Currently, the main manufacturers of central processors for personal computers are two large companies - Intel and AMD. If there are alternative solutions, either they are too few to somehow squeeze the presence of the first two, or these are outdated models (they really existed before).
When visiting various sites and forums devoted to computer components and processors, in particular, it becomes obvious that the topic that discusses overclocking the Intel processor is incredibly popular now.
Bit of theory
Overclocking, or overclocking (from the English overclock) is an increase in the nominal clock frequency of a microcircuit above its nominal value. For example, it is known that the frequency of the dual- core Intel Core i3-2120 processor is 3300 MHz. This is the value provided by the manufacturer at which a stable continued operation of the chip is guaranteed. However, with the help of several settings, it is possible to “force” the device to work at a higher frequency: 3.5 GHz or more (with luck). This gives a tangible performance boost, sometimes exceeding 50%. For example, overclocking of the Intel pentium 4 processor allowed this model to exist on the market for a long time along with the new Core2Duo. Without increasing the frequency, the comparison was clearly not in favor of the fourth Pentium, but overclocking completely changed the situation. Now, of course, these processors have already disappeared from computers, significantly losing in performance even to modern budget models.
On the other hand, even now, after overclocking the Intel Celeron processor (cheap modifications), you can achieve an increase in the speed of performing mathematical operations.
There are two types of overclocking. One is the prerogative of enthusiasts. As a rule, flasks with liquid nitrogen mounted on the processor are used to cool extremely overclocked cores. It is quite clear that it is impossible to work with such a system, and the results obtained are used to determine the theoretical “ceiling”.
Ordinary users are more interested in the second method. During its execution, Intel processor overclocking consists in a lower increase in frequencies, but with the preservation of a regular air cooling system. This makes it possible to use the computing system in the usual mode.
Practice
The frequency of the chip is determined by two indicators - its reference value and a multiplier. That is, 1000 MHz can correspond to 100 MHz * 10. Thus, Intel overclocking is possible by increasing any of the factors. In order to curb the possibility of such a performance increase, Intel in its latest chip models blocked the change in the main factor. The exception is the “K” series, where it can change both up and down. And since these solutions are quite expensive, the only available Intel processor overclocking is through the reference frequency. To change it, you need to go into the BIOS of the motherboard (the Del button right after turning on the computer), find the section with frequency settings, specify the manual mode and set the desired value. For example, 100 MHz is now standard. Therefore, you need to specify 110 MHz, save the changes and restart the computer. The result depends on the multiplier. So, for the aforementioned Core i3 it is 33. Thus, instead of 100 * 33 = 3300, we get 110 * 33 = 3630. 330 MHz for free!
It is not necessary to overestimate the frequency, since it is tied to the system buses. Sometimes, a slight increase in the voltage of the nuclei may be required (done in BIOS). Also note that budget boards may not support overclocking.