For overclocking enthusiasts

Hello, All! ================== Start of file: Windows Clipboard ================== Overclocking: a weapon of the proletariat or a marketing tool? Truly, human needs are limitless. Our whole life is built on the basis of this truism. We all try leave as many pillar stones in your path as possible and reach new heights. We are all constantly in a frantic race. for survival, making our way through the swamps and thickets of everyday troubles, overcoming conceivable and inconceivable barriers, tirelessly created for us by the world around us. And we boldly try to dial as much as possible great speed in this unrestrained movement forward. But sometimes there comes a time when it is simply vitally necessary, at least for a short time stop, let go of the steering wheel, take your foot off gas pedal and, wiping the sweat from your forehead, think carefully: is it the right one? the tempo we have chosen, does it match true reliability and perfection of our racing car will not happen Is it so that on the most difficult and responsible Will its fiery engine stall or will the transmission fly out when turning? These are the thoughts that arise in your humble servant when it comes to a very popular activity among users, sonorously called overclocking. There is, however, also a native, Russian-language The name of this phenomenon is acceleration. But the last thing the word still refers more to pacifist demonstrations than tocomputer systems, therefore in modern in the lexicon it is used less and less. However, no matter how we they called this fascinating process, its essence is the same - increase the clock frequency of microprocessor components and devices PC RAM by a certain amount relative to the standard (standard) value and get as a result increasing the performance of PC components. Indeed, overclocking is a phenomenon, and already on a global scale. If Previously it was only for enthusiasts computer underground, who were fond of resoldering processors and crystals (quartz clock generators), then now literally every home computer in an extremely simplified and extremely in a friendly manner offers even the greenest newcomer to taste the semi-forbidden fruit of a "completely free" promotion PC performance. Today overclocking is becoming already a whole worldview, a kind of new religion. And shepherds proclaiming postulates "a processor without overclocking is not processor>, textolite>, etc. etc., of course, without the flock don't stay. Meanwhile, this state of affairs causes a mixed reaction among computer professionals and experts. Opinionsare divided to the point of being diametrically opposed. Some specialists claim: . Others angrily object: . And if suddenly the bearers of these two ideas have the opportunity have a heartfelt debate, then a serious fight breaks out with the use of weapons mass destruction in the form of tasty curses or even assault. :) In fact, what is overclocking? Is it really figuratively speaking, a cheap and reliable machine Kalashnikov, which easily matches analogues and does not misfire if you know how to use it contact? Or, on the contrary, it is a grenade with a torn check, wrapped in a colorful candy wrapper by manufacturers computer components and placed in hands unlucky user? Let's try to figure it out by carefully weighing pros and cons of the overclocking phenomenon! Practical aspectsSo, first of all, let’s try to find out why users are restless strive to improve the performance of their computer systems by overclocking, what goals they pursue and whether they are achieved in practice. It's no secret that the main use of the average home PC is First of all, games. Overclocking supporters state: “Overclocking allows you to increase your computer’s performance in games.” And to confirm their words they show tons printouts of overclocking articles, provide a lot of links to reviews of gaming iron tests, where the increase is clearly visible (sometimes very significant) number of frames/s, points, parrots and other evaluation units PC gaming performance. It would seem a very real and tangible advantage of overclocking, as they say, is obvious: productivity really increases! However, when it comes to gaming tests, out of everyone's attention one very important point constantly eludes: a Do these tests reflect real gameplay in a given practical situation? Paradoxically, but, as a rule, no! Not reflect in sight! Typical case: some standard computer system demonstrates one popular shooting game, say, 130 frames/s, and in another, cool and super-sophisticated one - 35 frames/s. With moderate overclocking (slightly overclocked processor andvideo card) you get 145 and 40 fps. Next comes the extreme overclocking (overclocking the processor and video card to the highest I don’t want, enhanced memory tweaking, operating system tweaking), and the system already demonstrates 200 and 55 fps, accordingly. The speed increase seems to be simply obvious! But real the gameplay, meanwhile, practically does not undergo changes! Don't believe me? But in vain! The gameplay of the first shooter is already at a very decent level, even in standard system configuration, and during overclocking (whether moderate or extreme) no real benefits it turns out: just as there were no “brakes”, there are none, the quality of graphics does not improve (on the contrary, it can only worsen due to various kinds of artifacts), number the defeated enemies of the fatherland do not even think about growing. With the second shooter It turns out to be approximately the same situation, but slightly from a different perspective: what were the “brakes” like in the case of standard performance system, so they remained during overclocking (even extreme), the graphics do not change, or worsen, and evil mutant monsters still continue to mercilessly crush clumsy player. By the way, the picture will be similar in other gaming applications where speed indicators are not less important (car and flight simulators, action games, etc.). That is, as we see, test it does take place, butit does not bring any tangible practical benefit, except perhaps psychological satisfaction from the achieved of overclocking in the form of amazing fps values. :) Thus, the thesis is certainly correct, but in reality This increase is usually of no use in various shooters/action games a little. On top of everything else, among the avid gaming applications have gained no less popularity among gamers, almost in general indifferent to overclocking (strategies, role-playing games, quests, etc.). All this ultimately puts the feasibility of overclocking in application to games for very, very large doubts! The second job of a typical home PC is operating in as a multimedia station (music, movies, processing of audio, video, photographic materials, etc.). Overclocking supporters state: . And to confirm their words again refer to articles and reviews, but dedicated to multimedia tests and research. Yes, Indeed, tests again show a certain superiority of overclocked systems over standard configurations. It would seem that the unbreakable plus of overclocking at last found! Even if not everything is smooth with games, but with multimedia there is complete order must be a crazy louse! :)However, here skeptical users have a number of questions, with with which they rush to turn to specialists. Their dialogue turns out, I must say, very interesting! Skeptics (interested): - How does overclocking affect music playback? Experts (without thinking too much): - Either not at all, or negatively. Practice is usually not very favorable affects the performance of some sound cards and multimedia cards I/O Integrated Audio Solutions also do not feel really comfortable in these conditions. Skeptics (no less interested): - How does overclocking affect playback? movies (DivX/DVD)? Experts (after thinking for a couple of seconds): - More negative than positive. Careful overclocking can only be useful for very low-power computer configurations. For most modern, and even PC configurations (which are on in practice cope perfectly with typical audio-video streams) overclocking or simply useless or harmful. Skeptics (a little concerned): - What do you say about the procedures? converting various multimedia files formats? Does overclocking help here? Experts (hiding a smile): - Of course, we don’t think down on seconds, but nevertheless: It doesn’t matter whether it ends converting one minute later, or vice versa earlier, the main thing is that itover, and without incident! Skeptics (concerned): - Tell me, can strong overclocking have a bad effect on operation of interfaces - USB, for example? Like Something like this popped up somewhere: Experts (smiling): - Yes, there are many cases of failure of USB ports. This due to a not entirely correct design some affected motherboards (mainly AMD platforms), and with overclocking in particular (especially if it produced ). Friends, these are just mere little things, thoughtless acceleration Maybe he won’t give such gifts yet! Skeptics (peacefully): - It turns out that if you mainly use the computer as a multimedia station, then with overclocking Still, it’s better not to get involved? Experts (smiling widely): - Apparently, that’s exactly it! Perhaps, after viewing the of this fascinating conversation, some additional comments on my part (like arbiter and attentive listener) regarding multimedia The of overclocking is no longer required. The third main responsibility of a home PC is a variety of work (websurfing, texts, artistic design creativity, etc.). Proponents of overclocking say: "Overclocking is also useful in office applications, as it allows you to increase computer performance in these tasks>. And once again they call for help articles and reviews demonstratingsuperiority of overclocked systems over standard ones, but now in . However, as one might expect, skeptics again they do not sleep and immediately retort with a certain amount of sarcasm: “Please, gentlemen overclockers, you have only computers They're just testing and racing, I guess? Maybe your overclocking helps faster print a freshly downloaded abstract? Yours An overclocked computer probably speeds up the Internet? Didn't notice, the letters are in text editors are also faster are they printed?>. Jokes aside, but if you think sensibly, the skeptics are entirely right, no matter how you look at it! What's the point of typical office applications? overclocking was a success, if with the tasks of browsing the Internet, word processing, creating quite decent presentation documents etc. so even frail systems cope well?! Where and The main thing is, why overclock anything else there? Of course there are “office” tasks that require serious computing power from a PC - for example, heavy economic/accounting programs, various processing procedures gigantic document files, etc. But no need forget that the cost of such documents can sometimes be an order of magnitude higher the cost of the PC itself, overclocking in these conditions unacceptable by definition (if only because they trivially have no time or no one engage). People will just go and buysystem based on an Intel Pentium 4 3.06 GHz processor and a motherboard from the same Intel, after which they will rejoice life, without allowing the shadow of overclocking to take a cannon shot. :) What do we end up with? It seems that only the sweet speeches of overclocking adherents, which, in their opinion, opens up for the ordinary the tight-fisted user has the broadest prospects for a free promotion consumer qualities of a PC. Real practical the advantages in favor of this matter are not yet visible (the disadvantages, meanwhile, are already beginning to slowly hatch). The only plus (rather socio-psychological rather than practical) - beginner a user familiar with overclocking can safely brag about your achievements to your friends and, as a rule, faster others learn the basics of computer science. Meanwhile, is the path of an overclocker as cloudless and exciting as they try to make it? outline the adherents of overclocking? Is everything Can their computers withstand user experiments like a guerrilla? And not does experimental PC develop, so to speak, dizzy with success? Let's find out! Technical aspects Usually every overclocker, albeit intuitively, understands that his favorite It’s not for nothing that the processor is marked for some kind of a certain clock frequency (purely everyday consideration works: in AMD after all, there are no patrons to, say, sell Athlon XP 2700+ is much cheaper than it is, disguised as Athlon XP 1700+?!). Meanwhile, after the next successful increase in frequency up to the skies and fleeting checks the performance of the system somehow With a freshly baked the overclocker joyfully screams: . And begins to drive hard the sparks of doubt that arose were far into the depths of his subconscious, reveling a new overclocking record. However, if this unlucky overclocker knew what surprises could come in the future give him overclocking, he probably wouldn’t do that rejoice like a child. First surprise A processor is not a stone, as many people think, but a super complex microelectronic device that is equally the influence of all physical processes that take place in other microelectronics products, and which has well-defined technological limits of its correct and reliable functionality. Negative impact on the performance of the processor has the effect of actually increasing the operating frequency, as practiced by overclockers additional increase in core supply voltage. It’s especially harmful increased supply voltage: modern processors made according to 0.13 micron standards are very sensitive to this parameter, and increasing the voltage even by 5-10% (whichfor previous generations of processors was considered relatively safe procedure) greatly accelerates the degradation processes oxide (more about this in the article Thermal conditions of Pentium 4 and Athlon XP). Fast processor failure - very the probable outcome of such manipulations. Many people still hear the hype around the so-called SNDS (Death Syndrome> - Pentium 4 on the Northwood core>), when avid foreign overclockers have the naivety of those who raised the core voltage almost up to 1.9-2 V, their favorite and overclocked Pentium 4 Northwood, and, as they stated, . Of course, there were reasons for this unimportant behavior of the processor: and the most important of them is just accelerated degradation of the oxide, which was a consequence of increasing the core supply voltage far above all permissible limits. A similar syndrome, let's call it STDS (), also occurs in Athlon on the core Thoroughbred, only service workers usually attribute such failures to , most likely due to ignorance of the true reasons. Processors made according to 0.09 micron standards will be even more capricious in regarding supply voltage. Probably in the future it may simply disappear as a class.Second surprise Overclocked processors consume more power (and therefore demonstrate greater heat generation) than their brothers. So, overclocked Athlon XP Thoroughbred cpuid681 (i.e. Thoroughbred-B, very popular in ranks of domestic overclockers) in certain cases can consume current up to 50 A and dissipate thermal power 85-90 Tue! Under such conditions, a processor, even one equipped with a highly efficient system cooling, operates under very intense thermal mode (the local temperature of individual, intensively loaded blocks can reach 100°C and above). As a result, greenhouse conditions are created (both figuratively and literally) for the whole bouquet of harmful thermal activation processes, among which the most dangerous is electromigration. Hot couple Vredin (oxide degradation and electromigration) begins to rule with might and main in the silicone depths of the processor, and the failure of the latter (already more thermal than electrical properties) will not take long to arrive. Third surprise Many motherboards from popular Taiwanese and Chinese manufacturers (doesn't matter for Socket A or Socket 478), claiming to be “overclocking”, in practice they are not at all are. They are not only overclocked, but even "Natural" processors don't hold up too confidently. Some are separate specimens sometimes simply amaze with theiringenuity: Christmas trees, sticks, how in general it’s all at the very least, but, nevertheless, works, because by all odds Is the board almost unable to start?! One is tempted to exclaim: “Honor and praise to Chinese engineers, valiant workers plateau building!>. :) A common problem with many, many boards is that the layout is not very optimal and very mediocre processor power supply, AGP, memory modules, etc., performed, so to speak, according to the minimum standard. These boards the user with the richest overclocking capabilities, but it’s realistic to provide them at the hardware level, as As a rule, they are unable to. Weak dual-channel processor supply voltage converters assembled on far from the most advanced element base and, often, with insufficient filtering at the input (along the +12 V or +5 V lines), and at the output of the circuit (Vcore line), are still common among Socket A motherboards. Two-channel voltage converter: 2 PWM racks and an output fragment LC filter Such "economical" schemes usually do not provide even standard needs more or less powerful processors, not to mention overclocked copies that are very power-hungry. Due to unacceptable filtering here the lines Vcore power supplies are sometimes outrageously noisy: marked as strong high frequency signal jitter(the manufacturer "saves" on pass-through SMT capacitors) and unacceptable voltage surges during switching moments transistors in PWM racks (the manufacturer on smoothing electrolytic capacitors or puts products of questionable quality). As a result, both the processor and the voltage converter. are starting to appear various kinds of “dependencies”, failures, refusals (which are often attributed to “must-day” unlicensed Windows, hands users, etc., but never to the deplorable situation with the hardware), and about truly reliable system performance here we can only dream. The famous "saga of capacitors" is still fresh in memory, when the "happy" owners of some motherboard models (Abit and MSI especially “distinguished themselves” in this the capacitors go to another world (however, those capacitors were indeed of very dubious quality). There are chances that this may be continued in some recent and even fresh motherboards, through a year or two. Overclocking does not have the best indirect effect on the wiring motherboards. functions overclocking is inevitably accompanied by the appearance of various types of problems on the board multiplexers for VID and FID signals, quite a few the number of key chains surrounding blocks of jumpers and DIP switches, and serious complication of the BIOS code. All this oversaturates the board (some manufacturers manage to install certain elements even on the side of the board, which, generally speaking, is not good design practice), to its benefit There is clearly no stability. The question arises (judging by everything, rhetorical): and instead take, and distribute the board in a more optimal way, put normal high-quality power supply schemes and offer the user in As a result, a high-quality reliable product, without any overclocking fictions?>.It's funny, but at the moment you can use 100% overclocker boards Perhaps only some models from Intel and Fujitsu-Siemens. However, these manufacturers do not supply their boards overclocker (limited to functions memory tuning and AGP). And they do it right! The list of overclocking surprises can be freely continued, but I think that these first three are quite enough, to realize how thorny and difficult the path of an overclocker is, and why it leads in the end. So, apparently, overclocking is not only virtually useless, but also poses a serious health hazard computer, the user’s mental health and the latter’s wallet. If overclocking actually turns out to be not at all beneficial to the user, then who lights this star and supports thermonuclear reactions in it? Let's try to figure it out! Economic aspects As a rule, the user, to one degree or another, has suffered from surprises Overclocking is blamed on traders organizations. And, standing at the window of the warranty workshop, he beats himself in the chest, yells: “You bastards!” They sold me a defective one processor, but they don’t want to take it back, you bastards!>. ;-) However, reasoning logically, we can assume that it is precisely the one who He orders the music and usually dances himself. Quite clear and specific dancers are clearly visible in the course of our reflections - this, infirst of all, manufacturers of "overclocking" motherboards! Some trading organizations, of course, are not angels either: violations of consumer rights and imposing on them There are quite a few completely left-field responsibilities today! Read carefully warranty service rules, which are installed by retail organizations selling components/PCs, practically everywhere they are in some separate positions (and sometimes, even in almost everything) do not comply with current legislation RF! However, all persons (individuals or legal entities) belonging to the chain user-dealer-distributor, initially find themselves in a disadvantageous position. If, for example, some motherboard, then the worst for the user In this case, the chain breaks immediately on him. , - announces his verdict service workshop engineer (although the user may never did it, doesn’t even know what it is!), and the buyer dejectedly goes home, with a now useless piece of PCB and negative emotions towards the seller. At its best In this case, the buyer receives a replacement motherboard or a refund. (the latter is akin to a miracle). But in a difficult situation it turns out that he is now a seller - he will have a very unpleasant conversation with distributor. On the last one, actuallythe whole chain will break when he once again hears the crown thrown pyramid - vendor, a phrase with a subtle in Chinese accent: (). What about you did you want more? Overclocking is strictly prohibited! So, go for a walk, gentlemen. good ones! :) Another obvious dancers are cunning businessmen who trade in the following way: called "super-overclockable and 100% tested processors>, with a certain markup relative to their value. These figures are good have taken root in the American open spaces, and here they are already starting to grow. But if in America the guarantees are strictly agreed upon and still executed (they will change the processor or give you money back without any special questions, with rare exceptions), then in our native lands we can count on similar good nature obviously not worth it. In addition, the guarantee for such are usually set between two weeks and 6 months, which, It should be noted that it is quite reasonable from the outside traders, because these super-overclockable processors simply won’t last much longer! I don’t know who it is, but I really like all these guys resemble scammers doing their “harmless” business in busy places cities. Well, it really seems like those who don’t take risks don’t drink champagne. In line at the doorstep of the warranty workshop! Who's therenext? Who should I borrow? ;-) Instead of a conclusion The courageous sailor Zheleznyak once minted, addressing the deputies Constituent Assembly: “The guard is tired!”. Friends, isn’t it time for us, respectable consumers, to gain courage and declare: . And finally ask manufacturers of overclocking products: As for the question indicated in the title of the article, the privilege I’ll risk leaving the answer to our readers. The answer, it seems to me, is obvious. What about you? Vitaly Krinitsin (vit@ixbt.com) Published - March 31, 2003 Comments? Amendments? Additions? vit@ixbt.com ===================== End of Windows Clipboard ====================== Happy connections. Roman.

Hello Roman! Tue 01-Apr-2003 20:19, you (500:812/5@ZXNet) wrote a letter to All: RA> Overclocking: a weapon of the proletariat or a marketing tool? [...all the nonsense has gone north...] RA> As for the question indicated in the title of the article, then RA> I’ll risk leaving the privilege of answering it to our readers. Answer RA> seems obvious to me. What about you? And there’s nothing to add here - if the crooked-handed chistapatsans prefer to spend 200 to the fact that non-crooked people buy for 50, then let the crooked ones continue {Honduras is worried - don’t bother him! (c)}... No, well, there really is simply nothing to talk about here - the percentage will most likely become outdated morally, at the current rate of increase in frequencies, it will burn out; even if it burns twice from indirect hands, that one fig will cost half as much as {sponsor section}... I don’t insist on anything, it’s just such fucking nonsense that there are simply no words. All I drove my stones, I drive them, and I will drive them. Moreover, even the antediluvian four is alive stone, says hello to the author of the article, asks how big the fee is... With best wishes, Vladimir.