is it safe to overclock

[abh_jc_03 0]

I am wondering about overclocking my CPU.  I have a AMD 1100T Black edition 3.3GHZ processor turbo 3.7GHZ.  I also have a 1 gb 6850 sapphire AMD Radeon card but am wanting better performance.  How safe is it to overclock and what would be a safe number to get it too?  I have a ZALMAN CNPS9500A-LED 92mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler as well so not just stock fan.  I still have low frame rates and want to improve.  I was looking at getting a new GPU but FSX is a CPU intensive program so didn't want to waste more money.  Help please.

[EtchMcB 1]

I have the non-unlocked, poor man's version of your CPU (I have the 2.8GHz 1055t), and I got 3.5GHz out of it before my motherboard pitched a hissy fit. I have heard of people getting about 4GHz out of the 1100t on air, and since the multiplier is unlocked on your 1100t you can change the multipliers to overclock instead of changing your reference clock speed, so you probably won't need to change your RAM. My advice to you is to do what I did - overclock in little increments and test for stability (try Prime 95 for this) before trying to push harder. 

[styckx 1,871]

Safe - Relatively speaking.. Yes.. It's hard with the failsafes in CPU's now a days to fry one but nothing is fool proof. 

 

The easy part - It's easier than it ever was to overclock (I used to drop phone wire in sockets to unlock Athlons back in the day) a CPU because the tools and bios features of modern PC's are built around the idea of overclocking (generally speaking)

 

The hard part - My CPU has a manufactures top speed of 3.8 (turbo boost).. I easily overclocked it to 4.2 doing nothing but changing the multiplier and been that way for years.   Beyond that point is when voltage changes start coming into play, and also not out of the probaility RAM timings and frequency also. I have no patience for it..  The guys who get completely rock solid 4.8/4.9/5GHz overlcocks on Sandy/Ivy worked their tail off to get that..  It's a tedious accomplishment to achieve.. It's one thing to say "I have a 1GHZ overclock and Windows boots!" it's another to say "I have a 1GHz overclock and it survived IBT, 3DMark and Prime95 for 24hrs"  Even THAT doesn't guarantee its stable as anyone will tell you.. You can pass every benchmark in the world but nothing truly tells you it's stable the most except just using your PC.  It could pass the most strenuous benchmarks but BSOD by playing FSX.