The Pros and Cons of Overclocking

Overclocking the components within your computer can be a lot of fun, but you really need to realize the ramifications of your actions along with the benefits that you stand to gain. Don't take this article to mean that you shouldn't overclock your computer, just that you should completely grasp what the end results can be.

Disadvantages of Overclocking:

- Your warranty may be void:

What you're doing to your system is modifying it to operate differently then it was initially intended to. Once you've overclocked the component, you will no longer be able to take advantage of the warranty that the manufacturer has offered.

- Lowered lifespan for your components:

Computer components are meant to have a lot of life to them. That is, if you're running them how they're suppose to be run. By increasing their voltage and stress, you can't always guarantee how long you've got until you'll be replacing that piece of hardware.

- Increased heat output:

Don't want to fry your components instantly? Get ready to drop some extra dough on cooling devices for whatever you overclocked, and even for just your case in general. Just because your overclocked hardware can handle the heat without added cooling, doesn't mean other components can.

- Overclocking does not increase efficiency:

Just because you've managed to overclock your CPU, doesn't mean that it's as efficient as a more expensive chip that operates by default at that speed. No matter what you do overclocking wise, the instruction set for the CPU will still remain at what it was mean to, limiting your efficiency gain.

- It isn't for everyone:

Hope you don't mind the chances of your system just not working without any indication as to why. Many times when you overclock a system, you'll end up running into a series of oddities that you can't always explain. Thus, the process isn't always cut and dry and can become very time consuming.

Pros of Overclocking:

- Increased speed:

You may not get the same efficiency as the CPU $200 more expensive then the one you bought, but you'll definitely see a jump in performance over the default speeds that it currently operates at.

- You'll save money:

New components are outdated the second they hit the shelf, so why would you want to keep buying new hardware when you could tweak your old one? Overclocking can give you more life and versatility and leave a lot more money in your pocket.

- In-depth system knowledge:

Whether you have previous experience with computers or this is the first time you've opened one up, you'll gain a good grasp on how your system operates and what you may need to do to troubleshoot any issues.

- Showing Off:

People don't mod their cars to keep in their garage. Gamers don't overclock their computers to not show off at the next lan party.

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Overclocking can be difficult so make certain you know how to overclock a computer plus have all the proper overclocking benchmark software before you begin.

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