Understanding the Risks and Benefits of Overclocking
Overclocking the components within your computer can be a lot of fun, but you really need to realize the ramifications of your actions along with the benefits that you stand to gain. Don’t take this article to mean that you shouldn’t overclock your computer, just that you should completely grasp what the end results can be.
Disadvantages of Overclocking:
- You’ll most likely void your warranty:
What you’re doing to your system is modifying it to operate differently then it was initially intended to. Once you’ve overclocked the component, you will no longer be able to take advantage of the warranty that the manufacturer has offered.
- Your system has to deal with added stress:
Computer components are meant to have a lot of life to them. That is, if you’re running them how they’re suppose to be run. By increasing their voltage and stress, you can’t always guarantee how long you’ve got until you’ll be replacing that piece of hardware.
- Your system runs a lot hotter:
Don’t want to fry your components instantly? Get ready to drop some extra dough on cooling devices for whatever you overclocked, and even for just your case in general. Just because your overclocked hardware can handle the heat without added cooling, doesn’t mean other components can.
- Efficiency is not increased:
Just because you’ve managed to overclock your CPU, doesn’t mean that it’s as efficient as a more expensive chip that operates by default at that speed. No matter what you do overclocking wise, the instruction set for the CPU will still remain at what it was mean to, limiting your efficiency gain.
- Overclocking will frustrate you, big time:
Hope you don’t mind the chances of your system just not working without any indication as to why. Many times when you overclock a system, you’ll end up running into a series of oddities that you can’t always explain. Thus, the process isn’t always cut and dry and can become very time consuming.
Pros of Overclocking:
- Raised clockspeed:
You may not get the same efficiency as the CPU $200 more expensive then the one you bought, but you’ll definitely see a jump in performance over the default speeds that it currently operates at.
- More dough in your pocket:
New hardware costs big money, and while overclocking won’t get you neck and neck with that new hardware, it will keep you close enough to not spend your vacation money on a new component.
- You’ll know your system like the back of your hand:
Computer knowledge is gained through hands on activities. By opening up your system and getting a feel for it, you’ll be able to grasp a lot more than you were before. Even if this isn’t your first time inside your computer, you’ll definitely learn something new.
- Showing Off:
People don’t mod their cars to keep in their garage. Gamers don’t overclock their computers to not show off at the next lan party.