How to Overclock the ASUS Eee PC Windows XP/Vista PDF Reference

Overclocking the Eee is the best way to improve its performance. Many people add extra RAM, faster RAM (which is a waste of time, more on this later), and cut down their OSs (see here) in order to squeeze every last bit of processing power available.

What is overclocking?
Overclocking is the process of increasing component clock speeds above stock. Theory behind overclocking Overclocking is not a difficult concept, but it does require some background knowledge. Due to the identical processing hardware in each ASUS Eee PC, knowing the theory isn’t essential for this guide, but if you’re interested, read this tutorial on the subject here.

Risks and Warranty
Overclocking can cause hardware damage and software corruption on rare occasions. Overclocking the Eee may void its warranty, so do so at your own risk. I am not liable for any damage caused by following this tutorial. Overclocking the Eee PC There are three methods of overclocking the Eee PC running XP or Vista. These overclocking methods include:
* EeeCtl software
* Unofficial BIOS
* SetFSB software
The BIOS method is generic and will work on all 4G Eee PCs. The SetFSB and EeeCtl methods will only work while Windows XP/Vista is running, and only on the non-2G models. EeeCtl EeeCtl is great for its modifiable configuration and Eee PC speciality. It features manual fan control with optional user-defined rules (based on temperature), PCI-e bus alteration, extra brightness increase, voltage adjustment, and most importantly, FSB adjustment. EeeCtl features the greatest success with overclocking, with some people breaking the 1GHz barrier. BIOS The BIOS method is best if you want the overclock to be active before Windows boots; this is something the other methods lack. The BIOS method is restricted to the options 630MHz and 900MHz, but can be used in conjunction with either of the other two methods. Some BIOSs unlock features such as extra screen brightness, but the BIOS itself usually has flaws.

SetFSB SetFSB is not recommended as it isn’t as flexible as EeeCtl. I have added this method as an alternative in the event that EeeCtl doesn’t work. This program features FSB and PCI-e control, and it not restricted to the Eee PC platform. Which method should I choose? The safest and most effective method is EeeCtl. EeeCtl being a software solution can be turned off if problems occur. SetFSB is similar but should only be used if EeeCtl isn’t working due to its lack of features. The BIOS method is for people who want a speed boost as soon as the Eee is turned on instead of waiting for Windows XP or Vista to boot. The only issue is that BIOSs that support overclocking tend to be buggy, which is never a good thing. My recommendation is EeeCtl.

How to overclock the Eee PC Quick overclocking theory lesson You probably thought I’d skip this part, but it’s handy to know, and may even save you money. CPU Clock CPU clocks are found by ‘CPU Multiplier x FSB’ All three methods alter the FSB (Front Side Bus) to increase the speed of the Eee PC. The first generation Eee PCs run a Celeron CPU which uses a ’9x’ multiplier. So, if you were to set the FSB to 100Mhz: 9 (Multiplier) x 100 (FSB) = 900MHz (CPU Clock) So basically, all we have to do is increase the FSB to overclock the device. It’s a not so well known fact that increasing the PCI-e bus on the Eee allows greater overclocks. This is because of bottleneck issues, since the internal GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), RAM and CPU all share the same bus. The default PCI-e bus clock is 100MHz, but an increase to 110MHz should allow us to hit 1GHz.

RAM Speed
The Eee PC uses DDR2 RAM. All DDR (Double Data Rate) RAM runs at twice the speed of the FSB, hence the term ‘double’. The Eee PC comes with a 533MHz DDR2 RAM module (from my experience). Most people buy high speed RAM for their Eee PCs. This is not essential. Why? Because: DDR = FSB x 2 Therefore, an Eee PC running at 1.8GHz (which is probably impossible) would have a FSB of 200Mhz (remember, 9 x 200 = 1.8Ghz). At this enormous speed, the RAM would run at: 200 x 9 = 400MHz Essentially, the stock 533MHz RAM speed is more than enough. Most people will hit a maximum of 115MHz on the FSB, which results in a 230MHz RAM speed.

Download How to Overclock the ASUS Eee PC Windows XP/Vista PDF Reference


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August 4, 2010 | Posted in Asus Manual, Computers, Netbook Manual

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