what is extreme overclocking?

[RADCOM]

Like most peeps here I buy the best reviewed parts and try an adhere too the knowledge of tried and tested methods of performance gains but what constitutes extreme performance? gaming fps, benchmarks such as pi a huge FSB and memory bandwidth or general system responsiveness? Does a huge FSB albeit a lower multiplier always give an optimized system? It's like the question I asked when I was a newbie .....what computer should I buy? My more learned friends ( at the time ) used to answer what do you use your computer for! Wise words indeed but can you optimize your system to be best at everything or are hardware profiles for what your doing at the time the way to go? many questions beer is the answer lol:toast:

[Kunaak]

Like most peeps here I buy the best reviewed parts and try an adhere too the knowledge of tried and tested methods of performance gains but what constitutes extreme performance? gaming fps, benchmarks such as pi a huge FSB and memory bandwidth or general system responsiveness? Does a huge FSB albeit a lower multiplier always give an optimized system? It's like the question I asked when I was a newbie .....what computer should I buy? My more learned friends ( at the time ) used to answer what do you use your computer for! Wise words indeed but can you optimize your system to be best at everything or are hardware profiles for what your doing at the time the way to go? many questions beer is the answer lol:toast:



what constitutes extreme performance? gaming fps, benchmarks such as pi a huge FSB and memory bandwidth or general system responsiveness?

what I would say is, its whatever gets you the most for your money.
if you spend 80% less, to get more performance, then a PC that costs a hell of alot more... then thats when its extreme.

theres also a point where you pass "above average", and thats also, another way to judge extreme...
see, almost anyone can get a E6600 to 3.6 ghz on air... thats no big deal around here... but see, 4.2 ghz stable on air, without freezing your ass off in the middle of winter with your windows open... that would be above average and get some real attention.
things like that also are "extreme".
kinda a mix of extreme luck really. right person, with the right hardware at the right time. sometimes people have exceptional hardware, just never have the will to really push that hardware.

generally, I'd say most people OC for 2 reasons... they want the most on the edge gaming system possible.
or they are into videoediting or folding at home, seti or something else that requires huge amounts of CPU power and time, and dont want to waste anymore time then they already have to.
overclocking, cuts the amount of time needed to complete things like this... but for the most part, I think alot of overclockers are gamers or something similar, where speed is valuable, and time is too.


Does a huge FSB albeit a lower multiplier always give an optimized system?

no.
a low multiplier will make it easier to hit a higher FSB, but since CPU MHZ, directly effect the bandwidth of the ram, a lower multiplier, wont always be the best way to do a OC.
also, some motherboards get slower, the higher the FSB goes, and needs to make that up in latency of the ram, and actual CPU mhz... but all that comes with the added stress of higher chances of instability.

basically, go for a stable day to day OC, not bragging rights OC's.
if you know your CPU is unstable at 3.8 ghz on air... dont try to stay there at 3.8 ghz everyday, just so you can say you run a 3.8 ghz CPU... no one cares. at the end of the day, its just you in front of that screen,
go for stability always.
bragging rights are secondary.

say you have a E6600 you can easily get 9 x 400 stable at 3.6 ghz.
but you have a board, thats barely stable past 440 mhz on the FSB... but you really think 8 x 450 will get you better OC...
is that 50 FSB really worth pushing your motherboard past it's "easy stable: point? not really...
always go for stability first.


can you optimize your system to be best at everything or are hardware profiles for what your doing at the time the way to go?

personally, I use hardware profiles.
till recently, I use to always keep 2 sets of paper near me.
1 with easy stable OC settings that I spent a few hours perfecting.

then 1 paper with all my extreme OC settings for when I am doing a benchmark, and how to get the farthest out of it... reguardless of long term stability.

now, with my Asus boards and DFI... I just use the hardware profiles managers.

first setting for me is my best day to day, 100% tried and true, stable settings.

the second is usually my benchmark starting point profile...

and if these anymore then this (like in DFI boards) I then usually save profiles for specific ram types I am using at the time.

[RADCOM]

Thanks Kunaak a very genuine and informative answer ....much appreciated:)