Laptop Overclocking
March 30, 2005 at 05:21:00 PM, by Thai Tan
In this guide, we define overclocking, explain how it works, and demonstrate overclocking on the popular Compaq V2000 platform.
Overview
Computer overclocking is a popular "underground" activity practiced by many computer enthusiasts who are looking for more computer performance. However, since overclocking generally raises heat and power consumption, it is considered a bad idea to overclock laptops. Regardless, if done correctly one can overclock a laptop to obtain a substantial increase in performance with little to no side effects. In this guide, we define overclocking, explain how it works, and demonstrate overclocking on the popular Compaq V2000 platform. Read on to find out more!
DISCLAIMER: CARELESSNESS CAN LEAD TO POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO YOUR LAPTOP. LAPTOPLOGIC IS NOT TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGE CAUSED TO YOUR LAPTOP BY PERFORMING THESE TWEAKS. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.
How/What/Risks
How Overclocking Works
To understand how overclocking works, you need to understand the basic principle in creating new CPUs.
Designing a CPU takes is an expensive task, costing millions of dollars and requiring years of time. So how are CPU companies like Intel able to release one CPU every few months? The answer is very simple: design a single processor and sell it in different configurations. Since one of the main variables in processor performance is the clock frequency, all Intel has to do is to change the frequency to create a "new" processor. This is the perfect solution, since the CPU manufacturing process is not completely exact; some CPUs end up being able to clock higher than others. Individual processors are relatively cheap to make, Intel then "speed bins" each processor, or tests the CPUs at different clock speeds.
The ones able to operate stably at high frequencies are then packaged as high end CPUs, and the ones which fail are packaged as mid or low end CPUs. Most of the time, especially after Intel perfects the process, there will be a surplus of CPUs that can operate at the highest tested frequencies. Since the market for mid/low end CPUs is much greater than that for high end CPUs, Intel is forced to sell many of the CPUs that passed the highest frequency test as mid/low end CPUs. Therefore, if there was some way to change the CPU frequency, we can basically obtain a CPU that would be identical to a higher performance (and higher cost) CPU. This is where overclocking comes in.
What is Overclocking?
Overclocking is the process of changing the frequency of a component. The name comes from the "clock," the component that acts as a timer. The clock sends an electronic "wave" that dictates the speed at which the component processes information. By increasing the speed of the timer, you increase the speed at which the component processes information.
Overclocking the CPU is a bit more complicated, however. The CPU frequency is a multiple of the Front Side Bus (FSB) frequency. The FSB generally dictates the speed at which all computer components run, including the RAM, AGP/PCI-E, and PCI slots. By increasing the FSB speed, not only will your CPU speed increase, but so will the speed at which the other components access the CPU. Generally speaking, the only components that benefit from increasing the FSB is the CPU and the RAM. The other components pose a liability. By setting the FSB speed too high, hard drive failure, the most common problem, can occur. The solution is to not increase the FSB by more than 20-30 MHz. Although this number may seem small, remember that the CPU runs at a fairly large multiple of this speed. A Pentium M "Dothan" CPU running at 1.5 GHz with a 100mhz FSB has a multiplier of 15 (15x). Therefore, if the FSB was increased to a mere 120 MHz, the CPU speed will become 1.8 GHz. However, note that due to the manufacturing process, some CPUs may only overclock by a couple MHz, and some may not successfully overclock at all.
The Risks of Overclocking
Overclocking is not without potential risks, however. Like almost any activity, carelessness can cause serious side effects. Although hard to detect, overclocking also technically voids your warrenty. Since overclocking moves your processor's frequency away from its safe, default setting, the most common problem with overclocking is general system unstability. This is because the FSB is running at a higher speed than it can handle. There are several methods to alleviate this problem. The easiest cure is to lower the overclock to a speed that the processor can handle. Another way is to raise the processor voltage, using RM Clock or something similar. However, this causes additional heat to be produced, and with it, a drain in battery life. The third and most difficult way is to cool the processor down. This is tremendously difficult to do with a laptop, and is not advised.
The second greatest risk in overclocking is a heat buildup. Overheating can cause permenant damage to your laptop. However, this is both easy to spot and cure. Just feel the bottom of the laptop. To cure this problem, lower the overclock on your laptop, and try the Advanced Battery guide, which deals with laptop underclocking. To prevent the problem before it happens, it is advised to not overclock any laptop that is already hot to the touch. As a general rule, AMD Athlon XP, Intel Pentium III and below, AMD Athlon64 Mobile (not DTR), Intel Pentium M, and Intel Celeron M processors are good for overclocking. AMD Athlon64 based notebooks can also be overclocked, but it is advised to lower its voltage (see the Advanced Battery guide for more details) to 1.4v before proceeding. Any laptop running the Pentium 4, especially those in excess of 3.2ghz or with 1MB L2 cache (a sure sign of the infamous Prescott CPU), should not be overclocked. Pentium 4 CPUs, no matter in what configuration or name (eg Celeron), run hot and use up a tremendous amount of power compared to most CPUs, often approaching or even exceeding 100W. Therefore, overclocking Pentium 4 based laptops is not advised. Remember that the Celeron M is based off the Pentium M, and thus is a prime candidate for overclocking. The best overclocking processors are the Pentium M and the upcoming AMD Turion line. Both run at cool temperatures, use little power, and have a lot of "headroom" for overclocking.
Setup
Overclocking your laptop requires special software. Luckily, such software is free and this guide will cover laptop overclocking using ClockGen.
Before you begin, you'll need to find out which motherboard chipset your laptop uses. This can easily be done by downloading CPU-Z and looking the "Motherboard" tab.
Next, download the corresponding ClockGen version. Some chipsets have different versions, and some may not work for your laptop at all. This is usually due to an unsolvable "problem" with your laptop motherboard. Some chipsets have different "versions." Try them in order to see which one works. Note that Pentium 4 chipsets, although provided at the ClockGen website, are not listed. This is because Pentium 4 CPUs, no matter in what configuration or name (eg Celeron), run hot and use up a tremendous amount of power compared to most CPUs, often approaching or even exceeding 100W. Therefore, overclocking Pentium 4 based laptops is not advised. Also, if your laptop already runs hot, you should not continue with this guide. Instead, try the Battery Optimization Guide to find out how to underclock your laptop to save battery power and run cooler.
Pentium III
Pentium M
AMD Athlon XP
AMD Athlon 64
- nVidia nForce3, all versions
- nVidia nForce4, all versions
- VIA K8T800 v1
- VIA K8T800 v2
- VIA K8T800 v3
One of the main problems with overclocking is stability. Prime95 is a program known for stressing out the computer's CPU and RAM to the max. If tested for long periods of time with Prime95, your computer should not face any stability problems from overclocking. However, remember that since the PCI bus is utilized by your hard drive and also overclocked, if you get unusual errors try reducing the FSB.
Overclocking Your Laptop
Step 1: Setup
Before overclocking your laptop, it is recommended that you restart your computer and not run any programs other than the ones in this guide. Whenever your laptop freezes, immediately turn off the computer either by holding down the "power" button, pulling the power connector, or removing the battery. It is unlikely that you will damage your laptop through overclocking, but to be on the safe side it is recommended to back up your data before starting such a task.Step 2: Setting Up Prime95
First, start up Prime95. Go to Options -> Torture Test, and select In-place large FFTs. This will cause your CPU usage to jump to 100%. When Prime95 is working, the icon will turn red. If the icon turns back to yellow, you know that Prime95 failed, which signifies that your system is unstable. Prime95 will not quit on its own; the only time in which the test will stop is if you manually go to Test -> Stop, or if your system is unstable.
Next, run ClockGen. It should look something like this:
Step 3: Overclocking the FSB via ClockGen
Below, you should see two bars, one for FSB, and one (most likely unselectable) for AGP. Click on "Get Values" to obtain your current speed. If the speed is vastly incorrect, the ClockGen version is probably not compatible with your chipset. If its off by a few MHz, that's no problem.
Next, to overclock, simply move the FSB slider, and click on "Set Values." I suggest moving first in increments of 5, then after 2-3 of those, move by 1 each time. Pause 5-10 seconds in between each step.
When Prime95 fails, immediately lower the FSB. If your laptop gets stuck, restart your computer. You now know the maximum FSB of your laptop. Run the FSB at a speed a bit below the maximum (1-5 MHz) just in case. Run Prime95 a bit longer (10min+) to make sure its stable.
If you are not satisfied with your overclock, you may be able to improve results by changing the VID of your processor. Run RM Clock (see how in Advanced Battery Guide) and increase the VID and try again.
Overclocking Test Method
Following the steps listed in the guide, I was able to overclock the Pentium M Dothan based Compaq V2000 from 1.6 GHz to 1.92 GHz, a 20% increase! Keep in mind that the 2.0ghz Pentium M costs around $600 and is considered a high end laptop CPU, while the 1.6ghz costs only about $200 and is considered a mid-low end CPU.
Specifications | Compaq Presario V2000 |
| Processor | Intel Pentium 725 (1.60 GHz, 2MB L2 cache) |
| Front Side Bus | 400MHz |
| Chipset | Intel 855GM |
| Wireless LAN | Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG (802.11b/g) |
| LCD | 14.0" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x768) |
| Hard Drive | 40GB 4200rpm 2MB cache hard drive |
| Memory | 512MB PC2700 333MHz DDR SDRAM CL2.5 |
| Graphics | Intel(R) Extreme Graphics 2 |
| Graphics Interface | VGA out, S-Video |
| Optical Drive | CD-RW/DVD-ROM |
| Modem | Integrated V.90 Modem |
| Ethernet | 10/100 Ethernet LAN |
| Speakers | Internal JBL Pro Speakers |
| Audio Interface | Microphone, headphone jacks |
| Ports | 6-in-1 memory reader, PC Card, 1xFirewire (IEEE 1394), 3x USB 2.0 |
| Pointing Device | Electro-Static touch pad |
| Weight | 5.21 lbs |
| Size (W x H x D) | 13.15"x 9.1" x 1.53" |
| Supplied Accessories | Standard Lithium-ion battery,Power Cord,AC adapter |
Results
The following tests show exactly what kind of performance benefit you can expect from overclocking.
PCMark04
PCMark 2004 is a good way to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a computer. PCMark runs many tests, such as application loading and video encoding, and comes up with a final score as well as many different sub scores. By comparing the sub scores, it is easy to see the strengths and weaknesses of your laptop.
It is easy to see that overclocking the CPU is beneficial. In PCMark04, there was almost a 20% increase in overall performance, corresponding directly to the 20% increase in CPU speed.
The CPU score increased 18% after overclocking.
By increasing the FSB, the RAM speed was also increased, from 100 MHz to 120 MHz, which is shown in these results. Memory bandwidth increased by an astounding 22%! This is surprising, since the RAM speed was only increased by 20%. The 2% difference is probably due to the increase in CPU speed, since the Memory benchmark, although dependent most on the RAM, also depends slightly on CPU speed.
The Graphics benchmark is based on the graphics card, the CPU and the RAM. Integrated graphics uses system RAM, so the increase in RAM speed also increased the overall performance of the integrated graphics. Hence, there was a 21% increase in performance. Bear in mind that 553 is still an abysmally low score.
Since the PCI bus is also dependent on the FSB frequency, maximum hard drive bandwidth was also increased. This has a mere 0.4% increase in performance, which can also be attributed to the margin of error. This is yet more proof as to why SATA hard drives are no faster than their IDE counterparts.
3DMark 2001
3DMark 2001 is actually a few years old, but it is still a great overall system benchmark, testing the CPU, RAM, and graphics card.
The combination of increasing CPU and RAM speeds resulted in a 22% increase in 3dmark01 points. Remember that the integrated graphics performance was increased too, because it depends on RAM speed.
3dmark 2003
3dmark 2003 is a popular DX9 test which focuses on graphics card performance.
The increase in the graphics RAM speed was the main contributing factor to the 21% increase in performance. Bear in mind that 110 is one of the worst scores possible for 3dmark03.
Business/Multimedia Winstone 2004
The Business and Multimedia tests are commonly to test a laptop's performance in business and multimedia-oriented tasks. This series of tests load up commonly used applications, such as Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint, and others, and tests the performance each one offers.
Business Winstone tests the performance of common business applications, ranging from Microsoft Word to Winzip. These tests are dependant on the CPU, RAM bandwidth, and hard drive. Accordingly, performance increased by 17%.
In this test, everything from video editing to 3D rendering is performed. Again, performance increased by 17%.
This last test is interesting. Battery life only decreased by 6 minutes, or by 3%, well within the margin of error. Therefore, we can conclude that for the Pentium M, moderate overclocking does not decrease battery life by a significant amount.
Final Words
The tests make it clear: overclocking, when done correctly, can increase laptop performance by a large margin. In our tests, the Pentium M CPU was overclocked by 20%, resulting in about a 20% increase in performance with little to no decrease in battery life. The laptop also remained cool to the touch despite the increased clock speed. This is because most of the Pentium Ms generate about the same amount of heat regardless of clock speed. The same will not be true with other CPUs, as all but the forthcoming AMD Turion generate a lot more heat than the Pentium M.
Please keep in mind that when done improperly, overclocking can lead to corrupted hard drives, frequent crashes, and even permanent laptop damage! While overclocking can bring in tremendous gains, you still need to be careful and not get too greedy when increasing the FSB.
Tip: Check out Exoid.com for more laptop tweaks. Page:1/1
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Comments
Dima at 07:38, June 02, 2010
my prime 95 has a green icon when running and a red icon when not running
Vic at 11:20, May 10, 2010
@ Mike Click the 'Options' box on Clockgen, and make sure there is a tick in the box next to 'Apply current settings at startup'.
Tkap at 17:09, April 05, 2010
Hey, I read the tutorial and as I went a long trying to overclock my Dell Latitude CPt and the clockgen application didn't work. I have the clockgen version 1.0.5.3, is there a newer one? When I run the program I get two options to show up in the program, clocks and options. Neither help with overclocking, I can't change any settings. So I have a 600Mhz CPU, with 100 Mhz FSB and wish to overclock it at most to 1 Ghz. I need help with the clockgen program it won't work... i'd appreciate it.
dr. who? at 05:38, March 06, 2010
i managed to over clock my BALLS yay
dr.who? at 05:37, March 06, 2010
i managed to over clock my dick yay
Mike at 04:43, February 10, 2010
Hey i just tried this with my dell inspiron 1300 1.6ghz celeron moobile. i managed to overclock it to 2.1ghz! but when i restart it goes back to 1.6. any help???
derm at 16:44, February 03, 2010
There is complete specification for the same on http://forums.techarena.in/guides-tutorials/1298476.htm. Check it out.
Albal at 12:21, December 05, 2009
dude does it work with core 2 duo p7350?
Albal at 12:21, December 05, 2009
dude does it work with core 2 duo p7350?
Zac Burt at 12:06, May 25, 2009
Get the HP Pavilion dv3t Siries!!!!!
babalooo at 03:00, May 12, 2009
Here you can see, how to overclock a mobile geforce video card: http://www.lowfps.com/overclocking-a-geforce-mobile-video-card