BACKGROUND: Before starting the article we will present later I would like to include a disclaimer indicating that once having taken the road overclocking, I myself will HomeLinux of Staff are responsible for damage or malfunction caused and generated by 'change the default values set by the trademark.

Modern video cards (like video cards designed for new generation, and since 2004 until you get nowadays) are a real subsystem calculation. They are equipped with a video processor or GPU (Grapic Processing Unit), flanked by a variable amount of dedicated memory that can be DDR, DDR2, and for high-end video cards to get alla GDdr3. Whether for gaming, both for the routine use of computers, the graphics subsystem, is important in level of performance, although we are not equipped with a latest-generation personal computers.

Assuming the case of having a 1600 MHz Pentium supported video card to a good standard and not necessarily high end, this can produrci more than 100 frames per second, while if we can mount a Pentium latest generation, with this little graphics memory in the chipset does not generate even 30. The result is slow, opening windows to see both movies. In short, the performance problems is not insignificant.

This premise is as intense as "generic" and not true for all machines and various hardware.

Make a overclocking will increase the frequency / performance than those issued by the manufacturer. It is strongly recommended not to exceed in value modification shortly described for the Protection of the components themselves. The long exposure of the pieces to tensions (MHZ; stress) damage them too high. Remember that an average oveclock made on a video card, can keep 25% - 30% more performance (obviously not be taken as a law), but this percentage if they strongly discourages repeated use for long periods time, otherwise you may damage the components.

For daily use you should not exceed 15% - 20%.

Information and precautions

• If you exceed a overclock you could see images on the video ruined.
• f you exceed a overclock in the worst case scenario could not see anything on screen because it is broken some board components.
• Please keep temperatures under control of the video card. Usually is between 45 - 46 ° until reaching a maximum of 85 ° - 90 °. It 's always advisable to take a look at the manual for the video itself.
• Excessive heat will damage the components.
• Clean dust often the video card fan (heatsink).
• If you really want to overclock too much bought and installed a liquid cooling system for video cards.
• Tests to see the limits of 1 MHz should be performed by lifting of MHz.

Now that you clear the risks and benefits of this transaction we enter into the heart of it. The software we're going to use are:

* 32-bit Gnu/Linux distribution PCLinuxOS

* Kernel 2.6.26.8

* 196.43 video drivers available from NVidia's website (for transactions of this type always use the latest drivers)

* Simple addition of code

* Change frequency parameters GPU and RAM - nvidia-settings

* Game or 3D application used as a test - glxgears

Steps to follow

Download the latest drivers from NVidia's website, the serious thing in my product is a GeForce GTX 260. Council to buy video card brand: Zotac Hercules, Phonix) Beware of other brands that have little room for overclocking rather minimal.

Now we install the drivers. To do this you must exit from your session, press CTRL + ALT + F2 and login as root. Give the command init 3 and run once you go to the folder where you have downloaded the drivers.

cd /home/guida/Download/

chmod +x NVIDIA-Linux-x86-190.53-pkg1.run

./NVIDIA-Linux-x86-190.53-pkg1.run

With the last command will start installing the NVidia drivers for Linux. Read and accept the contract and the board to let the program automatically find, what is the best driver for your video card.

Once the installation (installation was successful). Just return to the command line, type init 5

Now returned to the login screen with the drivers already loaded, log in with your user.

Simple test to see the speed of our current video card with new drivers installed. Performed on terminal glxgears.

It opened a window with 3 gears turning, in the terminal window open before you see the calculation of frames per second then we will explain in detail to show the results before and after.

Once you have read the calculation of frames per second we can close the window glxgears.

As indicated in the steps to follow if we must now add code NVidia drivers not altered in xorg.conf automatically. Open usually terminal, log in as root and edit the xorg.conf file located in the dir /etc/X11.

Scroll down the document until you find the screen section and the bottom add:

Option "Coolbits" "1"

Save and close your xorg.conf. If this option had already set as you can pass on to the next step.

Now for the real video card overclocking. We must go and change the parameters of the GPU and RAM frequency. So as usual we start as root nvidia-settings. You get the NVidia panel.

In the left menu select Clock Frequencies (if you do not see the submenu apprite GPU 0 - (GeForce)). Right click on Enable Overclocking. Set Clock Frequencies section on 3D Clock Frequencies (in some cases, the 2D and 3D can go together, maybe we will see in detail in some other tutorial).

Now change the frequency of the GPU. Initial 600 MHz 654 MHz has passed to remember that the test shall be performed by lifting of the 1 MHz at a time otherwise you may incur disadvantages of beginning of article.

Requires changing the frequency of memory. In today's test was started with a default speed of 400 MHz and has increased to reach to 451 MHz.

We press on Apply to save the changes. Returning again to the terminal give glxgears which will give me the recalculation of frames per second, so you can immediately see the increase made.

As mentioned above indicate FPS Frames Per Second. Frames are frames that are displayed per second in a game. or on specific visualizations. The fps increase or decrease depending on screen resolution in games. To increase the fps should lower the resolution and do without some effects like dynamic lighting, bloom effect, and bring everything to a minimum or better still you overclock the footsteps of this guide. If you have a graphics card powerful enough to grind polygons in the latest games you can increase the resolution without having a drop in frame rate. Remember the number of fps frames per second, depends only on the screen resolution with which it has to do with the existence of graphical effects.

Without this little digression is obviously necessary to control the constant temperature of the GPU of your video card. To do this you must start nvidia-settings and go to check the menu Thermal Monitor.

Considerations

Certainly overclock is not a trivial task. Making a wrong overclocking is likely to run into more varied omens of failures. And 'well take care of what you are using a very precise criterion of logic. Anyway, it is nice to bring the components beyond the limits, but unfortunately not always possible. Attention.

I thank Francesco Ranieri aka esre for publishing this tutorial. To you comments.