The Book of Overclocking: Tweak Your PC to Unleash Its Power [Paperback]

Scott Wainner (Author), Robert Richmond (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2003

Winner of the Books24x7 Referenceware Excellence Award, Hardware category, April 2004

The definitive guide to overclocking-- the art of running a PC's processor faster than the manufacturer intended. If you don't mind voiding the manufacturer's warranty on your CPU, overclocking is for you. Learn how not to fry your system while souping up everything from the Pentium II to the latest Athlon XP and Pentium 4. Sections on cooling, troubleshooting, and benchmarking make sure you get the most out of your machine.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a simple, straightforward [book] that should prove as interesting to the beginner as to the veteran computer user." -- The Sacramento Bee (Jan. 2003)

"great overviews and in-depth explanations of processor technology and overclocking strategies" -- PopularMechanics.com, February 2004

About the Author

Vijay Bollapragada, CCIE(R) No. 1606, is a senior manager in the Network Systems Integration and Test Engineering group at Cisco Systems(R) where he works on the architecture, design, and validation of complex network solutions. Mohamed Khalid, CCIE No. 2435, is a technical leader working with IP VPN solutions at Cisco(R). He works extensively with service providers across the globe and their associated Cisco account teams to determine technical and engineering requirements for various IP VPN architectures. Scott Wainner is a Distinguished Systems Engineer in the U.S. Service Provider Sales Organization at Cisco Systems where he focuses on VPN architecture and solution development. In this capacity, he provides customer guidance on IP VPN architectures and drives internal development initiatives within Cisco Systems.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: No Starch Press; 1 edition (January 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188641176X
• ISBN-13: 978-1886411760
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,068,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a book on overclocking for everyone., January 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of Overclocking: Tweak Your PC to Unleash Its Power (Paperback)

I've built over a dozen machines but having never overclocked before, I wanted to learn as much as possible before attempting it. Not only did this book walk me through the step-by-step process, but it gave me specific advice for my exact processor models/speeds in terms of how far I should try to push them, cooling recommendations, voltages, etc. I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to learn how to overclock or how to overclock better.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Out of Date, March 24, 2007

By 

R. Bivens - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Book of Overclocking: Tweak Your PC to Unleash Its Power (Paperback)

I agree with a previous reviewer, this book is seriously out of date. It does give the reader ideas about over-clocking (the reason I gave it 2 stars), but unless you have a OLD processor, it doesn't help. I suppose if you don't want to (or can't) upgrade to a new processor it will serve some purpose.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended by Critic, January 22, 2005

By 

Bruce Gilliz (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Overclocking: Tweak Your PC to Unleash Its Power (Paperback)

This book sparked my interest in computer overclocking. Before I read this book, I thought the idea behind overclocking a computer was adolescent wannabes who wanted to burn up Mom and Dad's PC - not true. I learned that there are very practical applications for overclocking a computer, namely cost and efficiency, ie., speed.

The authors cover almost all the CPUs from Intel and AMD. There are no Pentium I's or the very latest barn burners in here (book was published in '03), but the point is that a *lot* of relevant info is between the covers for anyone who wants to find it. Yes, the book is dated, but the background info such as how the CPU industry works and what "speedbinning" is will make the reader giddy with new insight.

My final advice is give this book a try if you're new to the overclocking scene, and even if you're not, as there is a wealth of awesome reference info here. Light it up and let it howl!