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What is Overclocking?
Overclocking is the process making a computer component run at a higher speed than that specified by the manufacturer. The components that can be overclocked include the CPU, the memory and the video cards. Although there may be many different reasons for overclocking, the most common reason is to increase hardware performance. For example the AMD Athlon 2500+ processor which normally runs at a CPU clock speed of 1.83 GHz may me made to run at a clock speed of 2.20 GHz or the GeForce 6800 cards may be converted to a GeForce 6800 ultra by enabling additional pixel shaders. However, it is very important to note that overclocking can result in system instability and sometimes even permanent hardware failure if done carelessly.
The question arises as to how overclocking is possible. The basic idea is that most CPU manufacturers fix the clock speed of their products by testing them at various speeds. The clock speed fixed by the testing system often tends to be a conservative estimate making it possible for the CPUs that are shipped to run at higher than rated clock speeds quite reliably. Another possible answer is that processor manufacturers sometimes tend to underrate the performance of their products due to competition pressure as was the case of the AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ which can be quite easily overclocked to perform as fast as the AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+.
Some video cards are also overclockable with some companies selling their cards already overclocked. Video Card overclocking is comparatively easier and is generally done with special software like Coolbits (used for nVidia cards), ATITool (for ATI) and Powerstrip (for other cards).
Theoretically many other components may also be overclocked, but it is seldom tried as the risk is simply too great. For example the HDD performance can be improved by increasing the drive motor voltage and consequently making the hard drive platters spin faster, but this often leads to the destruction of the drive or data corruption. Also in some cases the improvement obtained due to overclocking may be too small to be discernable. This calls for a proper analysis of the needs of the user before overclocking is attempted.
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