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Let me begin by saying that if you own a name brand computer from makers such as Dell, HP, Sony, etc, you will not be able to overclock these properly. The majority of name brand computers are made for everyday use and lack the bios options needed to perform overclocking.

The majority of enthusiasts prefer to build their own PC's. This is usually the best option as it gives you the option to pick and choose the best components to suit your needs.

There are two types of overclocking: Either within the bios or via a software overclocking application such as Gigabyte's Easy Tune. The bios option is the better choice as it gives you much more control, and invariably the ability to overclock higher than with a software only application. We will be concentrating on bios overclocking with this guide.

Good CPU cooling and proper airflow are key to achieving a higher overclock so you should start with a quality CPU cooler and both front and rear case fans installed. The front case fan(s) should pull fresh air in and blow across your components, while the rear fan(s) exhaust warm air out the back.

You'll want to begin by powering on your PC and pressing the appropriate key in order to access the motherboard's bios screen(usually Delete or F2). Explore all areas of the bios to familiarize yourself with the available options.

The options which matter most in regards to overclocking have to do with CPU frequencies, voltages, memory settings, and of course temperatures. Raising the CPU FSB will also increase the memory frequencies so you will have to play around with the memory divider settings to ensure they do not go too high as well.

With some bios the memory divider options will be in the same section as the CPU settings making adjustments much easier. However some motherboards bios have memory settings in a separate area.

Start by gradually increasing the CPU FSB frequency along with the corresponding memory divider. For now you want to keep your memory at it's rated speed and timings. You can experiment with overclocking your memory later.

Eventually you will reach a point where the PC will no longer POST or boot into your chosen Operating System. This is when you will need to start increasing the CPU VID, northbridge, or memory voltages. I usually start by increasing the CPU VID voltage a little at a time and see if the PC will then boot. If it does not I then raise the northbridge voltage a small amount as well.

Experiment with gradual voltage increases until the PC will again boot into your operating system. If your memory frequency is higher than it's rated spec then you can try increasing it's voltage a little as well. Remember to not increase the voltages higher than your CPU's maximum safe specs. This amount depends on your CPU brand and model.

It's a good idea to run a benchmark test such as Prime95 to test for system stability. If the benchmark tests find errors then you may need to fine tune your bios settings until stability returns.

Remember to watch the CPU temperatures and keep them within safe limits. Once again this temperature range can be different depending on your processor. Happy overclocking.