Your CPU ships with extra potential you can unlock yourself.
A processors is essentially the brain of your computer, and how fast your computer runs is mostly dictated by how fast your processor runs. Just because you buy a processor at a given speed does not mean that you have to accept that speed as your final computer spec. Processors usually will ship with either locked potential or potential that is under utilized by the factory speed rate. As of 2010, Intel began selling cards that allow users to unlock extra capability in some of their cards. For other cards, you can improve the processor's performance yourself through the process of overclocking.
Instructions
1. Download and apply the most recent driver and version of BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) for your motherboard. BIOS is the firmware which governs your hardware when you boot your computer. The easiest way to do this would be to download BIOS update tools from your motherboard's manufacturer.
2. Download system performance benchmarking tools. Run these to establish your system's baseline performance which you will improve upon.
3. Reboot your computer. When the black screen with your computer maker's logo comes up, press the appropriate key to access the BIOS menu. For many motherboards this is the delete key, but for others it can be one of the F keys. The key you need to press will be noted on the black screen itself.
4. In the BIOS menu, navigate to the "Frequency/Voltage" section. When you finish with a section, you can press the "ESC" key to leave after choosing if you want to save any changes you made to the settings.
5. Select the "FSB" setting. This stands for Front Side Bus. Your processor's speed is determined by two things: the FSB speed and the processor multiplier. Adjusting the speed of the FSB is one of the most common methods of improving processor speed. Additionally, if your processor's multiplier is locked by the manufacturer, then the only setting you can change is the FSB speed.
6. Increase the FSB speed in 5-10 MHz increments. Each time you do, restart you computer and try to load into your operating system. If the operating system will not load, go back to BIOS and adjust the voltage to the FSB (.05 is considered a safe increment). If your operating system will now load, go back to BIOS and increase the FSB speed another 5-10 MHz, and see if your operating system will load.
7. Repeat this process until your operating system will not load. When this happens, go back to the last FSB/Voltage setting that successfully launched your computer. Run the same benchmark tests with your new BIOS settings. If your computer crashes or suddenly reboots during the benchmark test, go back to BIOS and reduce the FSB speed and corresponding voltage until your computer can complete the benchmarks.
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