Get new speed from your Core 2 Duo machineThis tip will sure put a smile on any gamer's face. If you have a midrange or low-end Core 2 Duo machine, and this would mean the 1.86Ghz-2.1Ghz range, you can make some quick adjustments in your BIOS to get a boost. Visit your BIOS screen when restarting your PC and hunt down the setting regarding the CPU's "FSB", which is the front side bus speed. All the Core 2 Duo units have a bus multiplier added to them, so while it may say 200Mhz, this is not an incorrect setting. I know that part can be confusing, but know that anything you see in the BIOS is that way for a darn good reason! Most of the low end computers that have a Core 2 Duo in them have their FSB set at about 200 or so, your job will be to increase it. That's right, bump that sucker up to 266 and then reboot your machine, and check the System Properties - wow, 200Mhz faster! Try boosting your board up to around 333 for a solid 2.3Ghz in most cases. Be careful when doing this! Not every board will allow you to deviate very far from the original specs and if you start picking very high bus speeds, voltages need to be changed to compensate and sometimes the memory timings as well. Luckily for Core 2 Duo owners, the process is generally just this simple, but don't get greedy with speed and set it extremely high. Once you gain a few hundred Mhz in speed, spend a LOT of time testing everything, printing, networking, gaming, opening documents, etc. Some boards become unstable if set too high. Worst case, if you mess up it so badly the unit won't boot, unplug the unit and pull the clock battery from the motherboard, then toggle the jumper that resets the CMOS. This will bring the factory settings back and allow you to boot up again and try new numbers. Happy overclocking! All Articles |
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