Overclocking guide: overclock your CPU, graphics card and RAM

overclocking guide
Get the most out of your PC with our overclocking guide

Though computers continue to get more and more powerful, there's usually even more performance that can be squeezed out of them by those with the skills and determination.

Whether it's for the extra frames per second in games, shaving time off a video encode or just for the fun of it, overclocking is serious business.

However, it can be a bit daunting if you don't know where to start. That's why we've compiled our tutorials for overclocking just about everything into this one handy guide.

Best overclocking software: 15 top apps

Though the hardcore overclocker may swear to use only BIOS settings, for those just getting into it, it's easier (and safer) to use a dedicated piece of software without leaving Windows. Everyone should be able to find one that suits them with our list of 15.

overclocking guide

Read Best overclocking software: 15 top apps

How to overclock your graphics card

It's slightly more complicated than overclocking a CPU, but there are still some juicy performance gains to be had with a bit of effort and the knowledge in our guide.

overclocking guide

Read How to overclock your graphics card

How to overclock your AMD CPU

Though Intel currently holds the performance crown, write AMD's processors off at your peril – especially if you're interested in overclocking. AMD's Black Edition CPUs in particular offer a huge amount of performance headroom, and we'll show how to make the most of it.

overclocking guide

Read How to overclock your AMD CPU

How to overclock your Intel CPU

If you've got an an older Core 2 processor and you want some extra performance without splashing out for a new CPU, we can help – and Core i5 and i7 users will find some tips, too.

overclocking guide

Read How to overclock your Intel CPU

How to overclock DDR3 RAM

The performance gains from overclocking your RAM aren't as dramatic as what you can get from your processor or graphics card, but that doesn't mean your memory should be ignored – "Because I can" is as good a reason as any to get tweaking.

overclocking guide

Read How to overclock DDR3 RAM

How to overclock the GeForce GTX 470

The 480 is the big dog of Nvidia's newer cards, but the lower heat emissions of the 470 just give us more room to get overclocking.

overclocking guide

Read How to overclock the GeForce GTX 470

How to overclock the GeForce GTX 460

It's one of the most cost-effective graphics cards available, and it's also just ripe for overclocking. We'll show you how to get even more bang for your buck.

overclocking guide

Read How to overclock the GeForce GTX 460

How to overclock the GTS 450

Nvidia has brought us a graphics card based on its Fermi technology for under £100. Let's power it up.

GTS 450

Read How to overclock the GTS 450

How to overclock the Intel Core i5

The Intel Core 2 chips were great for overclocking, and somehow the latest and greatest Core i5 chips are even better. We'll show you how to get well over 1GHz of extra oomph from your CPU.

overclocking guide

Read How to overclock the Intel Core i5

How to overclock the Intel Core i7

A different architecture from Intel's previous chips means a more complicated process, but no less room for getting some major overclocking boosts from Intel's high-end CPUs.

overclocking guide

Read How to overclock the Intel Core i7

How to overclock your notebook

The major concern when it comes to high-end performance in laptops is overheating, but that doesn't mean overclocking is out of the question. Our guide will show you how to safely get a portable performance boost.

overclocking guide

Read How to overclock your notebook

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