Overclocking CPU - Beginner Guide

Overclocking is the process making a computer component run at a higher speed than that specified by the manufacturer. The CPU is one of the components of the system that is commonly overclocked. The CPU clock speed is the product of the FSB (Front Side Bus) speed and the CPU's multiplier (sometimes called the clock ratio).

To overclock your CPU you must be quite familiar with hardware, and it is always a procedure conducted at your own risk. When overclocking there are some problems and issues you'll have to deal with, such as heat. An overclocked CPU will have an increased heat output, which means you have to look at additional cooling methods to ensure proper cooling of an overclocked CPU. Standard heat sinks and fans will generally not support an overclocked system. Additionally, you also have to have some understanding of the different types of system memory. Even though your CPU can be overclocked, it doesn't mean your RAM modules will support the higher speeds.

Common CPU Overclocking Methods
The most common methods of overclocking your CPU is to either raise the multiplier or raise the FSB (frontside bus) — while not the only options they are the most common. To understand overclocking, you have to understand the basics of CPU speeds. The speed of a CPU is measured in Megahertz (MHz) or Gigahertz (GHz). This represents the number of clock cycles that can be performed per second. The more clock cycles your CPU can do, the faster it processes information.

The formula for processor speed is: frontside bus x multiplier = processor speed.

Example:

Pentium 4 2.4GHZ
The CPU runs at 2400 million clock cycles per second. The CPU runs at at a speed of 2400 megahertz. Using our processor speed equation we have: 533MHz (frontside bus) x 4.5 (multiplier) = 2400MHz (processor speed)


By increasing the multiplier by 0.5 : - You will get an overclocked cpu at 2.66GHZ

However should get a reliable power supply unit other than the bundle with casing.