hello,

My computer is getting pretty old and I was wondering if I could increase its performance without having to buy a new equipment, as I can't afford it.
I've heard about overclocking, but I've never done it. I don't want to break anything.
The first thing I'd like to know is whether it is easier to do the overclocking (and the tests) in windows or in linux ?
And if it is in linux, could you please guide me through it ?

Thanks.

Well before anything, we need to know the specs of your computer and hardware.... What processor do you have in it?

Overclocking is normally done in the BIOS, so it is not bound to an operating system.
Your computer has to be capable of that, means that you need to have the appropriate options in your BIOS, you need a decent cooling system for your CPU and should have one or more case fans. The performance gain you can get is dependent on several factors, mostly your motherboard, your CPU, the heatsink on it, your RAM, and pure luck.
So let us know your specs for these things and we can make a rough estimate if overclocking is possible for you, and how much performance you may get.

Keep in mind that overclocking is dangerous, and that things can break at any time, without warning.

I know very little about it, but I've searched it on google nonetheless so I do know that it's done on the bios. But surely there must be softwares to test deeply the configuration and confirm that it's stable. I was wondering whether it would be better to do these in windows, or in linux, or whether it makes no difference as both softwares are equally good and thorough in their examination.
I've heard that many settings can be modified, from the cpu to the memory or gpu. Worse, from what I understand even if someone has the very same configuration, it might be different settings because every component is unique, even though it comes from a production line work (please tell me if I'm wrong). So that makes me confused and that's why I come for help, being a total newbie and since I don't want to mess up anything although I want the results (and to learn some things in the process, if possible).

So anyway, my configuration is, from what I've seen, quite overclockable:
- cpu: intel core2duo E6600 (2.4GHz)
- memory: corsair pc6400 2*1GB dual channel DDR2 800MHz
- motherboard: gigabyte p965-DS4
- gpu: nvidia 7600gs
(if you need any more component details please let me know)

With your specs it should be no problem to clock your system to 3GHz or more, if you have a decent cooling system. The stock cooler is not good for overclocking.
This thread will explain the basics.

I don't really know what a stock cooler is. I think I have a decent cooling system.
I read the thread you mentioned.
I am quite lost as to what to do first.
Could you help me to make this happen ?
Thanks.

The stock cooler is the cooler that comes with a boxed processor. It is dimensioned to cool the CPU it is delivered with, but not much more. It is not suitable for overclocking. Most prebuilt computers come with this boxed coolers, or one of a similar type. For overclocking it is essential to use a good aftermarket-cooler.
If you have read the entire threat ( you did see the next page button in the bottom/left?), it should be pretty clear what to do. If you have questions about this, it would be better to ask at a overclock forum and read more tutorials on this, there are plenty. You should find help if you do a search for overclock core2duo on the web.

Overclocking isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Back in the days of the '486 & first pentiums AMD released a 80586-133 for '486 boards. By telling the m/b you had a dx80 you could overcklock that to 160Mhz, and that was a significant improvement. But the cpu speed is rarely the bottleneck these days, unless you're into really heavy computing
Answer_to_the_Ultimate_Question :-)

One important question: Why ? Why do you want to overclock ? What is slow ? There are many safer ways to increase performance than overclocking. The system you have looks reasonably powerful, so I'm just wondering.

From articles I've read over the years, the actual gain from overclocking is something you measure rather than notice. Overclocking is a hobby, like tuning a car's engine.

What applications do you run that make serious demands on the CPU? Have you actually noticed anything being unreasonably slow? The most demanding applications found on most home computers are games, and their impact is on the graphics processor. Overclocking is not free: as Toni said, you'll have to buy a new cooler for your CPU for a start, perhaps even a (new) case fan.

My systems: AMD Sempron 2600 on the desktop and, on the notebook, Intel Pentium M underclocked to 600MHz.

I first overclocked an AMD chip, and in doing so, burned out the motherboard. I have fried at least two CPUs and spent untold hour trying to squeeze a little more performance out of my system. It is a <HOBBY>. You are using a dual-core cpu and are wasting a multitude of clock cycles just because you really don't need all that power all the time. Booting up, switching between apps and measuring system performance are really the only places to see how overclocking helps. Remember, you can take a stable machine and overclock it to the point of instability. Today's cpus are so fast, you won't be able to see any difference unless you <measure> the performance. Get another hobby...it will be more fulfilling, and you'll waste less time rebooting and rebuilding!

With such system specs overclocking is not needed and only unnecessary risky. Are you running Ubuntu? With Gnome desktop? Shouldn't be slow at all. If you run KDE4 with that NVIDIA card, your computer might be sluggish but that is an NVIDIA problem.

Overclocking won't help you.

jlinkels