The practice of operating a computer component at speeds in excess of manufacturer specifications.
Overclocking is the practice of operating a computer component at speeds beyond those specified by the manufacturer, typically in order to increase its performance. When done properly, overclocking can improve frame rates in video games and speed up processor-intensive tasks. Caution must be exercised as improper adjustments can result in overheating, system instability, reduced service life, and possibly hardware damage; larger overclocks often require more advanced cooling solutions like liquid cooling in order to keep temperatures within safe levels.
Components that are commonly overclocked include the cpu, memory and gpu.
