hey guys,
i'm really new to overclocking and am just wondering a couple of questions. I actually just bought all the parts mentioned below a couple of days ago, almost a whole new system really.

Heres my system specs:
Processor - E6550 2.33Ghz C2D
GFX Card - 8800GTS 320MB Gigabyte
RAM - 2GB 800Mhz
Mobo - GA-P35-DS3
OS - Windows Vista Ultimate x64

Questions:
1. What does the term "burn in" mean?
2. For my graphics card, a lot of guides i have read about overclocking say to turn the PCI-E frequency thing to 100Mhz but when i did that my GFX card went all crappy and games were performing very bad. Heres a pic from my BIOS (the red rectangle is around the part im wondering about):

You don;t have enough of any of the right things or the right stuff... it seems to me.
You have a nice Gigabyte motherboard, and a fairly slow processor and a less than stellar video graphics card. I don't know what the advantage might be to overclocking a slow machine... other than good experience.

"Burn in" just means that you run the system at normal speed and mode, just to get all the parts used to working together... it tests the machine before you ruin something.

I get the CPU thing, but whats wrong with my graphics card?

BTW: the reason i diddnt go for that great of a processor is because i plan to upgrade to a newer one in about a year (or less).

raybay, are you serious mate?
Thats a very decent spec'd core2duo machine, and spot on for overclocking.
GFX card is top notch and no need whatsoever to overclock it.
The DS3 boards are notoriously fantastic for overclocking with the newer P35chipset.
DOMINATOR: if you want to overclock your cpu, its the relation between the cpu clock ratio, host frequency and ram timings that you need you consider.
If you're new to it, do it sparingly. But the E series cpu's will clock very well without risk. Turn your multiplier up from x7, go to x8, and see what happens to all your other settings and temps. Monitor them a while then learn from that.
Consider that the E6300 can overclock on air easily to 3GHz..... you've not bought a bad rig at all mate.

Phew, Raybay had me really worried lol. I dont plan to overclock the graphics card cause as you said there is no need. I can't increase the multiplier to x8 its minimum is 6 and max is 7. But for the PCI-E frequency, what should i do? i changed it to 100Mhz and it would run bad and i read that if i leave it on auto then the voltage will automatically go up and damage the card.

also, if i set the v core too high will i fry the cpu or will there be an error or something which stops it from happening.

-Thanks

raybay is a very well respected member who knows his onions (and pc's), its just on this occasion i have a differing opinion based on my experience of building DS3/Exxxx rigs.
The gfx is without question just about the best card available and DOES NOT need to have its clock settings played with at all.
PCI-E shouldn't be touched as its relating directly to your gfx card. If in doubt reset the bios.
You can't increase the multiplier beyond x7? Check the other screens see if you an unlock the multiplier (i can't remember off hand what i did to mine, sorry )
Ok, your screenie says system voltage not optimized. Is that becasue you arsed around with the PCI-E?
Reset the bios.

If i remember what i did to mine, i'll repost later.

I'll look around to try unlock the multiplier tomorrow and post back, ive been on the computer for a while and my mums starting to think im a zombie lol. Ive reset the BIOS since that picture, so its all back to default. The reason it says its not optimized is because "system voltage control" is set to manual, it has an auto option. If it is on auto everything below that option becomes disabled and is automatically controlled by the motherboard (including the cpu voltage control), should i set it to auto or manual (and change the core voltage etc manually?).

BTW: i figured that raybay was probably pretty respected and knew what he was talking about, thats why i diddnt contest his opinion.

Thats perfectly fair enough mate, they are after all opinions, and they will vary. May be worth hanging around for raybay to post again as he may have had different experience with your kind of setup than me, that prompted him to say what he said.

Its 'usually' ok to let the system auto configure the voltages, but i'd manually set the ram voltage. Check the ram manufacturers website for the correct voltage setting.

OK mate, im about the go to work (with my uncle) cause its school holidays im helping (5am right now lol), as soon as i get home ill do it all and post back, thanks.

I agree that would be perfectly overclockable, And the processor is not bad at all hell i only have a 3.0 p4

Thats a nice vid card. Don't think there's any reason to overclock it. I wouldn't overclock unless you have to. Shortens the life of the hardware.