How are current gen CPUs overclocked?

[HamZilla]

I have been out of overclocking for at least 4 years now. My current stuff is all Socket A.

Do AM2/940/939 and C2Q/C2Ds still require fiddly hacks like using pencil lead to join bridges under a magnifying glass?

Or is it all bios based ?

 

[HamZilla]

So does overclocking still cause high temperatures whereby you have to add noisy Delta fans to prevent a Krispy Fried Chip?

Is it all done with matching the right RAM speeds to the processor or just getting the highest speed RAM you can afford?

 

[HamZilla]

Nope, it's all BIOS-based. Some mobos don't even have jumpers anymore.

Don't tell me about jumpers. I'm having a mare trying to get some Asrock boards working and its got jumpers for everything!!

Are Abit and Asus still the best ones to go for, everything I have used is Abit based or Asrock (Asus' value brand).

 

[HamZilla]

I've currently got a Chieftech Dragon case, is this still worth holding onto for my intended quad core or are the current cases much better insulated and more feature laden.

E.g. all the fan mounts are 80mm not 120mm.

 

[HamZilla]

I've got a Swiftech heatsink which is too heavy for the clips so has to be installed on on lugs and screws either side of the motherboard and springs to prevent it crushing the cpu core.

Installing and removing this is a mammoth task as it means removing the mobo from the case to get to the underside of the mobo.

Are overcocking heatsinks still using such cumbersome methods?

 

[HamZilla]

Thanks Billy and Jak, you have been very helpful.

I will read up some more on Tom's Hardware also.

 

[HamZilla]

I've got a midi tower version I think which is as big as most full towers, their full tower version is even bigger!