Should I overclock or buy a new processor

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pa261639

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Oct 2, 2014
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So I built a pc in 2011 and I am wondering if I should build a whole new one or just overclock my processor? The processor is a phenom II X4 955 BE and last year, I paired it with an R9 270 so it has allowed me to play a lot recent releases but I want to continue playing new games with out spending a whole lot of money. If I were to build a new computer, I would just use a lot of the parts I have (psu, hard drive, ram) but I am not sure if I would get a new case and I would need a new motherboard since it is an AM3. I know that I can try to overclock it but the idea of doing that scares me and I do not want to destroy anything. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do? Does anyone have any suggestions on what parts I should get if I was to upgrade?
 
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Swordkd
Overclocked, that Cpu isn't a bad performer. Basic overclocking is simple, and poses very little risk to your Cpu. When you start to adjust voltages is when things can go south, but a mild overclock(400+ mhz) is as simple as changing one setting(multiplier) in the BIOS.

I had a Phenom II 940 overclocked 500mhz just by changing the multiplier. No voltage change involved.

Make sure you have a decent cooler though. The stock cooler won't really cut it. However, when you do decide to build a new Pc, you can re-use the cooler and it's a good investment.
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Swordkd

Swordkd

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Oct 3, 2012
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Overclocked, that Cpu isn't a bad performer. Basic overclocking is simple, and poses very little risk to your Cpu. When you start to adjust voltages is when things can go south, but a mild overclock(400+ mhz) is as simple as changing one setting(multiplier) in the BIOS.

I had a Phenom II 940 overclocked 500mhz just by changing the multiplier. No voltage change involved.

Make sure you have a decent cooler though. The stock cooler won't really cut it. However, when you do decide to build a new Pc, you can re-use the cooler and it's a good investment.
 
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pa261639

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Oct 2, 2014
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Thank you for the response. Do you have any suggestions on where I should go to get started? I am a total noob and this is the one and only computer that I ever built.
 
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Swordkd

Swordkd

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just google overclocking instructions. On that board, you only have to up the multiplier for an overclock. I believe that is set stock to a multiplier of 16, just up it to 18 at first and that will net you a 400mhz overclock. Grab a copy of Prime95 and run it for a while, if it runs stable I'd say you are good. Then you can up the multiplier in .5 steps above that and see how high you can get and still be stable. Cooling is important though, as the Cpu will run hotter.
 
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