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Due to the popularity of these mini laptops that have sprung up everywhere, Microsoft has ben convinced to keep Windows XP alive for the next few years. While overclocking your computer doesn’t restrict you to any particular operating system, there hasn’t been a lot of need for overclockers to switch over to using Windows Vista besides DX 10. Unfortunately if you’re overclocking your computer to max out your gaming potential, you’re going to need to load up Windows Vista to do that. For the rest of you, Microsoft has answered your prayers for some tweaks and fine tuning expected to be released Tuesday, April 29th in the newest Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3).

Continue Reading: "An Overclockers Dream: Windows XP SP3 Due April 29th"...

Popularity: 72% [?]

Gigabyte has always been know for going the distance when it comes to building their motherboards, but their Extreme P45 Intel Chipset board really takes the cake.

The Gigabyte EP45 Extreme is equipped to support an Intel 45nm CPU with a max FSB of 1333 MHz. You’ll be able to load it up with four sticks of DDR2-1200 RAM along with running an ATI Video Card through CrossFire on the one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot and the two PCI-Express x4 slots.

Sounds like a lot of voltage running through this system just for using what it’s capable of handling, right? Gigagbyte must have felt the same way as they equipped their EP45 Extreme with a fin array just above the PCI slots, PWM, northbridge, and southbridge heatsinks, and even a series of heatpipes connecting all of it together.

Continue Reading: "Overclocking Hardware Review: Gigabyte Extreme EP45 Motherboard"...

Popularity: 66% [?]

If you’re running Windows XP, chances are your computer has gotten gradually slower over the time period you’ve been using it. In the spirit of Spring Cleaning, we at HotOverclocking.com have put together a series of tips and tricks to help optimize your systems performance.

1. Disable File Indexing:
   How often do you honestly search for your files based off of keywords? Chances are, you rarely do, if ever. Disabling File Indexing in Windows XP will make your searches take a little bit longer, but the performance boost is well worth it
   • My Computer -> C: Drive -> Properties
   • Uncheck “Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching”
   • Apply changes to “C: sub folders and files”
2. Uninstall And Remove Unnecessary Programs And Files:
   There’s no need to keep all of those games you’ve beat, demo’s you’ve downloaded, trial programs you’ve neglected, or even programs you use to use. It doesn’t matter if you have a 1 TB hard drive, clean it up.
   • Start -> Control Panel -> “Add or Remove Programs”

   Continue Reading: "Five Simple Tips To Optimize And Speed Up Windows XP"...

   Popularity: 73% [?]

One of the fastest and most impressive CPUs out to date, the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9775 3.20 GHz, has officially been overclocked. The processor on it’s own is impressive enough to convince some of the most avid overclocking enthusiasts to just let it be, but it looks like K|ngp|n wasn’t interested in just letting the processor perform on its own.

The Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9775 operates at a default clock speed of 3.2 GHz with a front side bus of 1600 MHz. Normally, the system runs at a temperature of 63 °C with a 1.212V DC Core current running through it. You’re also looking at 12 MB L2 Advanced Smart Cache Memory from this chip, as it sits in its 771-pin LGA Socket J seating. So what exactly did K|ngp|n do to it?

Continue Reading: "Overclocking the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9775 3.20GHz?"...

Popularity: 98% [?]

So you’re all set and ready to go to overclock your Core 2 Duo processor. You’ve downloaded the necessary overclocking software for the task and purchased the proper cooling equipment to protect your hardware, but you’ve come to find out that your motherboard just isn’t up to snuff. Until recently, your only option would have been to buy a new motherboard due to limits set on the voltage output. Now, through using a variation of the tried and true “pin-mod” technique, you’ll be able to bump your voltage up from using just two tools: electrical tape and conductive ink.

This mod will work on nearly all of the Core 2 Duo CPU’s by connecting a few points with the conductive ink. In the past, these points where actually “pins” that you would simply bridge within the motherboard seating to achieve a similar overclock in voltage, but without them there, the process of overclocking becomes a lot easier.

Continue Reading: "Overclock The Voltage Of Your Core 2 Duo"...

Popularity: 100% [?]

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD GPU-Z

GPU-Z was created by the owner of TechPowerUp!, W1zzard, to offer a similar style of information retrieval that CPU-Z does, but for graphics cards. GPU-Z is a freeware application that gathers your graphics card’s details and provides them to you all in one easy to understand program. It is currently compatible with all versions of Microsoft Windows from Windows 2000 to Vista and is touted to be compatible with nearly every brand of graphics card on the market to date.

Do not confuse GPU-Z with being an overclocking utility, as it simply retrieves the information from your graphics card and doesn’t allow you to modify any of the settings. This doesn’t mean that GPU-Z is useless however, as the application can provide you with much more information than Windows Hardware Manager can. Also, just like CPU-Z, GPU-Z doesn’t require an installation as it is only one executable file and allows users to validate their GPU results online. This allows the user to compare their results with others utilizing the same graphics card and also post the information in forums if they need support.

Continue Reading: "Graphics Benchmark Software: GPU-Z Review"...

Popularity: 82% [?]

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD CPU-Z

CPU-Z is one of the most useful tools an overclocker can have at their disposal. CPU-Z is a freeware application that gathers your systems details and provides them to you all in one place. IT is currently compatible with all versions of Microsoft Windows from Windows 95 to Vista.

In respect to overclocking, CPU-Z allows users to validate their system results online, where they can either post their information and link to it for discussion in online forums, or for them to use in reference to the results that their system has provided in comparison to other similarly constructed computers.Another great advantage of CPU-Z is the fact that it doesn’t require a typical installation. Users will be able to simply carry the executable on a memory stick, or execute it directly from the system itself as it is just two files: cpuz.ini and cpuz.exe.

Continue Reading: "Complete System Details Software: CPU-Z Review"...

Popularity: 80% [?]

A good majority of the people who overclock their computers are doing so to gain better performance for gaming. The advantage here is the overclocking your GPU is actually a very easy and fairly safe way to take your first step into overclocking. Your graphics card, unless it is very old, will have it’s own onboard fan. Not only that, but many cases have an additional fan, or at least a spot for an additional fan, directly next to the GPU. So with cooling relatively under control, you can actually jump right into overclocking your GPU by following this straight forward and easy to follow guide.

Continue Reading: "How To Overclock Your GPU"...

Popularity: 40% [?]

Once you have overclocked your computers components, you’ll want to test exactly how much of an improvement you’ve gained from it. The term for this type of test is a ?benchmark?. Benchmark software is designed to run a series of standardized operations. By having the operations be standardized, you can then take the results that your computer has received from completing the operation and establish your performance gain or loss.

Benchmark software is very common place in overclocking, so it is very easy to take your results and compare them to others who have overclocked the same component so that you can determine whether you’ve reached your max potential with that component or not.

Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of overclocking / benchmark software for a variety of different types of operations. Nearly all of these programs have a shareware version if they are not free. Many of these programs cap out at what information they can provide for you based on what year they where released in, but as many people still overclock older systems, they are still just as useful of a utility to have. You do not need to download all of these applications, this is simply a resource page to put all of the overclocking / benchmark utilities in one place.

Continue Reading: "A Comprehensive List of Overclocking / Benchmark Software"...

Popularity: 91% [?]

The term BIOS stands for basic input/output system and is the software that interfaces your computers components with the operating system. The BIOS are stored on a ROM (Read-only Memory) Flash Memory Chip located directly on the motherboard. The BIOS perform a series of common tasks such as:

• When you turn your computer on, the BIOS is what provides the instructions for your CPU to access your operating system on your had drive.

• Provides a POST (power on self test) to confirm that all your hardware is working properly when you turn your system on.

• The system BIOS authorizes activation of other BIOS chips on the components within your system, such as your graphics card.

• Interfaces your various hardware devices such as: keyboard, mouse, monitor, and USB ports.

• Monitors settings of your hard drive and the system clock. The battery located on the motherboard allow the BIOS to retain this information even when it has been unplugged.

Continue Reading: "Understanding Your BIOS For Overclocking"...

Popularity: 29% [?]