The best programs for overclocking PCs and laptops. Programs for overclocking Intel processors

Overclocking a processor is not a difficult task, but it requires some knowledge and caution. A competent approach to this activity allows you to get a good increase in productivity, which is sometimes sorely lacking. In some cases, you can overclock the processor through the BIOS, but if this option is missing or you want to carry out manipulations directly from Windows, then it is better to use special software.

One of the simple and universal programs is SetFSB. It is good because it can be used to overclock an intel core 2 duo processor and similar older models, as well as various modern processors. The principle of operation of this program is simple - it increases the frequency of the system bus by influencing the PLL chip installed in the motherboard. Accordingly, all that is required of you is to know the brand of your board and check whether it is included in the list of supported ones.

First you need to find out the name of the motherboard. If you do not have such data, then use special software, for example, the CPU-Z program.

Once you have determined the brand of the board, go to. The design there, to put it mildly, is not the best, but all the necessary information is there. If the board is on the list of supported ones, then you can happily continue further.

Download Features

The latest versions of this program, unfortunately, are paid for the Russian-speaking population. You will need to deposit approximately $6 to receive your activation code.

There is an alternative - download the old version of the program, we recommend version 2.2.129.95. This can be done, for example, .

Installing the program and preparing for overclocking

The program works without installation. After launch, this window will appear in front of you.

To start overclocking, you first need to know your clock generator (PLL). Unfortunately, it is not so easy to recognize him. Computer owners can disassemble system unit and find the necessary information manually. The data looks something like this:

Methods for software identification of a PLL chip

If you have a laptop or don’t want to disassemble your PC, then there are two more ways to find out your PLL.

1. Go in and look for your laptop in the table.
2. The SetFSB program will help you determine the PLL chip brand itself.

Let's look at the second method. Switch to the " Diagnosis", in the drop-down list " Clock Generator» select « PLL diagnosis", then click on the button " Get FSB».

Let's go down to the field " PLL Control Registers" and we see a table there. We look for column 07 (this is Vendor ID) and look at the value of the first line:

If the value is xE, then the PLL is from Realtek, for example, RTM520-39D;
if the value is x1 - then PLL from IDT, for example, ICS952703BF;
if the value is x6 - then PLL from SILEGO, for example, SLG505YC56DT;
if the value is x8, then PLL from Silicon Labs, for example, CY28341OC-3.

x - any number.

Sometimes exceptions are possible, for example, for chips from Silicon Labs - in this case, the Vendor ID will not be located in the seventh byte (07), but in the sixth (06).

Checking protection against software overclocking

You can find out if there is hardware protection against software overclocking:

We look in the field “ PLL Control Registers» to column 09 and click on the value of the first row;
look in the field " Bin" and find the sixth bit in this number. Please note that the bit count must start from one! Therefore, if the first bit equal to zero, then the sixth bit will be the seventh digit;
if the sixth bit is 1, then to overclock via SetFSB you need a PLL hardware mod (TME-mod);
if the sixth bit is 0, then a hardware mod is not required.

Let's start overclocking

All work with the program will take place in the “ Control" In the field " Clock Generator" select your chip and then click on " Get FSB».

At the bottom of the window, on the right, you will see the current processor frequency.

We remind you that overclocking is carried out by increasing the system bus frequency. This happens every time you move the center slider to the right. We leave all other half-knowledges as is.

If you need to increase the range for adjustment, then check the box next to the " Ultra».

It is best to increase the frequency carefully, 10-15 MHz at a time.

After adjustment, press the “SetFSB” button.

If after this your PC freezes or turns off, then there are two reasons for this: 1) you specified the wrong PLL; 2) greatly increased the frequency. Well, if everything was done correctly, the processor frequency will increase.

What to do after overclocking?

We need to find out how stable the computer operates at the new frequency. This can be done, for example, in games or specialized programs for tests (Prime95 or others). Also monitor the temperature to avoid possible overheating when the processor is under load. In parallel with the tests, run a temperature monitor program (CPU-Z, HWMonitor or others). Tests are best completed in approximately 10-15 minutes. If everything works stably, then you can stay at the new frequency or continue to increase it, performing all the above actions in a new circle.

How to force the PC to start at a new frequency?

You should already know that the program works with the new frequency only until a reboot. Therefore, in order for the computer to always start at the new system bus frequency, it is necessary to put the program in startup. This is a must if you want to use an overclocked computer on a regular basis. However, in this case we are not talking about simply adding a program to the Startup folder. There is a way to do this - creating a bat script.

Opens " Notebook", where we will create the script. We write a line there, something like this:

C:\Desktop\SetFSB 2.2.129.95\setfsb.exe –w15 –s668 –cg

ATTENTION! DO NOT COPY THIS LINE! It should turn out different for you!

So, let's break it down:

C:\Desktop\SetFSB 2.2.129.95\setfsb.exe is the path to the utility itself. Your location and version of the program may vary!
-w15 - delay before starting the program (measured in seconds).
-s668 - overclocking setting. Your number will vary! To find it out, look at the green field in the Control tab of the program. There will be two numbers separated by a slash. Take the first number.
-cg is the model of your PLL. Your data may be different! You must enter the model of your PLL in square brackets as it is specified in SetFSB.

By the way, along with SetFSB itself you will find a text file setfsb.txt, where you can find other parameters and apply them if necessary.

Once the line has been created, save the file as .bat.

The last step is to add the baht to startup by moving the shortcut to the “” folder or by editing the registry (you will find this method on the Internet).

Processor performance is calculated by the number of operations per second. A quantitative indicator of the operations performed is the frequency, measured in hertz. The larger this value, the faster the system as a whole works. As a rule, processor manufacturers never use the maximum clock speed capabilities and leave a certain reserve in order to increase the service life of the component part and save energy. However, there are special programs for overclocking Intel processor, which can significantly improve the performance of the entire system, and in this case the software (game) will launch and work much faster. This allows you to improve your computer without purchasing new components and use their maximum capabilities.

Before you start overclocking the processor, you need to know for sure the limits of the reserve clock frequency and the real indicators. If this is neglected, the processor may burn out and cannot be repaired. Intel is releasing processors in new lines that provide for changing the frequency in the BIOS. It is these models that lend themselves to overclocking best.

Do not set the clock frequency to the maximum valid value. And although the system will work significantly faster, the intensity of the work will lead to increased heating of the component part and can lead to malfunction. In this case, you definitely need to take care of installing a powerful cooler that will cope with the heat generated. And if the power supply was purchased without a power reserve for the system unit, it is also recommended to replace it with a more powerful one.

In order to overclock your processor without difficulty, you need to follow three steps:

• update the BIOS to the latest available version;
• install qualitatively good system cooling;
• with the help special programs(or in BIOS) view the initial frequency value.

In order to find out the current (factory) clock frequency of the processor and check the limits to which it can be overclocked, you can use the free CPU-Z utility, which can be downloaded from the official website.

Before overclocking the processor, you can also use the S&M program, which can demonstrate the behavior of the processor when maximum loads.

If you have completed all the prescribed measures, you can proceed to directly overclocking the Intel processor. This can be done using one of three special programs, which are the most secure and will not cause any harm to the system. Let's look at them in more detail.

This program allows almost any user to overclock, because its interface is intuitive. But the developers recommend that inexperienced users not experiment to avoid possible troubles. SetFSB allows you to overclock any processors, but is not suitable for all motherboards, on which a lot also depends when increasing the clock frequency. Before starting the process, on the official page of this utility, make sure that your motherboard supported.

Among the advantages of this program are its small size (only 300kb), regular release of updates and ease of management.

• select the clock generator model of your motherboard from the “Clock Generator” pop-up list;
• click on the “Get FSB” button to display two sliders displaying the clock speed of the processor and system bus;
• gradually move the slider at small intervals and monitor the current processor temperature using additional utilities;
• After finding the optimal boundary, click on the “Set FSB” button.

It should be noted that when you restart the computer, these settings will be reset and to increase the frequency you will need to restart the program with the saved settings. To avoid this, you can put this program in autorun.

This program has a large number of tools and supports much more more models motherboards than the previous program. Also, due to the presence of a Russified version, the interface will be as clear as possible. But CPUFSB is a paid product and to use it, you must purchase it.

To overclock a processor using CPUFSB, follow these steps:

• using the drop-down lists, select your model of motherboard and PLL chip;
• click on the “Take frequency” button and you will see the current processor and bus frequency;
• by moving the slider, select a value that will correspond to the permissible processor heating;
• Click on the “Set frequency” item.

This program, like the previous one, after rebooting the system, resets the system settings and to increase the processor frequency, you must repeat the operation.

This utility also helps in solving the issue of overclocking the processor. A significant disadvantage of SoftFSB is the fact that it is not supported by developers, and it is not a fact that it will fit new models of processors and motherboards. Also, its interface is entirely in English (there is no Russian language support) and it is designed for experienced users.

To overclock the processor, all actions are performed similarly to the previous program.
If you have never overclocked a processor, experts strongly recommend using utilities that are written by component manufacturers and for specific models.

Today we will talk about overclocking Intel processors and look in detail at the program with which it will be easiest to do this. But, in the beginning, we will find out what overclocking is, why it is needed at all, and what consequences of overclocking await us in the future. People who overclock are called overlockers.

Conventionally, all overlockers are divided into three categories

1. The first type is beginner and economical overlockers. In order to save money, they want to get maximum productivity while spending as little money as possible. In this case, the computer is assembled from not the most expensive components, which may be obviously outdated. In general, they buy what they have enough money for. Naturally, the performance of such a computer system is far from the desired level. Therefore, owners of such equipment are starting to overclock the processor in order to at least slightly increase the performance of their PC.
2. The second type includes the so-called experienced overlockers. Their goal is to get maximum performance and enjoyment from the overclocking process itself, without spending extra funds. Experienced overlockers, even at the stage of purchasing not the cheapest equipment, try to choose it with the expectation of a further upgrade. They thoughtfully choose every component of their future computer. If it is a motherboard, then it must have ample capabilities to support various components; if it is a processor, then it must have overclocking capabilities built into it, etc. As a result, very often such systems, after overclocking, have at least comparable performance to top-end computers operating in nominal mode. But often such performance is not vitally necessary, and the overlocker simply likes to enjoy a job well done.
3. The third type of overclockers are extreme overclockers. For them, the goal of overclocking is to achieve the highest possible performance by any means necessary and regardless of price. They are constantly looking for older models, the most powerful components, achieving extremely low temperatures, etc. The main thing for them is to end up with a system with parameters that are inaccessible to most PC users.

Of course, such a division is conditional and there are no clear boundaries between overlockers. Over time, beginners move into the group of experienced ones; experienced ones, if they have the desire and opportunity, become extreme sports enthusiasts. But, one way or another, they all started somewhere, and any serious undertaking is preceded by theoretical preparation. So, first of all, we will deal with a little theory of processor overclocking.

Collecting system information

Before you start overclocking your processor, you need to have an idea of ​​what you're dealing with. First you need to start studying your system. Identify all the components, study the motherboard manual, use information and diagnostic utilities, conduct performance tests, note the maximum and minimum temperatures under various system loads, etc. After overclocking the processor, you can compare the data obtained with the indicators that the system had before increasing the processor frequency. In addition, with the help of preliminary tests you can make sure that the system operates stably at the rated frequency and voltage.

Required programs

Both before and during overclocking, you will need special programs and utilities. Again, they are conventionally divided into several categories: programs for diagnostics, monitoring, overclocking, checking system stability, and utilities for measuring performance.

In real life, the clear boundaries between these categories are quite blurred. Using diagnostic programs, you can measure performance, and utilities designed for monitoring can overclock the processor. It’s just that each program has a main direction for which it is optimally suited and several auxiliary non-core functions.

Diagnostic information software is designed primarily to determine the configuration of your system. The most powerful and functional of them are Lavalys Everest and SiSoftware Sandra.

But these packages are not limited solely to defining the system configuration. These software systems capable of monitoring, measuring performance, and testing computer stability. However, the use of such programs for all areas at once is not always justified, especially since they are distributed for a fee, and only a part of the capabilities are available in free packages. Such cumbersome programs can be replaced with lesser-known, but no less effective utilities. For example, the CPU-Z utility is very popular among overlockers, capable of reporting information about both the processor itself and the motherboard and RAM. To carry out detailed control and manage memory timings, you can use the small MemSet program.

To overclock the processor, the best option will use BIOS. But, unfortunately, computer manufacturers do not always provide such an opportunity. In this case, you can use the universal SetFSB utility, which we will look at in more detail later. In addition, you should always familiarize yourself with the contents of the CD that comes with the motherboard. Manufacturers often supply their own programs with drivers, which have the ability to overclock the processor from Windows.

You should always remember one important truth: none of the existing processor overclocking programs can give you a 100% guarantee. But the chances will increase significantly if you use several different utilities for overclocking, monitoring and testing. The OCCT or S&M utilities will help you check the stability of the system.

Hundreds of special programs have been written to measure system performance. Such utilities test either the system as a whole or its components separately. An example of a simple but functional program is NovaBench.

CPU Overclocking Basics

Overclocking is the forced operation of the processor at frequencies higher than the nominal frequency. The reasons why overclocking is even feasible can be different. This reason may be a large safety margin built into the processor architecture by the manufacturer or some kind of marketing ploy. This is not so important, the main thing is to skillfully use the opportunities provided.

Despite the huge variety of computer components inside a PC, everything is largely standardized. This is caused by the need to synchronize components from different manufacturers. The starting point is the system bus frequency –FSB. At the same time, various buses on the motherboard (channels), which connect various components of the board, have an information transmission frequency lower than the FSB. Therefore, when setting their nominal frequencies, dividers are used. But since modern processors have a noticeably higher frequency, multipliers are used in order for it to operate at its nominal frequency.

Let's give an example. The Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 processor operates at a bus frequency of 266 MHz. Its multiplier is x7. The product of the FSB frequency by this multiplier will give the final processor frequency of 1.86 GHz. Therefore, in order to overclock the processor, it is necessary to either increase the FSB frequency or the multiplier.

Older models of modern processors are characterized by free multipliers. But such processors have a high cost, which can be an order of magnitude higher than that of the younger processors of the family. Therefore, purchasing such processors is not entirely rational, since with the help of overclocking it is possible to achieve the performance of younger processors comparable to the performance of their older brothers.

Therefore, overclocking any processor usually means increasing the FSB frequency. If we take as an example overclocking an intel core 2 duo processor, then by increasing the bus frequency to 400 MHz, the processor frequency can increase to 2.8 GHz. If we increase the FSB to 500, then in this case the processor frequency will already be 3.5 GHz. This information is basic and already knowing it, you can head to the BIOS and start increasing the FSB frequency, thereby overclocking your processor. But still, before starting overclocking, you should carry out some preparatory work, which we will look at below.

Preparatory stage

Before you start overclocking the processor, you have to perform a couple of mandatory steps. The first step is to go to the website of your motherboard manufacturer and check if a more recent BIOS version is posted there. There are many cases where completely unsuccessful motherboards, after updating the BIOS, found a second life, literally. In addition, updating the version can not only correct the errors found, but also introduce new parameters and capabilities into Board BIOS. You can find out which BIOS version you are currently using when the motherboard starts. If information appears for a very short period of time and you do not have time to read it, then press the Pause key on your keyboard. The BIOS version can also sometimes be seen using information and diagnostic utilities. Of course, not in all cases the new BIOS version is better suited for overclocking than the old one, but in new version At least the bugs in earlier versions have been fixed.

Nuances of overclocking Intel Core processors

A characteristic feature of all processors with Core microarchitecture is high performance. Since they lend themselves well to overclocking, we will pay special attention to them.

Core processors except large quantity They also have a number of advantages that are unique to them, which still complicate the overclocking process. Such processors have their own feature - the so-called FSB Wall. This concept describes the maximum bus clock speed at which this processor can operate. By reducing the multiplier to x6, you can find out what maximum bus frequency your instance can operate at.

By the way, a processor with a nominal bus frequency of 200 MHz is almost never overclocked to a frequency exceeding 400 MHz FSB. This factor should be taken into account when choosing a Core series processor. Why pay for a processor from an older line, if it is much cheaper and easier to overclock a junior processor. It must be remembered that younger CPUs with a nominal x8 multiplier will most likely be limited due to the FSB Wall, and therefore the frequency after overclocking will not be able to go above 3.2 GHz. Therefore, in order not to limit yourself in advance to the maximum possible frequency, when purchasing, pay attention to processors that have a x9 multiplier.

Processors with a nominal bus frequency of 266 or 333 MHz are also selected as low-end ones and have a x7 multiplier. But here, in addition to the notorious FSB Wall, overclocking can be complicated in addition by the capabilities of the motherboard and RAM. Such processors should also be chosen with a multiplier of x8 or higher. However, here too a new danger awaits overlockers - FSB Strap.

FSB Strap, a parameter that characterizes not the processor itself, but the chipset and motherboard. This is the frequency at which the chipset switches operating modes. For example, after overclocking the processor, the performance of systems built on a Gigabyte motherboard and Intel P965 Express chipset immediately drops. But the motherboard from the manufacturer Asus, built on the same chipset, shows high performance even at 400 MHz. When testing maternal Asus boards Striker Extreme with NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI chipset performance dropped during the transition from 420 MHz FSB to 425 MHz.

Overclocking the processor using the SetFSB program

Now that the theoretical part is over, we can start overclocking the Intel processor. As an example, let's take a very popular and effective program SetFSB.

After launching the utility, a similar window should appear on your screen.

At the very beginning you select a PLL chip. You can see which chip is installed either visually on the motherboard or using special utilities. It may happen that your chip is not on the list, then you will have to look for other utilities that support your chip type. As a last resort, you can contact the author of this utility and ask to add the chip you need to the program. But this procedure will take a lot of time and it is not a fact that the developer will even respond to your request.

After you have selected your chip, click the Get FSB button.

The window will display different meanings frequencies, including the frequency at which the processor operates in at the moment. The current frequency is highlighted in the Current CPU Frequency window. In our case, this is a frequency of 1198.2 MHz.

We will overclock the processor by increasing the system bus frequency. To increase the named frequency, you need to move the slider located in the center of the window to the right. Tabs and sliders that are located nearby are best left as they are to avoid unexpected problems. If you want to increase the frequency adjustment range, check the box to the left of Ultra, as shown in the previous figure.

Now move the slider a little to the right. As a result, the frequency should increase by 10-15 MHz.

For the changes you have made to take effect, you must click the SetFSB button.

If after you clicked the SetFSB button, the computer freezes or turns off, do not be alarmed. This just means that you either specified the wrong PLL, or you overestimated the frequency very much. After a reboot, everything will return to normal and you can make changes. If you did everything correctly, the processor clock speed will increase. Look at the picture below.

In order to make sure that your computer is stable after overclocking, you will need to test it using a utility. We chose Preime95.

After launching the utility, click on the Just Stress Testing button, as shown in the figure above. Afterwards, the following window should appear on your PC screen:

Select the third item and click OK. After this, testing your system should start.

If you wish, simultaneously with the Preime95 utility, you can run the HWMonitor utility, which will monitor the temperature of your processor, as well as other components during the test.

The Prime95 program has the ability to generate a serious load on the computer processor. Testing will be successful if the processor works stably for at least fifteen minutes and does not freeze. After successful completion of testing, you can try to further increase the processor frequency and run system testing again.

If you want to abort the test earlier, you can do this using the menu, as shown in the figure below.

By increasing the frequency and immediately checking the stability of the system using Prime95, you can achieve the maximum processor frequency at which it will work stably for a long time. long period time at maximum loads. After all the manipulations with overclocking and determining the optimal frequency, you need to add the SetFSB program to startup. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost after the first reboot of the PC.

First of all, create a bat script. Why do you need a regular standard Notepad, in which you need to make something like this:

c:\Program Files (x86)\SetFSB 2.2.129.95\setfsb.exe -w15 -s668 -cg

c:\Program Files (x86)\SetFSB 2.2.129.95\setfsb.exe is your path to the SetFSB utility on your computer. Naturally, it may differ for different users.

w15 – with this parameter you set the required delay before starting SetFSB. Time is indicated in seconds.

s668 – entry indicating the overclocking setting. This parameter is very important. In the figure, in our case, this is the number 668 (the first number to the right of the slider, which is located in the green field)

cg)