Build A Computer Like My Super PC

Overclocking

I don't really have anything against overclocking and I might tinker with it as time permits, but overclocking is not needed at all from a practical point of view.

There are four items where overclocking is typically done (if and when it's done) - the processor, the RAM bus, the processor on the video card and the RAM bus on the video card. Overclocking can be done on each item independently, and each makes a different contribution to improve computer performance.

Overclocking is the act of running your computer components beyond their specifications. And therein lies the first problem. It's possible to damage your computer by running in excess of the specifications. It has happened that overclocking the RAM bus has corrupted the hard drive. You should also assume that overclocking will shorten the life of the components you are overclocking. It definitely voids the warranty. Overclocking can be tedious and tricky. Not only might overclocking require modifications to your hardware, but the way you find how much overclocking you can do is by pushing it until your computer fails. How does the thought of doing either one of those sound to you? If your like me then it doesn't sound too appealing.

And overclocking will increase the heat generated by your computer, which means you'll likely need to spend money to add more cooling capacity, when really you were hoping to get more for your money by overclocking.

Increasing your computer performance by 20% through overclocking would be a huge success. That doesn't sound like much for a huge success. Your actual results could be much less. And you know what? You don't even need it. Not even if you improve your computer performance by 20%. There's nothing out there that My Super PC can't handle. And certainly nothing where overclocking 10% to 20% would be the difference.

And you know what else? Technology changes and price drops will overwhelm in six months the best you could do by overclocking. After I paid $200 for a AMD Athlon 1.0GHz Thunderbird processor, six months later the AMD Athlon 1.33GHz Thunderbird processor was selling for $130.

And if you're still not convinced that overclocking is not worth a whole lot of your time to improve computer performance then consider this - overclocking the processor by 20% (even in the unlikely event it will push that far) gives an overall system performance improvement of just around 10%! The reason is because the processor is not the performance bottleneck.

Next: Build A Computer Like My Super PC - How Fast Is It?

My complete recommendations for building a computer with quality components at unbeatable prices is on my home page at Build A Computer Like My Super PC - Cost To Build A Computer. Here again are the recommendations for a motherboard! Description Where I Would Get It Today Today's Price Comments ASUS Z97-A LGA 1150 Amazon $155.99 The Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UDH5 motherboard I'm using has outstanding quality and is a top performer. Unfortunately, it's been discontinued. This ASUS motherboard is very similar and would be my choice today. One difference is that the ASUS does not come with IEEE 1394, but it is cheaper and FireWire can be added for low-cost with a plug-in card. Bundles, Barebone Kits Motherboard Bundles TigerDirect Varies Clicking the link takes you directly to the page for bundles and systems. All of the components in My Super PC were purchased separately so that I got exactly what I wanted. But if you come across a bundle you like then you can be sure that all of the components are compatible. Bundles typically include at least the processor and motherboard, but can include much more. Combo Deals Newegg Varies Clicking the link takes you directly to the combo deals page. Once there you can search by category, such as "AMD Motherboards" and brand, such as "Gigabyte".

Skip Ahead

Introduction/Cost To Build A Computer   Computer Building Price Considerations   faq: OEM Definition   Case And Power Supply   Processor   Motherboard   BIOS Settings   RAM   Video Card   Sound Card   SSD - Solid State Drive   Hard Drive   faq: Can I Use My Old Hard Drive With A New Computer?   CD-ROM And CD-RW   DVD   Change The Front Panel On The DVD RW   Flat Panel LCD Monitor   Other Computer Hardware   Windows Operating System   Firewall   Sharing Cable Modem or DSL   CPU Cooler And Case Fans   Overclocking   How Fast Is It?   Assemble   What Problems Were There?   More About How To Get A Cheap Computer With Top Quality And High Performance   Changes For A Game Computer And Enjoying Computer Games   Changes For A Computer With MP3 Music As A Priority   Media Center PC   Help And Support   faq: How Can I Tell What I Already Have In My Computer?

© 2001-2015, Rob Williams, all rights reserved.