
The process of overclocking isn't as complicated as some would have you believe either, and with a bit of computing know-how, and some patience, it's possible to significantly boost your PC's performance with just a few tweaks. While there's an element of risk to the process-you can significantly shorten the life of your components or permanently damage them if something goes awry-if you're sensible, disasters are rare. For the uninitiated, overclocking means taking a piece of hardware-most commonly a CPU or GPU-and running it at a faster speed than the manufacturer intended, giving you the performance of higher-priced models for less cash. But, if you're willing to go the extra mile, the best returns often come from overclocking.

Sometimes getting the best bang for your buck with PC components means putting a little extra work in, whether that's shopping around for the best prices online, or researching which CPU or GPU is best suited to the task at hand.
