Is  overclocking my CPU a good idea?
954026
origamimark is completely correct. The benefits are small and will cause your CPU to fail much sooner. I would look into other methods before risking burning your CPU. Like he said, more memory, faster hard drives, etc.
567056
Overclocking is running your CPU (processor) at a frequency (speed) higher than that advertised. Don't worry about overclocking. If you don't know what you are doing and you try to overclock, you _will_ damage your computer irreperably.\n\n2GB RAM should be sufficient (is it fast enough? ;-).\nYou might consider getting a faster CPU, a bigger HD, faster video card, better sound card, etc., depending on your needs. (If the sound quality sucks or you are an audiophile, get a better sound card; if the video is slow, get a better video card; etc.)\n\nJudging by the company who made your computer, you might just want to build a new one from scratch. If you're interested, read my article about that at http://www.sitespaces.net/blog.php?viewblog&706\n\nAfter your computer is built, you should also look at "how can i increase [my] system speed?" on Yahoo Answers - http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1006050513853
77369
Most overclocking is done in the motherboard bios, or changing jumpers on the board.\n\nThe most common way is to change the multiplier, so the chip runs faster than the speed it was intended. Another way is to change the front side bus clock speed.\n\nyou should access the computer bios and look for this options, or read the mb manual and look if you need to modify the jumpers.\n\nso there is no new software needed to overclock, its already on the computer\n\n=)
257683
Your CPU is a Socket 478 with a 400MHz FSB. You'd need to find a Pentium that fits that socket and uses a 400MHz FSB. Your upgrade options are limited because it is an older socket. An upgrade for your CPU would be about $100 for a 2.0GHz P4, but the benefits probably aren't going to be anything to write home about. I personnaly don't think it's worth the trouble. Save up and buy a new motherboard and CPU.
234913
I would recommend an AMD processor.
1091475
The last time I checked Intel motherboards do not allow overclocking...they lock the frequency multiplier and do not allow it to be changed...that is why most people use Abit and Asus boards.
292885
Yes, it sounds weird, but I swear, a Chemistry friend of mine did it. And it worked. Basically, put some rubbing alcohol in a container, put it on top of your CPU and have a fan blow on the rubbing alcohol. Since it has a lower freezing point than water, it should help to cool it down further.\n\nBut, seriously, what are you doing to it? Because it takes a lot of effort to get it that hot, especially it being what it is. Does the room you have it in above 80degrees F? That might be an issue. Did you build your PC? Sometimes they may have overclocked it for you and you don't even know it.\n\nHope you find a solution. I seem to be stumped. Sorry, good luck.\n\nATTENTION: Addition, please read\n\nReceived your inquiry but I can't seem to reply back. It says that your e-mail address has yet to be confirmed. Hope this gets to you.\n\nIn answer, when they say that your processor speed is say 2.2Ghz, that is not your maximum running speed but your optimum. It is not good to run it faster than optimum as that could cause increased wear and tear. You can however tweak it to run faster.\n\nOne way to find out is to take the name of the processor and check it directly with the manufacturer to find out what the speed is. As I don't have any of your specs, that is all I can say.\n\nPS: Have you talked to the Tech Support about this? I think you should if you haven't.\nPPS: Silly question, but have you checked to see if there is enough coolant or water in there?
720245
AMD CPU is a good one...
335447
This question is unanswerable.  The amount you can overclock is system-specific and relies on other factors as well.  It is a trial and error process.  If you overclock and recieve lockups, errors, or erratic behavior from the hardware, then slow it down.  If not, keep going til you do.\n\nAnd no.  it's not compatible with dx9\n\nTo Conrad:  Hey, this is what I'm running!!  No making fun\n\nAthlon XP 2800+ @ 2.08GHz OC-d to 2.26GHz\n1GB PC 2700 DDR OC-d from 333MHz to 350MHz (I got it up to 360, but system hard-locked when I started FarCry)\n100 GB 7200RPM HDD (quick replacement to my 120GB Seagate that died - not even sure of the model.)\nDVD-ROM & CD-R/RW drives\n256MB GeForce FX 5200 (250MHz core 400MHz RAM OC-d to 286MHz and 452MHz)\nWindows XP Home SP2, tightly tweaked and maintained.\n\nHow horrible is the "ownage" level from your system to mine?  Just curious.  I may post this as a separate question just for the hell of it.
678424
pretty simple, install the program CPU-Z (it's free)\nhttp://www.cpuid.com
862321
you should use your bios to do so,by  pressing the delete button while your PC is starting up, in the bios menu there should be a clock speed in megahertz setting that you can change, for instance from 100 Hertz to 110 Hertz, this will change the speed of the CPU from higher to lower respectively. But I would not recommend overclocking AMD CPU, the AMD tends to run much warmer than Intel PC, so add extra coolers or upgrade the CPU fan before overclocking it, monitor the CPU temperature carefully afterwords, especially after heavy processing, if  applications start behaving strangely, then I would recommend switching back to the normal settings
832398
100 % YES\n\ngaming is among the most demanding of applications\nevery extra ounce of energy is precious to it\n> processor speed, fsb, cache, memory, graphics .... all of it\nram, sure yes !\n> by all means, go right ahead > happy gaming !
515246
No, you have PLENTY of RAM, it IS the CPU, look, youre using a Pentium 3, that is 1.0 GHz.  RAM does NO good if you dont have a processor that can handle the tasks.  Now, it may not be your CPU at all, maybe some recent hardware/software changes caused it, after all, you said in the past couple of weeks.  If you still want to up your processor performance, I reccomend overclocking, or upgrading to a new CPU.
803217
yes buy a faster processor just make sure you get one of the same brand thats in there and that the motherboard will support it by going to the manufacturer of the motherboards website and looking at the specs or reading the book that came with it
133353
I think it's the colder the better. messed around with water cooling (quieter) for a while, haven't done any overclocking for ages though so knowledge a bit sketchy
1000934
I suggest that you might opt to choose a Pentium 4 LGA775 HT Technology. So that you could max up your applications and tasks to the fullest...
124019
The term 'overclocking' describes the process of running your CPU at a clock and/or bus speed that the CPU hasn't been specified for - logically, that speed is usually higher.\n\nThe tempting idea behind overclocking is to increase system performance at very little cost. In many cases you only need to change a few settings on your motherboard to make your system run faster. In other cases you only have to add a few components (usually for cooling) to achieve the performance increase.\n\nAlthough there are millions of tales of damaged CPUs and other system components, in most cases overclocking is completely harmless. There are, however, a few things to take into consideration.\n\nYou can read more on:\nhttp://www.tomshardware.com/1997/01/02/overclocking_guide/\nhttp://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/cpuoverclocking/index.html