One of the main benefits of overclocking a computer is increasing the speed. As time goes by and programs are added, the speed of a computer is diminished. Even a brand new computer could always benefit from the ability to run faster. With a click of your mouse, programs will launch without much delay and while typing, the letters will appear instantly. For a slower computer, the delay would be small but noticeable especially when you are using programs or playing games.

Another benefit from overclocking is that you will see the overall performance increase. Programs will start to run more smoothly than before and loading time will be decreased. If all goes great during the overclocking process, your computer will also have less crashes and unresponsive programs.

With the benefits of having the speed and performance increased within your system, there is yet another benefit that particularly gamers will enjoy.

When you overclock your system, you will also be effecting the video cards. These cards are what projects the graphics to your screen. For gamers, this is a major benefit since it will make the game's graphics transform smoothly and will increase the frame rate. System lag that often angers gamers will be diminished and the best gaming experience will be achievable.

When talking about the benefits of overclocking a computer, we must mention the financial benefit. This is probably one of the main reasons people select to go this route with updating their machine. Instead of purchasing new components such as a faster processor or more RAM, a person can easily change the settings to the components and make them function at their maximum level with little or no cost associated. Depending on your current components and their settings, you can sometimes even overclock the component to a higher speed than the upgrades currently sold in stores. This is a good way to get tomorrow's technology today.

But when talking about the benefits of overclocking a computer, we must mention the risks as well. One of the main risks associated with overclocking your computer is overheating. Since overclocking means that you will be running the components at a much higher rate than anticipated, the cooling system installed inside the computer cannot manage the higher temperatures. This leads to overheating and can cause serious damage to your system.

Another risk that is associated with overclocking is instability within your system. It is possible that overclocking can actually shut down certain components and make them stop working. One example is the sound cards. After overclocking, your sound cards may stop functioning. Also, you may see an increase in computer crashes and programs going unresponsive.

The number one rule with overclocking your computer is that if you are not willing to risk losing your computer to severe damage, don't overclock. Anytime you alter the settings of your computer, you are taking a risk and that risk may end up being fatal to your computer.

In review, even though there is a lot of risks involved with overclocking a computer, the benefits easily make up for them. Being able to take a computer and alter the configuration to a point where your system is working at it's maximum potential provides a great feeling of accomplishment and can boost the ego of a person within seconds.