How to Overclock Memory
Level of difficulty: Intermediate
Overclocking is the process of making a computer run at a higher clock rate than it was meant to be run by the manufacturer. When done properly, this process can speed up a computer’s performance by a small percentage. The best thing about it is that it can be done without having to spend anything. It is like a computer upgrade without any hardware changes.
Materials Needed:- Computer
Step 1
Find out which configuration mode the motherboard uses by entering setup and going to the 'Frequency/Voltage Control' or 'Advanced Chipset Setup' menu.
Step 2
Go to a menu called 'DRAM Configuration' or 'RAM Configuration'. If there is an option to change the memory clock, such as 'Memory Clock' or 'Memory Frequency', then the memory is running on asynchronous mode. The asynchronous mode means that the memory clock can be configured apart from the CPU clock. If there is no available option, this means that the motherboard is running on synchronous mode. This means that the memory clock is tied to the CPU’s external clock.
Step 3
To be able to change clock configurations, change the options that allow doing just that. Enable the 'CPU Host Clock Control' option under the 'DRAM Configuration' menu. This option may also be called 'System Performance' or 'DDR Timing Setting by'.
Step 4
If the motherboard has an asynchronous configuration mode, a predetermined value or a specific desired value can be used. This depends on the motherboard model. More expensive models typically allow using a specific value. From the 'DRAM Configuration' menu, change the 'CPU Host Clock Control' from 'Auto' to 'Manual'.
Step 5
Take note of the maximum voltage of the memory clock. This is right under the 'CPU Host Clock Control' menu item.
Step 6
Some motherboards require changing the 'Voltage Fine Tune' option to change the memory voltage. Enable this option.
Step 7
Try increasing the voltage in order to achieve a higher clock. Be sure not to burn the memory. The memory voltage settings are under the 'Frequency/Voltage Control' menu. It is named either 'DIMM OverVoltage Control', 'DIMM Voltage Regulator', or 'DRAM Voltage Regulator'. The number of options to increase or decrease the memory voltage depends highly on the motherboard model.
Step 8
After doing so, reboot the PC. The PC should load as normal. Run a program heavy on RAM and check if it runs faster or slower than before the changes have been made. If the computer runs slower, go back to the setup and lower the memory clock.