How to Make Sure Your CPU is Stable When Overclocking
Computers are all about speed, so it is no surprise than many more advanced users like to “overclock” their computers, especially the processor. Overclocking is basically just increasing the speed of the processor to make it faster. This has a few bonuses, as well as a few drawbacks. The biggest drawback is heat because, obviously the fast it is running the hotter it gets. Too much heat can be bad! The bonuses include, better response time, and just a faster computer overall. Another downside is stability. If a processor is not correctly overclocked it is possible that the computer could crash. It is very important to test your overclock to make sure it is stable.
Overclock your CPU. Try to get a good balance between temperature, speed, and CPU voltage. Boot into Windows. Just getting into Windows is a very good start. Download and run Orthos Prime. Just search Google and you can find numerous sites to get it.
It is recommended that you select “Stress CPU” for the test, as it will give the best results. Allow Orthos to run for atleast 6 hours continuously. Make sure to keep an eye on temperatures so you don’t fry anything.
After 6-12 hours, if your computer is still running fine it should be stable. Obviously it is not a guaranteed stable, because every program is different. If you return to your computer and it is off, has a Blue Screen of Death (see picture) or seems to have rebooted, your processor is not stable.
The best thing you can do is either decrease the speed, or increase the CPU voltage to try to get it stabilized.
Once you get your computer to pass a long term Orthos test it is probably stable. Until you have tested your CPU in every program it is impossible to know for sure, but Orthos seems to be the best overall judge. As long as your temperatures are acceptable and you have a stable machine you were succesful in your overclock. You have now upgraded your CPU without changing a single piece of hardware.
