For those less familiar with the term, overclocking is the art of tweaking a computer component such as a processor in order to make it run at a specification higher than the one rated by its manufacturer.
How is this possible you say? Every computer part produced by companies such as Intel and AMD are tested and then certified for a given speed. However, most parts are underrated for increased confidence in the numbers. This is where overclocking comes into play. Overclocking is simply taking advantage of the untapped potential that exists for a given part but that the manufacturer is unwilling to guarantee.
Over the years, we have heard it all. According to some, overclocking could very well be the single most important factor behind global warming. Others have claimed that overclocking a computer will not only shorten the life span of its CPU but also of its owner... Joking aside, we routinely receive all sorts of overclocking questions from our users. Through these, we have identified key misconceptions that people have on the subject of overclocking. We thought it would be interesting to compile a list of the biggest offenders and try to demystify them.
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This is a great article and should be read it if u want OC ur rig or even if u are an overclocker with experience.
Original source: lavalys