What is it and can it help the performance of my computer?
If it will, how do i do it?
Thanx

hi z@x,

1. simply put... overclocking = making your processor operate faster than it's rated (default) speed

2. yes it can help the performance of a computer (that doesn't mean that it will)

3. if the computer that you're referring to is the Dell e310 listed in your profile, then you cannot overclock.

to overclock any significant amount (noticeable performance gain) it must be done through the BIOS. unfortunately OEM PC's like Dells have crippled BIOSes that lack overclocking options. also the hardware itself (mobo, ram, psu, etc.) are generally lower quality and are not up to the task of overclocking either.

sorry to be the bearer of bad news

***please note that I am not intending to put your system down in any way. Dells are decent quality and reliable machines, they simply cannot overclock***

cheers

SHOT DOWN!

Next time i would recommend NOT buying a dell. As Kingcody said they're great home office machines but if you're looking to overclock anything or even thinking about it i'd easily recommend going elsewhere. Building your own computer is great fun but can be quite cumbersome. Do some homework before you plan on upgrading your computer. The advantages for overclocking usually won't advantage them in day to day things but moreso in gaming or video encoding. If you're browsing the internet and playing mp3's on Itunes don't worry about overclocking.

KingCody,
I love the term "crippled bios"... I'll use it from now on The best thing Z@X can do to improve the performance of his Dell is to increase system memory and maybe get a faster/bigger hard drive

I had two dells; I got rid of two dells. Simply put.

Dell's are good office computers that tend to use cheaper motherboards, memory, hard drives, and power supplies. Most people awe at their cheap prices, but there is a reason to it. No doubt they last long, I am typing on a Dell right now that was built in 2001, and am next to a Dell that was probably built before that, and still works. I am not saying that they are a bad computer, thay are just not perfect for gaming [except their new gaming series (duh)].
There are programs you can use to try to overclock the processor, although they have never worked for me, and I would not suggest it. Usually the overclock one gets on the computer is not significant anyway. When/if you get a computer in the future, I would build one to save money and have the overclocking ability. One more question, are you a gamer?


EDIT:
About your cpu; you have a Pentium IV with Hyper Threading technology which tricks the computer into thinking you have 2 cpu's, even though you don't, it acts like you do. It is a common mistake (I myself was tricked by it before, and then I realized that Pentium IV doesn't make a dual-core processor with the help of this fine website.)

cfitzarl,
this is basically true with all off-the-shelf computer systems now days. They all buy motherboards with "crippled" bios and limited features. No matter what CPU is used, you can bet it and the system memory are under utilized to say the least. Even the dreadded Emachines do this to a far greater degree. Old processor and old memory on a new full-featured motherboard makes quite a difference in performance... I prefer to build my own systems, with the exception of using Retrobox.com for some great deals on the old compaq computers that were really built well for their time

I realize this as my parents' also have a Vaio, which is limited as well. I just said Dell because that's what computer he/she has. I also prefer to build computers, as they save a lot of money most of the time. I would think that the brand name computers "cripple" the Bios so they don't keep getting calls from newbies who do not have the intelligence and the patience to figure out how to overclock. Or they don't want people getting more for their money .

Well said cfitzarl

no biggie guys, i hate dell too. they pre-install tons of programs before you even buy the computer! One more question though, will my e310 be able to handle a core 2 duo? I hope it can
Edit:could i use an omega driver with my mobo to enable overclocking?

Don't overclock if you need to ask what overclocking is - its as simple as that.

Regards,

Korrupt

Agreed. Dont overclock if you:
- don't have the experience or
- someone to walk you through it or
- money to buy replacement parts if it goes belly up and/or
- if its a machine you can't risk being offline for a long period untill you get it repaired

Everyone that overclocks at one point didn't know what it was or how to do it.

But if you don't know, asking questions on forums such as this and googling are the best and sometimes the only way to learn.

Also SNGX1275,
if you haven't fried a system by trying to Overclock, you haven't lived! Thank goodness for resetable bios

Whaaa?

Flashing the BIOS won't bring back any fried components, that's very misleading!

Lol, indeed that is. Maybe he means "If you haven't caused a system to be unable to POST, then you haven't lived!"

I did that once and freaked out till I realized the CMS_CLR jumper was there for a reason.

The newer motherboards will "blue screen" if you push the board too far. You turn the computer off, reset the CMOS by jumper or removing the CMOS battery for a time. This is NOT flashing the bios by the way, i_am_a_newbie! This is called resetting the bios. This changes the CPU multipliers and votages back to nominal levels, and allows the computer to boot normally. In the "old days", you could fry a board or components before you knew what happened by trying to overclock the processor

But the good ol' soldering iron with a bit of solder and some parts will

That and having a bit of mulah in the bank....

although that is if you try and do something extremely silly with your overclock..

So N3051M,
you are handy with a soldering iron? I have done my share of component level troubleshooting and repair

Er yeah...I always say flash when I mean reset. Bad habit I suppose. I know what flashing is too ;\

but you can still fry your components by upping the voltage too high. I've seen it happen with semi-top of the line motherboards.