why overclock?? n00b questions

nialater

Solid State Member
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just a few questions why do ppl overclock?
Does it give you better speed/performance?
Does it shorten the life span or certian componets?
If you have your tower properly cooled then would everything be fine?
Im looking to build a gaming comp but i do not want to spend a whole lot of money so if i overclock instead of buying higher end componets then will i be ok? I really have no idea what im doing so im posting on here in hopes that i will leran more. If anyone could list the pros and cons of overclocking i would appreciatly greatly. The games i want to play are crysis, cod4/5(when it comes out) oblivion, wow, etc.
Thanks guys
 
They overclock to get better performance out of their CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.

Yes it increases speed.

I would assume so, it exposes the pieces to more heat.

Yes, it would be fine.

If the overclock is stable there is no con really, except that it voids you're warranty I think.
 
If the overclock is stable there is no con really, except that it voids you're warranty I think.

It shortens the lifespan of the hardware you're trying to overclock.
 
Well, yeah. I mentioned earlier that I wasn't sure (I said "I assume so" when he asked for the lifespan). But it's not a significant decrease is it? I mean...by the time it dies, you're probably out buying a new one anyways.
 
1/. Speed/ performance increase is the goal of overclocking
2/. It can do if certain parameters are exceeded
3/. A well ventilated tower is a must, also aftermarket cooling for components is recommended.
4/. Certainly overclocking will provide better performance from lower priced components though there are limits (and extra costs) associated with it.
It shortens the lifespan of the hardware you're trying to overclock.
Not unless you run highly elevated voltages/frequencies 24/7. Most average overclocks will have no discernable effect on hardware.

I mean...by the time it dies, you're probably out buying a new one anyways.
this is correct, as I said above, moderate overclocks are pretty harmless.
 
You will still need at least mid range components to get a decent gaming rig built with overclocks alone. But it does not cost alot for mid range just don't get the very cheapest components you can find and hope to overclock to a great computer.
 
It shortens the lifespan of the hardware you're trying to overclock.

Components last years and years. I would completely forget about this negative point. I overclocked my CPU an amazing amount on a stock cooler, and it still works fantastic after 2 years. Its been on for the for the past 7 months and its never blown up
 
alright guys thanks i was looking at the gaming rig in the build guide heres a few more questions.
Is the overclocked midrange ($1000 build) better then the midrange non-overclocked build?
Is it worth it to build the overclocked version?
Anyother seggestions to improve that build while staying around $1000. any ideas/seggestions are welcome.
 
Well mid range will cost the same regardless. If your looking to spend $1000 then spend $1000. Overclocking costs nothing so a mid range overclocked build will be same componants as mid range build except that you manually overclock your computer.

Oh yeah and don't buy factory overclocked components because you can manually overclock these components yourself.
 
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