Overclocking, simply stated, is the process of increasing the processing speed of a computer component beyond its factory value it was designed for. Clock speed is defined as “The operating speed of a computer or its microprocessor, defined as the rate at which it performs internal operations and expressed in cycles per second (Hertz). E.g. A computer processor running at 2 Gigahertz will carry out 2 billion instructions per second. Overclocking is commonly undertaken by technology enthusiasts who want to squeeze as much power out of their components as possible as an increase in clock speed will make your computer carry out tasks faster.

Basic Overclocking is a cheap way to increase performance without hardware upgrades. It is not without its risks though; Overclocking (if done incorrectly) can lead to long term damage or unreliable performance increases.

The most common components that Overclocking takes place on are the Central Processing Unit (CPU), Graphics Cards and Memory since these components yield the best performance increases when overclocked. We’ll be focusing here on the CPU  since this is the most commonly overclocked component and a good starting point. Overclocking the CPU can make your whole system faster, boot faster, increase loading times in applications and games will be increased and frame rates can also be increased.

Before you decide to overclock you’ll need to check a few things:

• First you need to be sure that your motherboard will allow you to change settings which will allow you to overclock. Manufactures like Dell and Hp block users from tweaking these settings.
• Check your CPU temperatures at idle and when being stressed (ie undertaking a number of tasks that will tax the PC to its limit). Use a downloaded free tool such as cpu thermometer. Overclocking will increase your CPU temperature so if it is already running high then it would be dangerous to proceed. Under stress it’s not wise to exceed around 80 ^oC
• Download a program to test the stability of your CPU once overclocked. I recommend Orthos.
• Most warranties do not cover damage caused by Overclocking. You’re on your own if you muck up!
• Most of all you need to be a bit tech savvy and know the fundamentals of a computer system, Overclocking is an advanced technique and should not be attempted by everyone!

The CPU Clock speed is usually determined by the CPU Multiplier and the CPU FSB (Front Side Bus). The CPU Multiplier is the ratio between your CPU and the FSB on your motherboard. The FSB connects the CPU and the memory or RAM and other components on the motherboard.  Increasing the FSB will increase the speed of your whole system as well as the CPU. Increasing the CPU multiplier will increase the CPU speed but it is harder to fine tune clock speeds with the multiplier since they have to be whole numbers. The principles of Overclocking go down the very technical fundamentals of how a computer system works this is why you shouldn’t undertake extreme Overclocking until you really understand what you are doing.

To demonstrate the benefits of Overclocking I have put together two benchmark scores. One before and one after Overclocking. The processor used is a “TripleCore AMD Phenom II X3 Black Edition 720, 2800 MHz (14 x 200)” It is currently running at 2.8 Ghz, has a multiplier value of 14 and the system FSB is 200. (14 x 200 = 2800) Below are a table of my results and a graph to show the improvement that has been achieved. I used a benchmark tool to test the CPU speed called “CPU Free Benchmark 2.2” Follow what I have done below as a guide only, do not copy it exactly since every CPU is different in its own ways. I accept no responsibility for any damage you may cause to your hardware.

1) I started with my control, the stock CPU speed (test no 1) the average time was about 48 seconds to complete the benchmark tests. So once I had that I could start the Overclocking. Always proceed in small steps, I decided to jump from 2.8 to 3.0 Ghz, an increase of 0.2 Ghz as this is a pretty small Overclock.

2) I conducted the tests at 3.0 Ghz twice, first time increasing the FSB to 231 and decreasing the multiplier to 13. This instantly showed improvements to the test score and no signs of system instability occurred. I then changed the multiplier back to 14 and the FSB to 215. The speed was roughly the same so I know the FSB is not bottlenecking the speed yet. I then proceeded to increase the speed further.

3) In order to demonstrate how the variation between the multiplier and the FSB work I have conducted multiple tests at 3.2 Ghz. Tests 4 & 5 & 6 were extremely similar because they had fairly low multipliers and increased FSB. Test 7 shows the bottlenecking effect come into show that is created between the CPU speed and the FSB. The multiplier was set high and the FSB left as standard but as you can see, even though the clock speed was the same throughout the 3.2 Ghz tests, the time is increased on test 7. This is why you need to get a good balance between CPU speed and FSB and later the CPU voltage.

4) Again with another 0.2 Ghz increase, the clock speed was set to 3.4 Ghz. When you start getting to higher clock speeds you will eventually need to increase the voltage to the CPU to deal with it. It will become apparent when the PC stars behaving erratically or not booting properly. The two 3.4 Ghz tests show two different voltages and how the voltage change does little to the speed of the benchmarks when it is not needed.

5) It was when the 3.6 Ghz mark was hit that problems started to arise. As you can see from test numbers 12 to 15, the PC would not boot at all . The clock speed had been set to high and the voltage needed to be increased in order to cope. Through trial and error, 1.4 volts was the magic number and boosted the speed to a whopping 3.6 Ghz, a 0.8 Ghz increase on the stock speed and cut over 10 seconds off the benchmark times. You have to be really careful when setting the voltage on your CPU or any components since upping it too much will completely kill the component, likely costing you hundreds to replace.

6) An important factor to note also is the increase in temperature once the CPU has been Overclocked. Consistently throughout the tests with more speed comes more heat, especially once the voltage has been increased. After Overclocking check your temperatures all the time and stress the computer for long periods to ensure that it will be stable. I could have gone further as I know some have reached up to 4 GHz on the same processor but I am happy with this result. Pushing it any further will start to increase temperatures much more dramatically and upping the voltage further is risky. But overall a 0.8 GHz increase is really good! You have to not get carried away with it otherwise it will go bad unless you start using special cooling equipment.

In order to start Overclocking your system you need to enter your BIOS. Check how to enter your BIOS screen but it is usually pressing the Delete key during boot up. You’ll be faced with many options and every motherboard is different. Look under advanced settings or anywhere until you find something to do with CPU settings or “Jumper Free settings” as these are the most common places to find the tools to Overclock. If it is supported it will usually describe all the options in your motherboard manual. Once you have found the right page you can start tweaking the settings until you find ones that work for you!

It is a good idea to research your processor online before Overclocking because it is likely that others will have Overclocked it and posted their results so you can use their results to get an estimate of what you are likely to reach depending on your cooling techniques. There are special Overclocking competitions held around the world where teams attempt to get the highest speeds and scores they can. They go to the extent of using liquid nitrogen to cool their processors so it really can get extreme! Speeds of up to and above 5Ghz are achieved in these kinds of competitions.

This is only a basic guide to Overclocking though, to really get the highest speeds etc you’ll need to properly understand the fundamentals of how a computer system works together. Basic Overclocking is good for anyone interested in computers that already know the basics of computers. Just remember to take things slow and if you are unsure about settings in your BIOS don’t change them since it could cause all kinds of problems. Research your processor and motherboard BIOS before carrying out anything. I wouldn’t recommend any beginners change any voltage settings since it likely won’t be needed for small Overclocks and is dangerous if you get it wrong! If you feel your PC is lacking power and want an extra little boost then definitely give it a go!

The Logitech G11 Keyboard is one that differs from the  standard one that you probably use at home, due to its unique design and useful features.  At its heart it is still a standard QWERTY keyboard and will still function as one so you don’t need to worry there! Its pièce de résistance though is its 54 programmable buttons which are located on the right side of the keyboard.

Other features include the ability to disable the windows key button (something that will only be useful to people that play games on their PC) and the media playback controls at the top of the keyboard with its spiral volume control. Oh, did I mention it also glows in the dark?

Even with all these extra features you’ll be happy to know you still only have to plug one USB cable into your PC and install the software to manipulate the programmable buttons.

The programmable keys:

The programmable buttons will come in handy for just about anyone. You can either assign a macro or a text string to each key. For example gamers will be able to assign the special keys to special buttons in game; it will be a real benefit for games such as World of Warcraft because lots of keys need to be pressed during the game. However games such as Call of Duty will not benefit from the extra keys so it depends what kind of games you play.

Even if you don’t play any video games the feature still comes in very handy for other reasons, for example the ability to assign a text string to one of the keys. I use the buttons on a daily basis because I have my email addresses assigned to the keys so whenever I need to send someone my email address or enter it on a website I can do it at the click of a button. You can even go to the extent of assigning the keys your common username logins and maybe even passwords but this is not recommended for obvious security reasons. Macros also are a great help so you can bind commands which would ordinarily take more than one button click into one button. Such as copy (Ctrl + C) and paste (Ctrl + V), these can be assigned to the buttons, even save (Ctrl + S). These are all commonly used commands and assigning them to a key will make everything much easier.

There are 18 dedicated buttons on the keyboard for programmable keys which can be assigned commands or text. There are then 3 different set modes to choose from, so potentially you can have 54 different and separate commands assigned to the keyboard. The average user won’t make use of majority of these but it’s nice to know you have enough space if you need it.

The included software to create macros, text strings and assign them to the keys is very easy to use as it shows a picture of the keyboard so you can choose which buttons do what. So there will be no problem in setting up the keyboard.

Playback Controls:

Like listening to music? The dedicated playback buttons allow you to Pause, Play, Stop and skip your music. The nice thing about having a dedicated button is this means you can easily switch or pause your music without switching applications on your computer. You can even switch music while in a full screen application or game, it just makes everything much easier and saves you time! The disc pad which you turn to adjust the volume is also nice, it has a better feel than the standard two buttons some may be used to.

Overall the G11 is a fantastic keyboard if you are going to make use of the features that it includes. The illuminated keys really help when you’re in a dark room and the programmable keys definitely come in handy! Other than these features and the useful playback controls it’s a standard keyboard, and functions as such. If you could use the extra features the keyboard offers then definitely buy it since it really will help, if not then there is little point, unless you just like the cool glow from the keys!

The Bourne Legacy

The Bourne Legacy- but no Jason Bourne? Get over it! You may be forgiven for thinking that the Bourne series (Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum) had run its course, but such is its popularity that it is returning soon, as the Bourne Legacy.

The Bourne Legacy expands the Bourne universe created in the Robert Ludlum novels with a new story that introduces us to a new hero (played by Jeremy Renner). However, as you might expect, the plot thickens, and the events draw deeply on the previous trilogy.

This intriguing trailer opens with a little dialogue over some brooding music, and pictures of a recently scarred face…

“There’s nothing you wouldn’t do for this country…”

“Will you give yourself to this programme?”

“You have the strength that’s necessary…”

“Welcome to the programme…”

This is followed by some sequences that certainly don’t give anything in the story away, but show that it is undoubtedly an action movie!

For The Bourne Legacy, Renner joins fellow series newcomers Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles. Renner was the charismatic lead in the Hurt Locker, the critically acclaimed 2008 war film by Kathryn Bigelow about 2008 about a three-man bomb disposal team during the Iraq War.

The story sets off after the conclusion of The Bourne Ultimatum with Tony Gilroy as the director, screenwriter of the first three films. Matt Damon, star of the first three films, did not return for this film but has not ruled out starring in any future films as long as Paul Greengrass, who directed the last two films, returns. Interestingly, before this movie was seriously considered, Paul Greengrass jokingly suggested that to make a fourth Bourne movie it should be called “The Bourne Redundancy”!

The film will not be a reboot or prequel in any way, but more likely a “sidequel” or full spin-off with a new character in the mould of Bourne dealing with the ramifications of the Treadstone conspiracy. Hence the “There was never just one” tag. That’s a risk, but it may be that if successful, excuse the pun, a new star will be bourne!

Comments on the trailer are inevitably about Jason Bourne/Matt Damon not appearing in this fourth instalment, but there’s a lot of support for Renner, and the apparently continuing Bourne formula of deals, counter-deals, amnesia, conspiracy and betrayal. These would seem to be all present and correct, along with the required excitement and action.

“The Bourne Legacy” is scheduled to be released in August.

See the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDrSA1gTuKc

Nearly four minutes of gritty, high octane, visceral action are unleashed in this video trailer for Sleeping Dogs™, a martial arts/maximum machismo cop drama set in the vibrant city of Hong Kong.

As the blades and the bullets fly, you would be forgiven for thinking this is a trailer for a new Andy Lau Infernal Affairs film: It seems to have the same tension, quality acting and action, not to mention the claustrophobic yet cinematic location of Hong Kong. But do a double-take- this is a game not a film!!

Developed by United Front Games in collaboration with Square Enix studios, London, Sleeping Dogs will be available in the second half of this year for the PlayStation3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC.

You want the plot? Under cover HK cop Wei Shen, is tasked with taking down one of the world’s most fearsome criminal organisations from the inside… the Hong Kong Triads. Not much at all then…

The advert says: “As players explore the bustling and crowded Hong Kong island, through its neon-lit side streets and sprawling street markets, an incredible story unfolds of loyalty and betrayal, where Wei begins to question his own motives as he is sucked in deeper than he could ever imagine.”

While the video concentrates on what you would see on the screen, and that is brutal and beautiful at the same time, one wonders how the game will play in reality. It says it has openworld gameplay, and a myriad of manoeuvres to take your opponents down.

The locations include seedy street corners, menacing market-stalls, low-down docks and sky-high skyscrapers. These become the scenes for intense shoot-outs, street races, martial arts combat, and use of some particularly nasty weapons, such as meat cleavers, kitchen knives, pans of boiling oil, and circular saws. Not for the faint-hearted, and that is why this video has an 18 certificate.

So returning to the video, it’s clear from this that the game promises adrenaline-fuelled action all the way. But it may put you off cooking a stir-fry or going into the kitchen to see how good the hygiene is in a Chinese Restaurant! You have been warned!

Here is the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHIRceS-blA&list=UUJH6bCVMtGzPAhD2QfrOyXA

“Hey! I’m sure I paid for that cocktail!”