the speed, but in turn it will decrease reliability, life span, and just cause a great deal of problems for like an extra 3 seconds loading something..

I don't recommend it.

That's incorrect. Overclocking means that, by doing some modifictions on the existing hardware (like for example adding/removing some resistance) to raise it's clockspeed. Sometimes, it is needed to raise the voltage too, but that alone doesn't make it run faster. Only raising the clockspeed makes it run faster.
Overclocking isn't very common on Macs, nevertheless some models can be overclocked. I saw a dual 1.25GHz MDD G4 running very stable at 1.5GHz.
CPUs are made with a large security margin, and as long as you adapt the ccoling to the overclocking, it will run as long as any other does. There's no evidence that an overclocked CPU dies faster than a non-overclocked. That is, as long as the ccoling is adapted too, and the overclocking is reasonable (raising a 1.25 GHz to 2GHz is not reasonable).

 

[shaun89]

To be breif, overclocking is running the CPU at speeds over what it was sold as.

 

[Avalon]

exactly! :headphone