How do I o/c athlon 4200 X2 using windows?

[david_uk]

sorry for the simplistic question but I need to know how to do this for when I get it! I plan on getting a 4200 X2 (or even a 3800 X2) but just want to know how to overclock this by just 10% eg. from 2ghz to 2.2 ghz. How is this done? Is there somewhere in windows that you can just click on to say 'overclock processor'?!

 

[fishmahn]

You can download a program to do it (I've heard of a couple but never paid them any mind so I don't remember them), some mobos come with software to do it, but what most of the regulars here do (myself included) is turn up the clock in BIOS.

Mike.

 

[david_uk]

turn up the clock in bios? how much do you have to turn it up to get 10% o/c. and what if the wrong value is entered and it goes wrong lol

 

[Admiral_Cecil]

Hello,

What kind of motherboard do you have?

Mine is the A8N-SLI. In the bios, there should be a part that allows you to AI Overclock by 5%, 10%, or 20%. You can also manually overclock to your CPU's max (ie my AMD64 3200+ goes from 2.0ghz to 2.5 ghz max/ stable).

 

[david_uk]

I expect motherboard to be either:

ASUS A8N-VM - Nforce 410 PCI-Express Mainboard - Micro ATX

or:

ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe PCI-Express Mainboard - ATX

but i'm really just looking for an easy solution using windows as I don't want to mess anything up lol

although if it is as simple as being able to select overclock by 5%, 10% or 20% then that might be an option.

 

[SidVicious]

Like most things in life, no pain, no gain.

Although most motherboard manufacturers will include software that allows slight overclocks from within the OS, the best results come from tweaking at the BIOS level.

Just read on the subject, ask questions on forums and study your motherboard manual (which can be downloaded as .PDF before you purchase your motherboard), overclocking does'nt require a PhD in quantum physics.

By the way, you can't really screw up (unless you physically damage a component due to gross negligence like running your CPU without an heatsink or shoving 4.5V through your RAM), if your system refuse to boot after you changed a BIOS setting, just turn off the PSU, remove the CMOS battery and clear the CMOS with the appropriate jumper.

 

[david_uk]

ok thanks. hardly understood a word of that last sentence, mind.

just reading through the manual now for the ASUS A8N-VM - Nforce 410 PCI-Express Mainboard and it says the C.P.R (CPU Parameter Recall) feature of the motherboard bios allows automatic re-setting to the bios default settings in case the system hangs due to overclocking. When the system hangs due to overclocking, CPR eliminates the need to open the system chassis and clear the RTC data. simply shut down and reboot the system, and the bios automatically restores the cpu default setting for each parameter. clever!

and it says, you do not need to clear the RTC when the system hangs due to overclocking. for system failure due to overclocking, use the CPR feature. shut down and reboot the system so the bios can automatically reset parameter settings to default values.

 

[SidVicious]

That's nice of 'em to have that feature but, believe me, you'll eventually have to manually pop the battery out and use that CMOS reset jumper.

Once you get to do it 3 or 4 times, you'll be able to find your way around the motherboard, not even looking at what you're doing (that's what I do).

 

[Mfusick]

What MOBO did you end up buying?