i have a dell dimension 8300 with xp how would i overclock it. The processor is a pentium 4 ht 3ghz (and something about 2 cpu's it said in dxdiag but i do not have 2 processors).

The "two processors" sensing and the "ht" reference is because of hyperthreading. As far as I know, it's almost impossible to overclock a Dell--the motherboard and BIOS simply do not support it. Most Dells of this series use an Intel-manufactured motherboard, which is great for corporate IT applications but lousy for home users; as I'm sure you can imagine, Intel doesn't support overclocking as a matter of policy. It's one of many reasons why I don't recommend Dell computers or, for that matter, Pentium 4 processors.

Furthermore, if you want to overclock your processor, i would recommending buying a new Motherboard that supports overclocking, but that would start a whole chain of events, including buying a new case, cpu heatsink/fan combo, and PSU. Thus i believe it isn't worth it for you to overclock your processor.

> what is the best way to overclock your processor
The best way to overclock your processor is to realize that overclocking doesn't do as much as you may think, and usually has detrimental effects. Then you can perform a safe upgrade that actually makes a difference. :rolleyes:

The best way to overclock a processor is slowly and carefully, monitoring stability and temperature levels diligently and carefully as you go.

As said, you can't do it on proprietary name-brand PCs.

And Narue, people who overclock seriously don't do it to gain the performance boost really. Those people who are serious overclocking enthusiasts are generally quite knowledgeable enough to recognize that performance improvements to processors don't really translate to much system performance improvement. In fact, they're usually quite technologically proficient people to start with. Just like 'Hot Rodders' in the automobile world, the activity is a hobby/pastime valued for its own sake.

And like every human activity it has its newcomers and onlookers. One of the first things newcomers learn is that overclocking doesn't really turn your PC into a 'supercomputer', and most drift away rather quickly.

That's why the activity really only 'belongs' to enthusiasts

Being a crazy OCer myself...its more for the fun of seeing how high you can get your processor...or how stable you can get it. I watercooled my PC for stability issues...and I love it. Though others wouldn't notice much of a difference, when you get to be really into it, you just do...I dunno...its fun!

But yeah...Dell + Overclocking = No.

i was thinking about getting an asus motherboard would that be a good choice. and if i ever had the money i would get water cooling(my processor heat is some ridiculous number like 174 farenheit) and a 64 bit processor.

What are you using to measure that temperature. It sounds ridiculous!

it is just what my computer told me i guess that is what the cover is for. my comp was probably wrong in its assesment. anyways what motherboard should i get my bro says asus.

Most enthusiasts in my circles would prefer the ABit IC-y series of motherboards for a performance system. Relatively inexpensive, very good performance and overclocking capability, very good value.

The Northbridge chipset fan on them is a weak point, but it's easy enough to get a better aftermarket replacement unit later on if you need to.