COMPUTING
How To Improve CPU Performance
In short, a CPU or central processing unit is the electronic circuitry within a computer that carries out the calculations of a computer program.
When consumers attempt to speed up their PC, the CPU is one of the ‘go-to’ components as there are a few relatively quick fixes.
Let’s take a look at some of the best performance upgrades for a CPU:
CPU Cooling
Although the gains might not be instant, the cooling of your CPU is extremely important if you want to get the most out of it and prolong its lifespan. An overheated CPU can result in your PC operating much slower than normal, shutting down or even damaging components.
You’ve got two options if you’re looking to cool your CPU. First up is air cooling which consists of fans being placed around the internals of your PC. Then we’ve got liquid cooling which consists of pipes filled with cool water running around within the case of your PC.
In the world of PC building, liquid cooling is only really carried out by those who’ve built a few PC’s so take that into account when choosing your cooling method.
We’d recommend you to have a go at air cooling before moving onto the more complex and more expensive liquid cooling.
Take a look at all the PC cooling products here.
Secret Processor Trick
This trick should work if you are using Windows Vista or later.
1. Type ‘msconfig‘ into the Start Menu search box or RUN dialog box and press Enter.
2. Now go to the ‘Boot‘ tab and click on ‘Advanced Options‘.
3. Enable ‘Number of Processors:‘ option and select the correct no. of processors from drop-down list.
4. Click on the ‘OK‘ button and then ‘Apply‘ it.
5. It’ll require a restart and after reboot you’ll notice improvement in system performance.
Overclocking
One of the more complicated ways to get increased performance from your CPU is to overclock it.
Overclocking is where you push your computers components harder and faster than the manufacturers intended them to go. And whilst it can most definitely speed up your system, it can often be quite complicated.
For example, overclocking an Intel Core i7 860 that normally runs at around 2.80GHz out the box can mean that you get well over 2.80GHz out of it.
Manufacturers tend to be conservative with their ‘out-of-the-box’ clock speeds to ensure that the CPUs do not overheat for the average consumer. However, if you know what you are doing and have the correct cooling methods in place, overclocking will not pose as a problem.
Each individual CPU is different regardless of whether they are the same model number from a manufacturer. It can sometimes be the case that whilst one person’s CPU will overclock to a certain GHz, another person’s might not be able to get anywhere near that speed. Definitely worth keeping in mind if you’ve seen someone overclock your CPU to a certain speed.
If you’re intending on overclocking your CPU, then take into account that you might need to upgrade other components.
Overclocking will ultimately give you a decent boost in performance, especially if you edit lots or photos or do a lot of video transcribing.
For full instructions on how to overclock your CPU then refer to guides from your manufacturer.
Take a look at our full range of CPUs here.
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