Introduction

One of the main factors that determine the speed of a PC is the amount of memory it has and how the PC manages it. Therefore, a PC with 16MB of RAM is, in theory, faster than a PC with 32MB. The reason for this may be that the computer with 16MB is high on system memory; and hardly any programs run in the background or at startup. Another reason could be that its hard disk is defragged and, let's say, the swap file is properly configured according to the amount of memory and hard disk space available.

Of course, having said that, it is not true that if the same number of programs are running on both machines with the specifications above, the 16MB would be faster. The advantage of 32MB over the 16MB is that it can handle more load and programs running at the same time. This means that it depends less often than the 16MB on swap files or using the hard disk as a virtual memory space. Therefore, how the memory is managed is more important than the amount available. A company with $20,000 can make a higher profit than another with $200,000if it manages itself better.

As for you, if you are looking for ways to speed up your system, always make sure to frequently defrag your drive and run Scandisk. The latest version of Windows (XP) has an option to defrag your drive in a way where the files you use most often load faster. Then, try to get rid of programs running in the background or at startup if they are not that important because they love eating up system resources. You can do this by running msconfig from the Run command and switch to the Startup tab. You can also manage your virtual memory if you know what you're doing for a larger speed boost.

Overclocking

Overclocking is the act of increasing the speed of certain components in a computer other than that specified by the manufacturer. It mainly refers to making your CPU run at a faster rate although it could also refer to making your graphics card or other peripherals run faster. For example if you have a 300MHz PII CPU, you could probably overclock it easily to 350 or even 400MHz. The latest P4 processors also appear to be overclockable through the FSB (front side bus) even though they are advertised as being clock-locked.

So, now that you now what overclocking is, let's see how you can actually overclock your CPU. You can do this using any of the following 3 methods: 1. Through your BIOS, 2. By changing the multiplier settings, 3. By changing the Bus speed!

BIOS: In some BIOS's you are given the option to alter your CPU speed. Using this method, you won't even have to open your computer case. When you first boot your PC enter your BIOS (usually by pressing Del, F1, or F10) and start looking for any option that allows you to change your CPU speed or voltage. If you do find it, then it's as simple as changing the current number to a higher value.

Bus Speed: When increased, it makes the whole system run faster and not only the CPU. Most PC's have a speed of 66MHz or 100MHz. Mainly, it defines the speed that your motherboard and other components run at. To change your bus speed appropriately, see the table below.

Multiplier Settings: Multipliers are located on your motherboard and come in the forms x1, x1.5, x2, x2.5, etc... When the Bus speed is multiplied by any one of these numbers, it results in the final CPU speed. For example, if you have a bus speed of 100 and a multiplier of x4, your CPU speed is 400MHz. Clear? The table below shows how you can change your bus speed/multiplier settings depending on your CPU.

Summary: The best way to overclock your PC is to alter the bus speed and multiplier settings. To do that, look at the table below and you should straight away realize how beautifully it has been put together. For example, if you have a Pentium 166MHz CPU (which is set up on a 66MHz bus speed and a multiplier setting of x2.5) you can see straight away that you only have 1 choice and that is to increase the multiplier setting tox3 to get a net speed of 200MHz!

Other processes to try out:

You must understand that to overclock you MUST buy a heatsink or an additional fan because your motherboard will be producing more heat. Ask your local hardware store for help with fitting these. Also, make sure you download a benchmarking utility to know how much speed you've gained, check out SiSoft Sandra 98 from the Speed Apps section.

Now that you know what you'll need and what your options are, let's take a look at how you can actually speed up your PC:

(1) Take off your PC's lid and play around with your Motherboard's jumpers. Making sure you've got your Motherboard manual in hand, you can see how you should fit your jumpers for each CPU speed. Simply reposition the jumpers for a faster CPU by altering the bus and multiplier setting jumpers. (see table below)

(2) Software. I would recommend you use software since it's easier. Go to h-oda.com and download a program called SoftFSB. Follow the instructions and then overclock your CPU one step at a time (rebooting after each time) to check and see if you've been successful. If Windows crashes for no apparent reason then your processor is probably overheating and you need to undo your last speed jump.

(4) To prevent overheating your CPU, download and try CPUidle from cpuidle.de and Waterfall Pro from rocketdownload.com. Alternatively, you can buy heatsinks/fans for your CPU.

To help you choose the speed you want to overclock your machine to, consult this table. Bus Speed in MHz is listed down the left and multiplier settings across the top. Figures in bold represent the most common settings.

	x1	x1½	x2	x2½	x3	x3½	x4	x4½	x5	x5.5	x6	x6.5	x7	x7.5	x8
150	150	225	300	375	450	525	600	675	750	825	900	975	1050	1125	1200
133	133	200	266	333	400	466	533	600	667	733	800	866	933	1000	1066
112	112	168	224	280	336	392	448	504	560	616	672	728	784	840	896
100	100	150	200	250	300	350	400	450	500	550	600	650	700	750	800
90	90	135	180	225	270	315	360	405	450	495	540	585	630	675	720
83	83	125	166	208	250	291	333	374	415	457	498	540	581	623	664
75	75	113	150	188	225	263	300	338	375	413	450	488	525	563	600
66	66	100	133	166	200	233	266	300	333	366	400	433	466	500	533
60	60	90	120	150	180	210	240	270	300	330	360	390	420	450	480
Information within this table created by PC Answers Magazine

Maintenance

Maintaining your computer is the key to keeping it healthy and fully working and of course, fast. Windows 95 has most of the tools for maintaining your PC, but Windows 98 extends the possibilities and makes it even less of a hassle. If you follow the list below and run the programs listed frequently, you will be guaranteed to have a maintained computer at no extra cost. There are, however, other programs in the market with stronger engines, but then again, they're not free (stop smiling...)

Most of these programs can be found under the Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools folder.

1. Disk Defrag: It is advisable to run Defrag under Windows 95 once a month or when you add/remove programs. However, under Windows 98, you can run it every week if you want because it has a new engine, which means that the more you run it, the faster your computer will get. What happens is that your programs are placed on your hard disk in a way so that the ones you use most often are easier for the hard disk to find and run. Make sure that the 'make my programs run faster' is ticked in the 'Settings' window in Defrag.

2. Scandisk: Running a thorough check is good once a month in both Windows 95 and 98. Run this once a month if you feel that your hard disk takes a long time to load programs. A standard check is very fast and checks for basic disk problems concerning files and folders and lost fragments. It takes an average 2 minutes to complete so try running it often.

3. Disk cleanup: This one is good for seeing how much disk space is being used up by unnecessary files that are in the recycle bin, temp folder, or in temporary internet folders. You can then remove them!

4. RegClean: A simple but effective piece of software this is. You can download it for free from Microsoft's web site. It is also available on many magazine cover disks. Reg Clean takes about a minute to check the registry. Then it asks whether you want to clean out redundant or orphan file. This usually helps the computer to get rid of files that have been left behind by uninstalled programs.

5. Windows update: It's a good idea to use Windows Update to make sure your computer has all the latest fixes, patches and updates. You can do so by clicking on its icon in the Start Menu under Windows 98.

6. TweakALL: A very handy program that allows to change settings, which cannot be changed using Windows alone! You can find it in the Utilities Archive.