Overclock Intel Core 2 Quad Core using FSB.
Overclock Intel Core 2 Quad Core using FSB.
I don't know anything about CPU overclocking and I'm really worried about making a mistake that could damage my computer. I have an Intel Core 2 Quad Core Q9300 at 2.5GHz, a G31TM-P35 MSI MB motherboard, and one DDR2 1GB 800MHz Kingston RAM unit. How much can I push the CPU to? Can I go beyond it in a way that causes problems? Also, I noticed it seems like 133MHz is the target for RAM speed on MSI's overclock tool. Thanks.
AfterFX2 :
The extent to which I can overclock my CPU varies.
In short, it depends on your setup.
You can push it until hardware constraints are reached—typically CPU temperature, voltage limits, or motherboard FSB restrictions.
Be careful not to let temperatures rise too much (the 45nm Core 2 Quads should stay under about 70°C/158°F), and maintain core voltage around 1.4V (Intel’s max was 1.4–1.45).
Core 2 Quads tend to handle overclocking well, and the G31 chipset on your board is likely to reach its limits quickly, so it should not be pushed too far.
G31 usually caps around ~340–360MHz based on past experience, which fits with how the Q9300 operates.
Wow, I wasn't expecting this level of detail. It looks like I should probably skip any action if I think the CPU is running slow (because 1GB of RAM is likely the issue). Thanks!
AfterFX2 :
Wow, I wasn't expecting such a detailed response. Maybe I shouldn't do anything if I think the CPU is running slow (because 1GB of RAM is the bottleneck here). Thanks mate!
That's correct. Trying to overclock this CPU won't help much. It's wiser to add 2-3GB more RAM and then try to overclock it.
You should be able to get it running at over 3GHz.