Overclocking a locked CPU?

[RancidWAnnaRIot]

OK so i was reading some how to's and it tells you how to overclock a locked CPU. The only difference i see between OCing a locked vs unlocked CPU is that you can't change the multiplier on the CPU.... is this true? Also, does this mean that when a CPU is locked, it only means you can't change the multiplier?

And i'm guessing you can't push a locked CPU as much as you could an unlocked for the fact that you can't notch down the multiplier allowing you to up the FSB?

Can you get a decent performace gain when overclocking a locked CPU?

 

[RancidWAnnaRIot]

**BUMP**

 

[Nazo]

A locked cpu means it's multiplier locked. Of course, typically they are also VCore locked, but that's not entirely for overclocking prevention so much as to make sure the average user can't melt their cpu I personally believe. d-:

Anyway, the only way to overclock a locked cpu -- without unlocking it that is -- is to raise the FSB of your motherboard, which is the most stressful way to overclock since it will raise memory and, depending on your system, the agp and pci as well.

Of course, when you can get your system's FSB to go up high, an unlocked cpu is great because you can lower the cpu multiplier to keep the cpu running stable while raising the rest of the system.

Oh, as for performance gain, you definitely can. First of all, overclocking a system with a locked cpu still raises the cpu. But, probably more importantly, memory goes up and memory is one of the weaker points in gaming/etc that overclocking can noticably help. Don't expect a giant FPS jump, but it might be just enough to increase FSAA by one or something like that.

 

[Mad_Pyro]

You understand it perfectly, yes. Only thing different about a locked processor is that the multpliers cannot be changed. Intels are locked, and now the AMDs are locked too, with a few notable exceptions: the mobile CPUs and the FX line.