Why use the BIOS for oc'ing?

[BillGates]

I see every people saying that you should always use the BIOS to OC and never use a program in windows to do it. Im not saying this is wrong or stupid but I have never seen anyone give any real reasons why you should use the BIOS. So can someone tell me why?

 

[H4x3r]

it's more stable..and it is always on...where as with a program, there is the possibility of crashes and you have to run the program every time you want to OC.

 

[Vybuni]

The BIOS is where all of the settings youre tweaking are stored. So logically, the BIOS is the most direct way of overclocking.

 

[idiotec]

Most, if not all (all I have used is clockgen) do not have all the options. Typically software programs allow for upping FSB only. No vcore, vdimm, dividers, timings etc type adjustments needed to really complete a full 24/7 type OC.

Software programs have their place, primarily for a quick suicide shot or something. Typically you can get a little further for a *semi stable* OC to run a quick bench or something than you can get to actually boot Windows.

 

[Disillusion]

Plus, the OCing in the BIOS isn't OS dependant. For instance, if you have two different OS's installed, XP and Linux for example, and you overclocked with a program in XP. You would be using default clock speeds when using Linux. It's just a pain in the *** if you ask me. I prefer my clock speeds to be set and loaded up when I fire up the computer instead of when I load the OS or program.

 

[BillGates]

Most, if not all (all I have used is clockgen) do not have all the options. Typically software programs allow for upping FSB only. No vcore, vdimm, dividers, timings etc type adjustments needed to really complete a full 24/7 type OC.

Software programs have their place, primarily for a quick suicide shot or something. Typically you can get a little further for a *semi stable* OC to run a quick bench or something than you can get to actually boot Windows.

Good point, all my program has is FBS, vcore, and ratio.

 

[4W4K3]

That and before there was overclocking software available to the public, the BIOS was the only place to do it. And before there were flexible overclocking BIOS's (or home-brewed BIOS mods) it was just jumpers on a motherboard, or sometimes modifying transistors/capacitors

So really it's just tradition, the oldies use BIOS cuz' that's what's always worked. That and we don't trust after-market software

 

[Vybuni]

Sometimes, Clockgens are the only way to overclock, mainly if you have a premade computer made by a major brand (Dell, emachines, HP, etc.) becaus they usually lock their BIOS.

 

[BillGates]

So what do you guys think? Should I even try the software out? It came with my Gigabyte board and it seems pretty nice, keeps up with my temps, my vcore, multiplier, fan speeds, FSB, and you can even set alarms to go off at certain temps. Worth a try or just suck it up and do it in the BIOS?

 

[Disillusion]

Doing it in the BIOS is not difficult. Just more time consuming having to reboot all the time after OCing a few MHz.