How to Overclock for a Beginner
How to Overclock for a Beginner
Compared to most people here, I’m still getting used to working with computers and modifying them. If you handed me a case and some components, I could assemble it and get it running, or point out that the parts won’t fit. But I’m just starting out with things like overclocking—maybe basic for most pros. I own a custom MSI Z77 MPower board with an Intel I-5 3570K at 3.40 GHz. The software and Windows 7 I bought let me overclock the CPU, and I have a Zalman liquid cooler between two fans plus a PNY XLR8 NVIDIA GTX550TI DDR5 1GB card (about three to four years old). My question is, how do I get access to and control overclocking my system? What benefits would overclocking bring me? I’m not very familiar with PC jargon, so I’m asking in a straightforward way. I want to learn, not risk damaging my setup by guessing instructions.
we've all been there, don't worry about it.
the best advice i can offer is to ask questions as you go and clarify what each part means. just keep temperatures under 90c—no need to rewrite a full paper.
i’ve shared a few helpful videos that made a difference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CHs5_TdpXE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRiEStzOYeo
this one might be a bit dull but it’s really useful for someone stuck on pc language.
Thanks for the references. I was about halfway through the first video and it prompted me to run a performance check on my PC using the Windows Experience Index. As a diesel truck mechanic, I know these systems can be tricky, so I’m wondering if PCs are any different from what I’m used to. Here’s the information:
Component Score
Processor- Calculations per Second: 7.5
Memory- Operations per Second: 7.5
Graphics- Desktop Performance for Windows Aero: 7.4
Gaming Graphics- 3D Business & Gaming Graphics Performance: 7.4
Primary Hard Disk- Disk Data Transfer Rate: 5.9
After rebuilding the machine—switching from a stock Dell AMD board to an MSI Z77 full-size motherboard—I compared a standard hard drive with a solid state drive mainly because of the larger capacity. Could this be the reason for my low rating? My overall score is 5.9, which reflects the lowest subscore. I regularly play Flight Simulator X, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Farming Simulator 2011 & 2013. All of them seem to lag at times. Should I try overclocking, or would adding around five SSDs and moving everything to them be necessary for optimal performance? I also noticed the same graphics card received a similar overall rating on my outdated motherboard with the standard AMD processor. My performance didn’t improve even after upgrading the board, processor, and using the regular HDD.
SilverFord01 :
Thanks for the references. I was halfway through the first video and it prompted me to run a performance check on my PC using the Windows Experience Index. As a diesel truck mechanic, I know these systems can be tricky, so I’m curious if PCs are any different. Here’s what I found:
Component Score
Processor- Calculations per Second: 7.5
Memory- Operations per Second: 7.5
Graphics- Desktop Performance for Windows Aero: 7.4
Gaming Graphics- 3D Business & Gaming Graphics Performance: 7.4
Primary Hard Disk- Disk Data Transfer Rate: 5.9
After rebuilding the machine (switching from a stock Dell AMD board to an MSI Z77 full-size motherboard), I compared a standard hard drive with a solid state drive mainly because of the larger capacity. Could this be the reason for my low rating? My overall score is 5.9, based on the lowest score. I regularly play Flight Simulator X, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Farming Simulator 2011 & 2013. All seem slow at times. Should I try overclocking, or should I install around five SSDs and move everything to them for better performance? Note that I used the same graphics card with the same rating on my old motherboard and processor.
In general, they don’t lie, but if you suspect it might be CPU or GPU throttling, they won’t. I’d also run a stress test—options like Cinebench or 3DMark for GPU using Unigine Valley or 3DMark would help. The Windows Experience Index is outdated, but the best approach is to use one SSD for Windows and your important apps, with an HDD for bulk storage.
To be honest, your system looks like it needs an upgrade soon for gaming. A new motherboard CPU (unless gaming isn’t too CPU-heavy), a GPU, and one SSD for the OS would work well if you prefer.
I should note that the CPU I bought was promoted by both Intel and Fry's Electronics as an unlocked processor. After the rebuild, when I launch the PC it displays a Processor Performance window indicating the GHz rating. Anything under 3.40 GHz is labeled as "Eco" mode. Occasionally it jumps higher and provides a rating such as 3.6GHz or 3.8GHz. Is this an indication of autoclocking?
this is referred to as turbo mode, essentially when the user wants to perform more tasks it increases its speed to reach turbo speed.
it might be a feature that could be found in some videos, though it remains standard.
i think this was mentioned in one of the videos as well.
So simply what you're proposing is swapping out an unlocked CPU with an OS on an SSD, then playing any games—like FSX, Farming Sim, or GTA 5—on another SSD, and using a regular HDD for storing pictures and videos? Or am I misunderstanding this completely? Where should I find instructions for running a stress test? I haven’t come across any link or resource for such a test.
you might not be able to install all your games on the ssd, but that's okay. i can just run my favorite game on the ssd along with os. you could still get good performance from the oc cpu, but you'll notice a big improvement in startup time and game loading speed with the ssd. if you want higher fps, you should check your gpu next.
In Task Manager under Windows, the Quad Core Processor displays cores 0,1,2,&3. Within WTM, CPU 1,2 are heavily using resources near the start and aircraft selection area (50-80% usage depending on the core). This behavior is surprising for a high-end processor and graphics card to consume under the start menu. The graphics performance remains unchanged compared to the original motherboard and AMD chip that came with a $350 desktop. I've spent over $1000 on this setup—covering case, motherboard, processor, power supply, RAM, graphics card, CPU cooler, fans, and hard drive. I kept the old HD because it still holds important files, but due to Microsoft's choices, I had to purchase another one to install Windows 7, which you're all likely aware of. I'm struggling to understand what's going on.
if you're using that cpu at 50-80% load there might be an issue possibly a virus, and this one could really annoy you. but if you create a repair disk before installing your new hardware, and then run it after installation, windows should function properly.