Is underclocking a dangerous thing?

[iluvgillgill]

i have an big arguement with a person and he said by underclocking the CPU it will post harm to the motherboard.because what i said is running a CPU at 100x6 with lower vcore,but everything on normal.but he said the NB will suffer as the NB is running a higher(normal) voltage thats actually required for the speed.i said back to him the voltage on the NB is still running with in spec even though the bus speed isnt.i told him that only overclocking and overvolting will cause possible harm to the parts.by running them lower is fine.

so what you guys think.that running at lower speed(UNDERCLOCKING) is dangerous like overclocking?and will cause damage as such?

 

[iluvgillgill]

basically his point is running excess(stock) voltage for lower speed(out of spec) is a dangerous.

and my point is the chipset itself is running on stock voltage and its fine even if the bus speed 400mhz is running lower then the state natively supported 533-1333mhz

 

[closed_deal]

I'd say your right. Your motherboard runs at a designed voltage, it doesn't matter how low the bus speed goes it still requires the same voltage to create the frequency.

On a CPU you under clock and lower the voltage to save power and limit the heat. I'm guessing you could under volt the northbridge slightly, but i think it'd need the stock voltage to carry out it's normal job of talking to the FSB, RAM, PCI-E and then to stay in contact with the southbridge.

However, I'm no expert maybe someone else can talk more technical jargon and make sense?

 

[iluvgillgill]

thank you close_deal.thats exactly my point.i also pointed out that if a chipset is rated to run at 1333 natively then it doesnt mean anything lower is impossible or dangerous as he said.

im sure you cant undervolt any parts apart from CPU and the rest on "Normal" or "default"

 

[dagger]

Who is this "guy" you're refering to?

 

[iluvgillgill]

well he would post in here sooni think.beginning with "E".im off to work now

 

[closed_deal]

hehe that aint to hard to work out...

 

[dagger]

well he would post in here sooni think.beginning with "E".im off to work now

Poor guy, working on a saturday.
Who's E?

How did he come up with that anyway? People are weird.

 

[closed_deal]

Ends with 'giri' i'm guessing . Tiz a weird thing to argue about , but still it beats clock watching for my new case .

 

[Shadow703793]

Ah are you referring to Evilonigiri and his underclocked Q6600? :lol:

I think I lost already...I have my Q6600 running at 2.0GHz...

We should have an underclocking contest.

@ Evilonigiri.....why is your q6600 underclocked??

Didn't need the extra power, and also I have a crappy cooler.

I learned something though. Vcore for 2GHz is .9875v, so much lower than what is needed for 3.15Ghz.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/forum2.php?config=tomshardwareus.inc&cat=29&post=246979&page=1&p=1&sondage=0&owntopic=3&trash=0&trash_post=0&print=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0

 

[closed_deal]

Hehe thats where I guessed it from .

 

[EXT64]

I don't see why it should. I guess there is only one way to find out, though

 

[boonality]

Underclocking a 1066 FSB processor is theoretically the same as running an 800FSB processor. No harm in that for sure.

 

[iluvgillgill]

Ah are you referring to Evilonigiri and his underclocked Q6600? :lol:






http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/forum2.php?config=tomshardwareus.inc&cat=29&post=246979&page=1&p=1&sondage=0&owntopic=3&trash=0&trash_post=0&print=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0

lol nice guess.

 

[iluvgillgill]

Underclocking is by no means dangerous. Undervolting is by no means dangerous. Its just unstable.

FSB underclocking and multiplier underclocking is completely stable but FSB underclocking will result in a bandwidth degradation. Only FSB underclocking will have issues if underclocked too much (bandwidth problem). Underclocking is completely safe but can be unstable causing random freezes or stuff like that. Its like feeding a person too little to do their work.

If you underclock yours to the extreme expect your motherboard not to post. Remove the CMOS battery and you'll be fine. There is a technical explanation for this but I won't discuss it here (I don't understand it either). It involves not having enough volts, so the processor draws more power and the motherboard doesn't post. Its completely safe, nothing blows up. I have gotten my BE-2400 @1.7GHZ @ 0.5V-0.8V but it was pretty unstable with 0.5V only able to post and 0.8V getting up to Windows but wouldn't start. 0.944V is the sweet spot for mine.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/2438230833_ff4631f530_o.jpg

Underclocking and undervolting actually increase the lifespan of your processor and motherboard by slowing down electrical degradation (less energy to wreck silicon).

Any Questions?

thats what i pointed out to him.by running a lower speed does not mean dangerous by any mean.and lets put the performance degrade on the side.but he use 3ghz@1.7V being dangerous.yes to that case what he said is correct,but when underclock the NB/FSB to lower but with stock voltage wouldnt cause a harm because that chipset is design to take that voltage regardless what speed as long as its stable(of course more voltage for higher speed).

i wonder why he still not post in this thread yet.probably we all proved him wrong.lol

 

[iluvgillgill]

thank you again!

i really want that friend to see what all you guys said.that guy is funny he can side track himself and talk as in manufacture's view and said should not run parts out of spec even lower then and so that would be dangerous.

i feel like slapping him,because i told him we are consumers why are you talking in manfacture's view?as we are not going to benefit from it or something.and he just like just put me as a manufacture!

I MEAN WHAT'S THE POINT OF THAT?think like a manufacture?

Shadow703793

and he is the actual person denying what he is doing.underclocking his Q6600.

 

[runswindows95]

Then again, why not just spend the money and get a better cooler?

 

[iluvgillgill]

all CPU and ram is the same in the same model.but the manufacture just select a lower multiplier for them so they run slower and sell for cheaper as well.

so a q6600 is a downclocked qx6800 but with locked lower multiplier.but the CPU it self is CAPABLE OF RUNNING AT 2.93GHZ because its the same chip as the more expensive brother.and once again he point it that as dangerous as its running outside manfactures stated spec.i guess he never think its actually running in spec for the core inside the wrapping.

 

[iluvgillgill]

^ read again!!!><

basically he said run CPU/Mobo/Ram faster or slower(out of spec)is dangerous even though the actual partinside it is the same.but with multiplier difference or different stock speed.

get it now?

 

[iluvgillgill]

yeah.normal the lower speed parts have lower level in quality as well.manufacturing variation and defect.couldnt run as high as the others.but the chip when its made.its design to run at the same voltage.but the actual silicon inside disallow it to run at a higher speed even with the same "normal" voltage.that why when we OC a cpu we put more voltage to offset or overcome the defects or inferiority of the CPU.

is INFERIORITY a word?i think i just made it up.lool

 

[Zorg]

I agree, under clocking won't damage anything.

You should never run anything out of the manufacturers spec. Listen closely to what you are commanded to do and comply.

Resistance is futile you must comply. :lol:

Except the Q6600/P35 they run at an easy 3G.

 

[iluvgillgill]

so reply to his question.underclocking to 100(QDR400) where a board support only 133(QDR533) Pentiums.so that can be look as out of spec.as the NB is using the stock voltage rated for 533mhz and over.

you think its dangerous?

 

[Zorg]

If the mobo supports the chip and has a setting for 100 then no.

 

[iluvgillgill]

yes to both.

just to let you guys know how this arguement started is wheni just talking some funny stuff to him,i sed if i run the e2160 at 100x6 i wonder what the setting and tmep would be.and he just started talking about its being dangerous!lol

 

[Zorg]

yes to both.

I hope so, because if not it would be a moot point, aye? :lol: