What Does Overclocking Mean?
Overclocking is the process of running a computer component at a faster clock rate than the manufacturer’s specifications. Components that can be overclocked typically include motherboard chipsets, processors, video cards and RAM.
Overclocking is often carried out by users who are trying to get superior performance out of their computers. The objective is to increase performance on cheaper low-end computer components or to overclock high-end components to perform above specified standards. A PC enthusiast may also overclock outdated components to keep updated with new system requirements instead of buying new hardware.
Overclocking is also known as clock chipping.
Techopedia Explains Overclocking
Overclocking is achieved by manipulating the CPU multiplier (bus/core ratio) and the motherboard’s frontside bus (FSB) clock rate. The clock rate is the number of cycles per second produced by an oscillator or crystal. Clock speed regulates the timing for a synchronous circuit. A single clock rate is generally less than a nanosecond (one billionth of a second) on newer nonembedded microprocessors that toggle between logic 0 and logic 1. The CPU multiplier measures the ratio of the internal CPU clock rate against the external supplied clock. The CPU multiplier is generally changed in the basic input/output system (BIOS) setup.
