Safe processor overclocking: what could be easier! The best programs for overclocking an Intel processor

CPU overclocking | How does a processor become an overclocking legend?

Since the birth of the IBM-compatible PC, certain processors have been positioned as exceptionally suitable products for aggressive overclocking. Some models are famous for their outstanding overclocking potential, while others are famous for their low price. We even remember several unique examples where functions that were initially disabled on the chip could be unlocked.

We decided to take a short excursion into history and compile a list of some of the most interesting ones from the point of view of CPU overclocking.

CPU overclocking | Intel i486

Although overclocking existed before the advent of this chip, this process became much more interesting with the advent of the Intel 80486 thanks to its flexible clock settings and the first implemented internal clock multiplier in the i486 DX2 model. Introduced in 1992, DX2 was available in three variants: 40 MHz (20 MHz x2), 50 MHz (25 MHz x2) and 66 MHz (33 MHz x2). Computer enthusiasts could buy a cheaper version of the i486DX2-40 and improve clock frequency up to 25-33 MHz using a jumper on the motherboard, resulting in the performance of the flagship i486DX2-66 model.

This may not seem like much today, but such overclocking provided a 60% increase in frequency when computer manufacturers were paying $600 for the 486DX2-66 in batches of 1,000, and the cost of a CPU upgrade kit could exceed $1,000. Purchasing the i486DX2-40 and DX2-50 could save hundreds of dollars, making overclocking a very attractive option for PC enthusiasts.

CPU overclocking | Intel Pentium 166 MMX

Intel released the Pentium MMX in 1997, featuring an expanded instruction set and twice the L1 cache (a whopping 32 KB at the time) of the first generation. Pentium processors. In addition to being noticeably faster than their predecessors, these chips also offered extensive overclocking capabilities. The top-of-the-line Pentium MMX 233 cost about $600 at launch, but the 166 MHz version was $200 cheaper and usually allowed you to reach 233 MHz without much effort. Many of these CPUs were capable of hitting the 250 MHz mark when the FSB was increased to 83 MHz, making the Pentium MMX 166 a top-end processor at a reasonable price.

CPU overclocking | Intel Celeron 300A

Despite its advanced age, the Celeron 300A is still respected in overclocking circles, and it is this chip that is responsible for many people joining the ranks of overclocking enthusiasts in 1998 (including the site's staff). The processor was based on the Mendocino core, designed for low-budget PCs. Intel decided to cut costs by placing the L2 cache directly on the CPU chip instead of using external card with cache, which it produced for top-end Pentium II processors. Although the Celeron had only 128 KB of L2 cache instead of the Pentium II's 512 KB, placing the cache on the chip meant that it ran at the processor's own speed, and in many cases this gave the Celeron 300A an advantage over more expensive CPUs. In addition, the $180 Celeron 300A had incredible overclocking potential: raising the FSB from the factory 66 MHz to 100 MHz allowed it to reach 450 MHz - on par with the $500 Pentium II 450. For the first time in history, overclockers could get the performance of a flagship CPU for less than $200 with minor tuning. It is not surprising that the Celeron 300A is fondly remembered by representatives of the overclocking community, to the emergence of which it was directly related.

CPU overclocking | Pentium III 500E

If Celeron brought a very large number of advanced PC users into the ranks of overclockers, then the Pentium III 500E successfully continued its legacy. This chip, introduced in 2000, was made using a 180 nm lithographic process, was equipped with a 256 KB L2 cache memory and led to a change in the Slot 1 interface to the more modern Socket 370. Unlike the stripped-down Celeron processors, the Pentium III 500E (cost $240 at the time of release) from an architectural point of view was identical to the Pentium III 750 MHz ($800). Naturally, it provided aggressive overclocking to 750 MHz by simply increasing the FSB to 150 MHz, closely approaching the performance of the rare and expensive ($1000) Pentium III 1 GHz.

CPU overclocking | AMD Athlon and Duron 600 (Thunderbird/Spitfire)

The first generation Athlon was a cartridge that hid a processor board with an installed CPU and cache memory chips. The cartridge was installed in a Slot A slot connector with 242 contacts. Since the cartridge design was completely closed to the user, a separate device called the Gold Finger was used to unlock the multiplier, which could also be used to change the CPU voltage. These processors themselves had excellent overclocking potential, but in 2000 they were replaced by the next generation on the Thunderbird/Spitfire core in the Socket A version, and overclocking by multiplier became easier thanks to the famous L1 bridges. All you had to do was connect four small bridges on the CPU case using a graphite pencil (or better yet, use a special conductive pen) to unlock the multiplier. The Duron 600 for $80 could be overclocked to 1 GHz, which brought it very close in performance to the Athlon 950 ($360). The cost of CPUs that are of interest from an overclocking point of view has dropped below $100.

Moreover, more expensive Athlon processors it was possible to overclock beyond 1 GHz at a time when Intel's top-end Pentium III models were relatively overpriced, if they could be found at all: Intel processors over 1 GHz were extremely rare for several months after the announcement. After the appearance of Thunderbird's successor - the Athlon processor on the Palomino core - the trick of closing the bridge with a pencil became obsolete, but this happened after Athlon and Duron were able to attract a huge number of overclockers to their camp.

CPU overclocking | AMD Athlon XP-M 2500+

After AMD blocked the multiplier in the CPU for desktop computers, overclockers realized how great the potential for overclocking is, which is preserved in mobile versions. At a cost of $25 more than desktop versions of the CPU, mobile processors Barton offered a lower stock Vcore (1.45V) and an adjustable multiplier. As a result, the Athlon XP-M 2500+, running at 1.83 GHz, could often be overclocked to 2.5 GHz without much effort. Some overclockers were able to reach a frequency of 2.7 GHz when overclocking this processor.

CPU overclocking | Intel Pentium 4 1.6A

The first Pentium 4 processor was based on the little-known Willamette core, a design that failed to impress at launch and was even a step back in some performance and power consumption tests. But in 2001, Willamette was replaced by the Northwood architecture, which has double the L2 cache (512 KB) and is based on a thinner 130 nm process technology.

For the first time, computer enthusiasts began to reconsider their opinion about the Pentium 4 precisely at the heyday of Northwood - due to the increased scalability of this architecture. The Pentium 4 1.6A sold for about $300 and was easily overclocked to 2.4 GHz with the factory cooler. This was slightly faster than the flagship Pentium 4 1.8 GHz priced at $560.

CPU overclocking | AMD Opteron 144

While AMD's Athlon 64 processors provided excellent performance, they generally did not have as solid overclocking potential as the Pentium 4. However, in 2005, AMD introduced a 1.8 GHz version of the Opteron 144, priced under $150. Opteron processors have always been server- and workstation-oriented chips that require expensive register memory. However, the Opteron 144 was a version for regular socket 939 single-processor boards that use unbuffered memory. Equally important, it had incredible overclocking potential. Many copies could be overclocked to 3 GHz, while the highest-performance Athlon FX-57 models had a frequency of 2.8 GHz and cost $1000.

CPU overclocking | Intel Pentium D 820 and 805

In 2005, Intel's Pentium family was often inferior in performance to AMD's Athlon 64 line. So, the most budget processor Pentium D 820 was priced at $240, which is about a hundred dollars cheaper than the Athlon 64 X2 4200+.

Although the performance of the budget Pentium left much to be desired at factory frequencies, it was a full-fledged dual-core processor, which in capable hands reached a frequency of 3.8 GHz, and some copies even conquered the 4 GHz bar.

In 2006, the Pentium D 805 processor cost $130 was born - the same processor that we overclocked to 4.1 GHz in the article "Overclocking Pentium D 805: dual-core 4.1 GHz processor for $130". The Pentium D was able to shift the attention of enthusiasts to Intel, and this in an era of AMD dominance.

CPU overclocking | Pentium Dual Core/Core 2 Duo E2000/E6000/E8000

Back in 2006, the release of Core 2 Duo processors based on the Conroe architecture allowed Intel to reclaim its crown as the industry leader while ushering in the golden age of overclocking. If we had decided to devote a page to each model in the line that had outstanding scalability, this article would have been at least twice as long.

Let's start with the budget Pentium Dual Core, which was essentially a version of the Core 2 Duo with the L2 cache trimmed to 1 MB. Pentium Dual Core E2140 (1.6 GHz) and E2160 (1.8 GHz) cost $80 and $90 respectively at launch, and easily reached the 3 GHz mark. The Core 2 Duo E6300 (1.866 GHz) cost less than $200 at launch, but could be overclocked to around 4 GHz - on par with the flagship Core 2 Duo E6700 (factory clocked at 2.667 GHz) for $580.

At a later stage life cycle The Wolfdale Core 2 core, during the production of which a transition was made to a 45-nm process technology, allowed processors like the 3 GHz Core 2 Duo E8400 model to overcome the 4 GHz barrier with minimal resistance. This in no way applies to all Core 2 models, but in our memory there was not a single representative of the line that did not have good opportunities for overclocking.

CPU overclocking | Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600

Core 2 Quad Q6600 was introduced in 2007. But even now, there are enthusiasts who still embrace the capabilities of this quad-core processor, making it something of an anomaly in the fast-paced world of technological advancement.

Based on the revolutionary Core 2 architecture and 65nm process technology and with a factory clock speed of 2.4GHz, this CPU easily reaches the mid-3GHz frequency range. At the time, this was surprising given the complex architecture of the quad-core CPU.

Although the Q6600 was priced at $850 at launch, it had dropped to $200 by 2010, making the processor popular with computer enthusiasts on a budget. In 2011, the Q6600 was replaced by the Core 2 Quad Q9550, another CPU with an excellent reputation among overclockers.

CPU overclocking | Intel Core i7-920

Intel's Nehalem architecture was introduced in 2008 along with the Core i7 brand. Quad-core Core 2 Quad processors have proven themselves well, but rethinking the Hyper-Threading feature allows the Core i7 to take a step forward in workload types. parallel computing. In addition, the LGA 1366 platform is equipped with a three-channel memory subsystem, and the memory controller is implemented directly in the processor itself.

Flagship model Core i7-965 Extreme(3.2 GHz) sold for $1000 and had an open multiplier. But the $285 Core i7-920 (2.67 GHz) offered identical architecture for less than a third of that price. Although it had a locked multiplier, it was possible to increase the frequency to 4 GHz through BCLK overclocking. In fact, the Core i7-920 is still quite powerful and provides stable performance after overclocking, which speaks to the long life of the Nehalem architecture and the X58 Express platform.

CPU overclocking | AMD Phenom II X2 550 and X3 720 Black Edition

The flagship model Phenom II from AMD has never shone with overclocking potential (overclocking efficiency did not reach 4 GHz). But the Black Edition processors at least made configuration easier thanks to an open multiplier. The Phenom II X2 550 and X3 720 had their own unique features, namely in some cases they allowed you to unlock additional cores if the motherboard you were using supported such a function.

While some of these processors did have defective cores that could not be revived (making overclocking a gamble), many were capable of operating as quad-core processors, sometimes at speeds in excess of 3 GHz. In 2010, when top-end quad-core Phenom IIs cost $180, you could take a risk, and as a result, often become the owner of a processor more than high class, having spent $100. In the worst case, for relatively little money you became the owner of a dual-core or triple-core CPU, which could still be easily overclocked thanks to an open multiplier.

CPU overclocking | Intel Core i5-2500K

Intel presented its chips based on the architecture Sandy Bridge in 2011, and they were based on the 32nm process technology. Compared to top-end Core i7 models, Core i5 processors lacked a shared 3 MB L3 cache and Hyper-Threading function. None of these measures resulted in a significant difference in performance except in highly parallel workload scenarios.

On the other hand, the Core i5-2500K includes an unlocked multiplier, which makes possible overclocking CPU from factory frequency 3.3 GHz up to 4.5 GHz using air cooling. We think the $225 price tag is reasonable given the high performance potential of this chip. Even today, the architectures' relatively meager advantages are what make the 2500K a worthy choice for computer enthusiasts.

Practical CPU overclocking

Processor overclocking methods

There are two methods of overclocking: increasing the frequency of the system bus (FSB) and increasing the multiplication factor (multiplier). at the moment the second method cannot be applied to almost all production AMD processors. Exceptions to the rule are: Athlon XP (Thoroughbred, Barton, Thorton)/Duron (Applebred) processors released before week 39 of 2003, Athlon MP, Sempron (socket754; downgrade only), Athlon 64 (downgrade only), Athlon 64 FX53/ 55. In serial processors manufactured by Intel, the multiplier is also completely blocked. Overclocking a processor by increasing the multiplier is the most “painless” and simplest, because Only the processor clock frequency increases, and the frequencies of the memory bus and AGP/PCI buses remain nominal, so it is especially easy to determine the maximum processor clock frequency at which it can operate correctly using this method. It's a pity that now it's quite difficult, if not impossible, to find AthlonXP processors with an unlocked multiplier on sale. Overclocking a processor by increasing the FSB has its own characteristics. For example, as the FSB frequency increases, the memory bus frequency and the AGP/PCI bus frequency also increase. Particular attention should be paid to the PCI/AGP bus frequencies, which in most chipsets are associated with the FSB frequency (does not apply to nForce2, nForce3 250). This dependency can only be circumvented if your motherboard's BIOS has the appropriate parameters - the so-called divisors responsible for the ratio of PCI/AGP to FSB. You can calculate the divider you need using the formula FSB/33, i.e., if the FSB frequency = 133 MHz, then you should divide 133 by 33, and you will get the divider you need - in in this case this is 4. The nominal frequency for PCI buses are 33 MHz, and the maximum is 38-40 MHz; setting it higher, to put it mildly, is not recommended: this can lead to the failure of PCI devices. By default, the memory bus frequency rises synchronously with the FSB frequency, so if the memory does not have sufficient overclocking potential, it can play a limiting role. If it is obvious that the RAM frequency has reached its limit, you can do the following:

• Increase memory timings (for example, change 2.5-3-3-5 to 2.5-4-4-7 - this can help you squeeze a few more MHz out of RAM).
• Increase the voltage on the memory modules.
• Overclock the processor and memory asynchronously.

Reading is the mother of learning

First, you will need to study the instructions for your motherboard: find the BIOS menu sections responsible for the FSB frequency, RAM, memory timings, multiplier, voltages, PCI/AGP frequency dividers. If the BIOS does not have any of the above parameters, then overclocking can be done using jumpers on the motherboard. You can find the purpose of each jumper in the same instructions, but usually information about the function of each is already printed on the board itself. It happens that the manufacturer himself deliberately hides “advanced” BIOS settings— to unlock them you need to press a certain key combination (this is often found on motherboards manufactured by Gigabyte). I repeat: all necessary information can be found in the instructions or on the official website of the motherboard manufacturer.

Practice

We go into the BIOS (usually to enter you need to press the Del key at the moment of recalculating the amount of RAM (i.e., when the first data appears on the screen after rebooting/turning on the computer, press the Del key), but there are motherboard models with a different key for entering the BIOS - for example, F2), look for a menu in which you can change the frequency of the system bus, memory bus and control timings (usually these parameters are located in one place). I think that overclocking the processor by increasing the multiplier will not cause any difficulties, so let’s move on straight to raising the system bus frequency. Raise the FSB frequency (by about 5-10% of the nominal), then save installed changes, reboot and wait. If everything is fine, the system starts with a new FSB value and, as a result, with a higher processor clock speed (and memory, if you overclock them synchronously). Booting Windows without any incidents means that half the battle is already done. Next, run the CPU-Z program (at the time of writing, its latest version was 1.24) or Everest and make sure that the processor clock frequency has increased. Now we need to check the processor for stability - I think everyone has a 3DMark 2001/2003 distribution kit on their hard drive - although they are designed to determine the speed of the video card, you can also “drive” them for a superficial check of system stability. For a more serious test, you need to use Prime95, CPU Burn-in 1.01, S&M (more details about test programs below). If the system has passed testing and behaves stably, we reboot and start all over again: go into the BIOS again, increase the FSB frequency, save the changes and test the system again. If during testing you were “kicked out” of the program, the system froze or rebooted, you should “roll back” a step - to the processor frequency when the system behaved stably - and conduct more extensive testing to make sure that operation is completely stable. Do not forget to monitor the processor temperature and PCI/AGP bus frequencies (in the OS, PCI frequency and temperature can be viewed using the Everest program or proprietary programs of the motherboard manufacturer).

Voltage increase

It is not recommended to increase the voltage on the processor by more than 15-20%, but it is better that it varies within 5-15%. There is a point to this: it increases stability and opens up new horizons for overclocking. But be careful: as the voltage increases, the power consumption and heat dissipation of the processor increases and, as a result, the load on the power supply increases and the temperature rises. Most motherboards allow you to set the voltage on the RAM to 2.8-3.0 V, the safe limit is 2.9 V (to further increase the voltage you need to voltmod the motherboard). The main thing when increasing the voltage (not only on RAM) is to control the heat generation, and, if it has increased, organize cooling of the overclocked component. One of the best ways to determine the temperature of any computer component is to touch it with your hand. If you cannot touch a component without pain from a burn, it requires urgent cooling! If the component is hot, but you can hold your hand, then cooling it would not hurt. And only if you feel that the component is barely warm or even cold, then everything is fine and it does not need cooling.

Timings and frequency dividers

Timings are delays between individual operations performed by the controller when accessing memory. There are six of them in total: RAS-to-CAS Delay (RCD), CAS Latency (CL), RAS Precharge (RP), Precharge Delay or Active Precharge Delay (usually referred to as Tras), SDRAM Idle Timer or SDRAM Idle Cycle Limit, Burst Length . Describing the meaning of each is pointless and useless to anyone. It is better to immediately find out what is better: small timings or high frequency. There is an opinion that timings are more important for Intel processors, while frequencies are more important for AMD. But do not forget that for AMD processors, the memory frequency achieved in synchronous mode is most often important. For various processors"native" are different memory frequencies. For Intel processors, the following frequency combinations are considered “friends”: 100:133, 133:166, 200:200. For AMD on nForce chipsets, synchronous operation of the FSB and RAM is better, while asynchrony has little effect on the AMD + VIA combination. On systems with an AMD processor, the memory frequency is set in the following percentages with FSB: 50%, 60%, 66%, 75%, 80%, 83%, 100%, 120%, 125%, 133%, 150%, 166% , 200% are the same divisors, but presented a little differently. And on systems with an Intel processor, the dividers look more familiar: 1:1, 4:3, 5:4, etc.

Black screen

Yes, this also happens :) - for example, when overclocking: you simply set the clock speed of the processor or RAM (perhaps you specified too low memory timings) that the computer cannot start - or rather, it starts, but the screen remains black, and the system does not show any “signs of life”. What to do in this case?

• Many manufacturers build into their motherboards a system for automatically resetting parameters to nominal. And after such an “incident” with an inflated frequency or low timings this system must do its “dirty” work, but this does not always happen, so you need to be prepared to work with your hands.
• After turning on the computer, press and hold the Ins key, after which it should start successfully, and you should go into the BIOS and set the computer’s operating parameters.
• If the second method does not help you, you need to turn off the computer, open the case, find a jumper on the motherboard responsible for resetting the BIOS settings - the so-called CMOS (usually located near BIOS chips) - and set it to Clear CMOS mode for 2-3 seconds, and then return to the nominal position.
• There are motherboard models without a BIOS reset jumper (the manufacturer relies on its automatic BIOS reset system) - then you need to remove the battery for a while, which depends on the manufacturer and model of the motherboard (I conducted this experiment on my Epox EP-8RDA3G: took out the battery, waited 5 minutes, and the BIOS settings were reset).

Information programs and utilities

CPU-Z is one of the best programs that provides basic information about the processor, motherboard and RAM installed in your computer. The program interface is simple and intuitive: there is nothing superfluous, and all the most important things are in plain sight. The program supports the latest innovations from the world of hardware and is updated periodically. The latest version at the time of writing is 1.24. Size - 260 Kb. You can download the program at cpuid.com.

Everest Home/Professional Edition (formerly AIDA32) is an information and diagnostic utility that has more advanced functions for viewing information about installed hardware, operating system, DirectX, etc. Differences between home and professional version are as follows: the Pro version does not have a RAM testing module (read/write), it also lacks a rather interesting Overclock subsection, which collects basic information about the processor, motherboard, RAM, temperature of the processor, motherboard and hard drive, as well as about overclocking your processor as a percentage :). The Home version does not have software accounting, advanced reports, interaction with databases, remote control, or enterprise-level functions. In general, these are all the differences. I myself use the Home version of the utility, because... additional features I don't need the Pro versions. I almost forgot to mention that Everest allows you to view the PCI bus frequency - to do this, you need to expand the Motherboard section, click on the subsection with the same name and find the Chipset Bus Properties/Real Frequency item. The latest version at the time of writing is 1.51. The Home version is free and weighs 3 Mb, the Pro version is paid and takes 3.1 Mb. You can download the utility at lavalys.com.

Stability testing

The name of the CPU Burn-in program speaks for itself: the program is designed to “warm up” the processor and check its stable operation. In the main CPU Burn-in window, you need to specify the duration, and in the options, select one of two testing modes:

• testing with error checking enabled;
• testing with error checking turned off, but with maximum “warming up” of the processor (Disable error checking, maximum heat generation).

When you enable the first option, the program will check the correctness of the processor's calculations, and the second will allow you to “warm up” the processor almost to temperatures close to the maximum. CPU Burn-in weighs about 7 Kb.

The next worthy program for testing the processor and RAM is Prime95. Its main advantage is that when an error is detected, the program does not spontaneously “hang”, but displays data about the error and the time it was detected on the working field. By opening the Options -> Torture Test… menu, you can choose from three testing modes or specify your own parameters. To more effectively detect processor and memory errors, it is best to set the third testing mode (Blend: test some of everything, lots of RAM tested). Prime95 weighs 1.01 Mb, you can download it at mersenne.org.

Relatively recently, the S&M program saw the light of day. At first it was conceived to test the stability of the processor power converter, then it was implemented to test RAM and support for Pentium 4 processors with HyperThreading technology. For now latest version S&M 1.0.0(159) supports more than 32 (!) processors and checks the stability of the processor and RAM; in addition, S&M has a flexible settings system. Summarizing all of the above, we can say that S&M is one of the best programs of its kind, if not the best. The program interface has been translated into Russian, so it is quite difficult to get confused in the menu. S&M 1.0.0(159) weighs 188 Kb, you can download it at testmem.nm.ru.

The above-mentioned tester programs are designed to check the processor and RAM for stability and identify errors in their operation; they are all free. Each of them loads the processor and memory almost completely, but I would like to remind you that programs used in everyday work and not intended for testing can rarely load the processor and RAM so much, so we can say that testing occurs with a certain margin.

The author does not bear any responsibility for the breakdown of any hardware of your computer, as well as for failures and glitches in the operation of any software installed on your computer.

Every second user has at least once thought about how to increase the performance of a laptop. Because of this, the device will work faster with many games and applications. The most common option is to overclock the processor and increase its clock speed. But how complicated is this procedure, often referred to as “overclocking”? Is it safe to overclock a laptop chipset? What unpleasant consequences should you be wary of? Finally, how can you increase the processor power on your laptop yourself? You will find answers to these and many other questions in this article.

Both Intel and AMD processors are amenable to the overclocking procedure or, more simply put, “overclocking”. After all, many of them operate at only 60-70% of their maximum power. This fact allows you to overclock many CPUs, bringing the figure closer to 100%. However, how effective and safe is all this?

Therefore, first you should decide how useful it is to overclock the processor on a laptop. In addition, we need to talk about the negative consequences that may appear after increasing the power of the chipset.

Let's start with the positives. Perhaps there is only one of him. But quite significant. After all, without spending a single ruble, you can get more powerful processor. But there are a little more disadvantages:

• energy consumption will increase;
• The battery charge will be consumed faster;
• the device will become hotter;
• the service life of the processor itself will decrease.

It is worth noting that overclocking the processor on a laptop is not only risky, but also not an easy task. This is due to the fact that on laptops the performance gain is always small. You also often have to deal with overheating. The compact dimensions of all the “internals”, the close arrangement of components to each other and the miniature cooling system only contribute to this. As a result, many laptop models heat up so much even in the initial stages of overclocking that they constantly turn off and freeze.

Therefore, before you start overclocking your laptop processor, seriously evaluate the pros and cons. It may be safer and more reliable to simply save money to buy more powerful laptop. If you nevertheless decide to increase the processor performance, then remember that the maximum increase in power that you will receive is 10-15%. No more. It's no longer safe.

If you need to increase CPU performance significantly, then all this can only be achieved by special means with modernization of cooling and power systems!

Step-by-step instructions on how to overclock the processor on a laptop using Windows

You now know all the pros and cons. It's time to talk about how to overclock the processor on a laptop. To do this, you will need to go into the BIOS.

However, before overclocking the processor, do the following:

1. Clean your laptop from various “garbage”. That is, delete unnecessary files from hard drive devices.
2. Optimize windows. For example, remove from startup unnecessary applications or disable services you don't use.
3. Eliminate system errors.
4. Update your drivers.
5. Check your laptop for viruses. And it’s best to use several programs.

The fact is that many people start overclocking the processor on a laptop. But in fact, the device slows down and freezes for trivial reasons - operating system not configured properly malicious software interferes with the operation of the computer, etc. So first we eliminate all errors, remove extra files and viruses, we speed up CPU performance by installing fresh drivers etc. Once you have finished with this, you can proceed to the procedure for overclocking the processor.

The easiest and safest way is to change the power supply mode. This overclocking option works on any laptop from any manufacturer - Asus, Lenovo, Acer, HP, Samsung, Dell, etc. For example, let's look at the whole process on a device running Windows 10:

1. Through “Start” we go to the “System” section.
2. On the left, select “Power and sleep mode”.
3. Next, click on “Advanced power settings”. The corresponding button will be on the right.
4. Now in the window that appears, expand the “Show additional schemes” menu.
5. Set the marker to “High Performance” mode.

Overclocking the processor on a laptop via BIOS

You can also overclock your laptop's processor through the BIOS. This is done in different ways. However, we recommend starting with a fixed frequency. To do this:

1. Go to the BIOS menu. How to do this? For example, on an Asus laptop, you need to press the F2 key when booting. If you have a laptop from another manufacturer, then try clicking on Esc, F6, F8, F12, Delete when turning it on.
2. We are looking for the Power section BIOS Features.
3. Next we are interested in the AGP/PCI Clock tab, in which we set the value to 66/33 MHz.
4. Then we find the HyperTransport Frequency parameter and slightly reduce its frequency. Up to about 400 or 600.
5. We save all changes. Press F10. .

After these manipulations, the laptop should show more high performance. You can also increase the system bus parameters. This is done again through the BIOS:

1. In the POWER BIOS Features (or Advanced Chipset Features or simply Advanced) section, select the CPU Clock tab. It may be called differently. For example, Clock Ratio, CPU Bus or CPU Ratio.
2. We increase the value displayed here by 10 units.
3. We save the changes by pressing the F10 button. Reboot the laptop.
4. Now you need to test the laptop. The Everest program is suitable, through which we monitor the temperature central processor. It is important not to allow it to exceed 70-90 °C (depending on the CPU model). If the value is higher, then go into the BIOS again and lower the FSB frequency.
5. If the laptop shows stable performance, you can increase the value by another 10 MHz. And so on until it starts to get very hot or blue screen, freezes, or other problems that indicate the overclocking threshold has been exceeded.

How to overclock a laptop processor using a utility?

Overclocking is a complex process. Therefore, some manufacturers produce special software with which you can easily increase the power of your laptop. True, some users may have difficulties here too. Therefore, we will tell you in detail how to overclock a laptop processor using the SetFSB utility.

1. First of all, download the SetFSB program from the Internet.
2. The next step is to determine the PLL chip on the laptop processor. It is precisely this that generates the frequency for various components. How to find out which chip is on your device? Use a search engine and try to find the specifications of the motherboard installed on your laptop. Among the various information, the PLL chip may also be indicated. Naturally, you can remove back cover and look directly at the markings of the microcircuit.
3. Run SetFSB. In the “Control” section of the “Clock Generator” window, select your PLL chip model.
4. Click the Get FSB button. After which, information about various frequencies and the current processor frequency (Current CPU Frequency) will appear in the main window.
5. Check the box next to Ultra. Move the central slider located below to the right. Literally at 10-20 MHz. Click the SetFSB button.
6. Next we test the laptop. You can use some program for this. For example, Preime95. If the laptop has passed all the “tests” with dignity, then we return to the SetFSB utility and increase the frequency by another 10-15 MHz.
7. And so on until the laptop starts to freeze or reboot. This will mean that you have found the performance threshold. On the contrary, you will have to “roll back” and reduce the frequency by 10-15 MHz.

For reference! Some processors, for example, the popular Intel core i3, i5 and i7, are difficult to overclock. The fact is that the manufacturer has already configured them for maximum performance. All that can be achieved with custom overclocking is a 5-8% increase in power.

There are many other programs for overclocking the CPU. For example, for AMD chipsets these are AI Booster and AMD OverDrive. For laptops with an Intel processor, we can recommend Intel Desktop Control Center.

Overcalling(overclocking) is an increase in the performance of the processor, video card, system card and RAM of the computer. If we are talking about the processor, then this means an increase in frequency, voltage and multiplier.

Manufacturers always leave a 20-50% safety margin, which increases the time of maximum operation in a stable state. For example, operating at an optimal frequency of 1.8 Ghz, it has a maximum possible frequency of 3.0 Ghz. This means that with the correct sequence of actions performed during overclocking, you can achieve an increase in frequency to 3.0 Ghz. However, it is not a fact that the processor will be able to work in this state for a longer period than at a frequency of 1.8 Ghz.

How to overclock your processor!

No one gives guarantees that it will be possible to achieve an increase in frequency by 50%, but with simple steps, increasing the processor frequency by 20-30% will not be difficult.

The processor frequency is one of its main characteristics. Also, an important parameter of any processor is the multiplier - a number that, when multiplied by the FSB frequency of the bus, you can get the real frequency.

Therefore, the safest and easiest method of overclocking a processor is through bios. In this way, the frequency of the FSB system bus is increased, with the help of which the processor frequency is increased.

The processor frequency in all available variants will be 2 GHz:

• 166 – bus, 12 – frequency multiplication factor;
• 200 – bus, 10 – frequency multiplication factor;
• 333 – bus, 6 – frequency multiplication factor.

The simplicity of this method lies in the fact that the FSB frequency is changed directly in the BIOS or in a special program in 1 MHz steps.
Previously, this method of increasing the frequency could end sadly for the processor. However, today it will be very problematic to kill by increasing the frequency multi-core processor. As soon as a novice overclocker goes a little overboard with the frequency, the system will instantly reset all settings to default, and a reboot will return the computer to normal operation.

You can change the bus frequency by going into the BIOS and selecting the CPU Clock value. Press Enter on the existing value and enter the bus frequency. Nearby you can see the multiplier and the effective frequency of 2.8 GHz.

Please note that in the example the processor multiplier is quite high. In this case, it is recommended to increase the FSB in steps of 5-10 MHz, that is, the frequency will increase by 70-140 MHz. For other frequency and multiplier values, the bus frequency should be increased in increments of no more than 10%. You should not rush when overclocking, as a small step allows you to determine a more optimal frequency for your computer.

If you want to achieve the most tangible results, then you cannot do without a new cooler. I advise you to turn your attention to the Zalman cooler.
Temperature measurement tests are carried out at maximum processor operation. These measurements can be made using 3D Mark and Everest programs. If the temperature at maximum load is more than 70C, then it is necessary to increase the cooler speed to the maximum or reduce the FSB frequency.

The multiplier can also be changed, which affects the increase in frequency.

For example, at a frequency of 1.33GHz: 133 is the bus, 10 is the frequency multiplication factor. If you change the coefficient to 15, then instead of 1.33 GHz you can get 2.0 GHz.

However, there is one point - the processor must have an unlocked multiplier. Usually such processors are labeled as Extreme, but in cases where the Black Edition processor or AMD processor. But don’t be upset if the processor version is not Extreme, because when the right approach you can achieve good results. Although it is rather impossible to do without increasing the voltage. For example, an ordinary light bulb is the same processor, but its design is hundreds of thousands of times simpler than that of a processor. But despite this, the principle of their operation is approximately the same: the more voltage is applied, the brighter the result of their work will be.

Also, in order to achieve stability from the processor at high frequencies, you need to increase the voltage supplied to it. There are a few details to consider here:

• do not increase the voltage by more than 0.3 V;
• be sure to install a good cooler.

To do this, you need to go into the BIOS and go to the Power section Bios Setup and further in Vcore Voltege. In this section, you can increase the value by 0.1 V. After this, the cooler should be set to maximum and the FSB frequency should be set higher.

The processor is one of the most expensive components in a computer. The price of modern CPUs can exceed the cost of all other computer components, especially when it comes to server models.

When the user is faced with the task of slightly increasing the performance of the central processor, for example, for a more stable frame rate in a particular game, it is possible not to replace the CPU, but to overclock it. Intel and AMD processors can be overclocked, also called overlocking.

Overclocking allows you to increase the processor clock speed, which increases the number of instructions that the chip executes per second, that is, it increases CPU performance. In this article, we will consider the option of software overclocking of Intel and AMD processors, but it is also possible to carry out overlocking by replacing the BIOS.

Is it safe to overclock a processor?

The essence of overclocking a processor and video card is the same - the user, by replacing the original software “at a low level,” increases performance. If you look at this issue from a technical point of view, the voltage on the key components of the board simply increases, which allows you to achieve an increase in power.

Almost every processor running native software only operates at 50-60% of its maximum power. Accordingly, it can be overclocked, bringing this figure closer to 100%. But it is worth remembering that overclocking the processor is accompanied by:

At correct overclocking The risk of burning out the processor is minimal. It is important to understand that the capabilities of a particular CPU model are not unlimited, and it will not be possible to increase performance by 50-100%. It is recommended to overclock by no more than 15%.

Please note: Overclocking the processor also increases the performance of the RAM, which may negatively affect it.

Preparing to overclock the processor

Before you start overclocking the processor, it won’t hurt to read forums on the Internet with information from “experienced” specialists on a specific CPU model. The fact is that some processors, for example the basic i3, i5 and i7 series from Intel, are difficult to overclock, and it is better not to increase their power by more than 5-8%. At the same time, the line of K-series i-processors from Intel, on the contrary, is designed for overclocking, and the performance of such CPUs can be increased by 15-20% without any particular risks.

It is also important to know the overclocking potential so that clock cycles do not skip. With a strong increase in performance and signs of overheating, in order to reduce the temperature, the processor may begin to skip cycles. In this way, it will protect itself from failure, but the quality of its work will be significantly lower than before overclocking.

• Update Motherboard BIOS boards;
• Test the stability of the processor in normal mode. To do this, you need to install and use a diagnostic application, for example, S
• Determine the processor clock speed using the CPU-Z utility.

Once the preparation is complete, you can begin overclocking the processor.

Please note: Processor overclocking techniques for desktop computers and laptops are no different from each other. Despite this, when overlocking the CPU on laptops, you must be extremely careful and not raise the system bus frequency on the motherboard to high values.

How to overclock an Intel processor

Overlocking Intel processors can be done with several applications, each of which has its own pros and cons. Some of the programs are not suitable for certain processor models, others are not recommended for use by amateurs, and are suitable for professionals. Below are three of the most popular programs for overclocking Intel processors, of which at least one should be suitable for your CPU model and motherboard.

Important: To overclock an Intel processor, you need to know the model of the clock generator of the motherboard installed in the computer. The easiest way to determine it is to take it apart system unit(or laptop) and study the inscriptions on the motherboard. Some experts argue that when overclocking, you can use the brute force method, selecting all available clock generator options in the program until the correct one is found. We strongly do not recommend acting in this way; you must take care of determining the clock generator model in advance.

Overclocking an Intel processor with CPUFSB

One of the most common and convenient programs for processor overlocking it is CPUFSB. It is compatible with almost all modern CPUs from Intel, including support for overclocking i-series processors, that is, Intel Core i5, i7 and others. When overclocking a CPU, the CPUFSB application acts on the clock generator, increasing the reference frequency of the system bus. Among the advantages of the application, one can also highlight the presence of the Russian language, and the disadvantages include its cost, since the program is not officially distributed for free.

To overclock a processor using the CPUFSB utility, you must:

Please note: After restarting the computer set values overlocking will be reset. To prevent this from happening, you can set the value of the overclocked frequency in the “Set CPUFSB at next startup” column. Due to this, the application will automatically raise the frequency by a predetermined amount upon startup. If you need to keep the processor overclocked constantly, you can put the CPUFSB program in startup.

Overclocking an Intel processor with SetFSB

The operating principle of the SetFSB application is identical to that used in CPUFSB. The program also increases the system bus reference frequency by influencing the clock generator, which causes an increase in processor performance. Unlike CPUFSB, the SetFSB program does not support the Russian language. The utility is distributed for a fee on the developers' website.

Before you start overlocking using the SetFSB program, you need to look at the website of the application developers for a list of motherboards with which it works. If the board used on the computer is not listed, the application will not work.

It is worth noting: Unlike CPUFSB, the SetFSB application works well with relatively old processor models - Intel Core Two Duo. If you plan to overclock just such a CPU, you should give it preference over its competitors.

To overclock the processor using SetFSB, you must:

As with the CPUFSB program, overclocking results will be reset after rebooting the computer.

Overclocking an Intel processor with SoftFSB

SoftFSB is a well-proven program that is available for free and allows you to overclock your processor with ease. This utility has one significant drawback - its developers stopped supporting it in the mid-2000s. As a result, the program can only work with relatively old motherboards and Intel processors. It is often used system administrators in enterprises where computers have not changed for decades, and demands on their performance are growing even from standard applications.

SoftFSB works on the same principle as SetFSB, as well as CPUFSB, that is, by influencing the clock generator. Overclocking the processor in the application is performed according to the following algorithm:

The above describes the operating principle of the three most popular applications for overclocking processors. Intel different generations. Dozens of other programs designed for CPU overlocking work in a similar way.

How to overclock an AMD processor

As in the situation with overclocking a video card based on an AMD chip, you can use standard software from the manufacturer to overlock the processor. This allows the risk of chip burnout to be brought closer to zero. In this case, there are two options - use the program Catalyst Control Center, which is installed along with the drivers on the computer, or download from the official AMD website a special application for processor overlocking - AMD Overdrive.

Please note: Despite the fact that overclocking software is used from the chip manufacturer, AMD disclaims warranty obligations if overlocking is performed. This is indicated when the Overdrive function is activated, which is responsible for overclocking the processor.

To overclock an AMD processor using the Catalyst Contol Center program, you must:

As you can see, the Catalyst Control Center application does everything for the user, depriving him of the ability to control the process, which not everyone will like. The AMD Overdrive application allows you to take part in overclocking an AMD processor in more detail.