Overclocking is a collection of methods for making components run faster than the manufacturer intended. Once little more than a hobby for die-hard geeks and value-seekers, overclocking has become a way—sometimes the only way—for performance fanatics to get the system performance they really want/need. With graphics and memory technologies forging ahead at a brisk pace, central processors are quickly becoming the second-most restrictive component in many high-end systems.
If you feel forced into overclocking just to get a high-performance benchmark from the best parts, mid-budget enthusiasts are certain to find their lower-cost parts mind-numbingly slow. Because most buyers can’t afford the best components, the majority of overclockers come from the mainstream market.
There are two groups who overclock out of perceived necessity: those who need more performance than the market provides, and those who need more performance than they can afford to purchase.
Tom’s Hardware puts much of its editorial efforts into testing and overclocking the latest high-end parts, but today we’re going to focus on a few processors that most mainstream readers can afford and enjoy: AMD’s Phenom II X2 and X4, and Intel’s Pentium Dual-Core and an entry-level Core 2 Quad.
Mitigating Risks
Though we’re obligated to tell everyone that overclocking is a great way to put important data at risk, many Tom’s Hardware editors even employ it on their all-important work PCs. Methods that ensure stability are just as important as those that assure longevity, and any data that can't be replaced should be backed up to at least two devices, regardless of whether or not the primary system is overclocked.
All machines wear out, and forcing a component to run beyond its specifications is a sure way to make it wear out faster. In electronics, the biggest source of wear is a phenomenon known as electromigration, whereby ions are slowly transferred from a structure to the adjacent structure under the force of electrical current. Major contributing factors include increased heat and voltage, but the limits of heat and voltage vary with different materials, different production technologies, and expected component lifespan.
Increased voltage allows a stronger signal to be carried between various components, reducing signal loss that can occur as the result of overclocking and thereby allowing higher component operational frequency. As we overclock today’s four processor samples, we’ll discuss the voltage and temperature limits we’ve chosen as well as the expected lifespan, testing each part for complete stability.
- Why Overclock?
- Understanding The Lingo
- Getting Started, The Hardware
- Keeping It Cool
- More Shared Hardware
- Overclocking AMD's Phenom II X2 550
- Phenom II X2 550 O/C Performance And Efficiency
- Overclocking AMD's Phenom II X4 955
- Phenom II X4 955 O/C Performance And Efficiency
- Overclocking Intel's Pentium E5200
- Pentium E5200 O/C Performance And Efficiency
- Overclocking Intel's Core 2 Quad Q8200
- Core 2 Quad Q8200 O/C Performance And Efficiency
- Recommendations

..or allows, considering different models often come off the same wafer xD
Still, I doubt the AMD-basher's will let that one rest..
I would like to keep cool and quiet on at all times because i dont would want a high power bill and because my computer is on for a few days in a row. So my challenge would be how can i keep the voltage and clocks very low at idle but maintain a resonable desktop preformance. However for gaming i can use some extra headroom. i like to fine tune it well.
Better would be to choose something else, then have a side note saying 'do not buy this part to OC'.
To be honest, switching to budget mobos wouldn't have affected the outcome that much; from what reviews I've heard the MSI 770-C45 is a perfectly decent AM3 budget OC board going for a pittance and there are a few MSI and Gigabyte P35/P43 mobos in the same price range on the Intel side of things.
Thanks for a very interesting thread
(Even if criticed by some)
What would be the lifespan of the processor.