branded computer

i know that branded computers are hard to overclock. but if you put in all new hardware, does that fix the problem because you are getting rid of the original hardware?

In a word: NO

In Many words:
The mobo is the main problem: oem's tweak their bios to where they want it, and leave little in the way for adjustment- at least that we overclockers would be interested in.

This is in the interest of stability: most people who buy oem pcs just want a machine that will be reliable, and hopefully NEVER needs to be repaired.

So you could either get a new mobo and rebuild around that, or just start over: a word of caution though: another thing most oems do is use specially configured cases and weak power supplies- these may cause problems too.

The problem with the cases is that the replacement motherboards may not fit in and even if they do the other boards that you must mount on them might not!!

If you already own a branded computer you should physically compare it to a generic computer with a motherboard that is similar to the one you wish to purchase.

If you don't own a branded computer, then don't buy one if overclocking is important to you. My friend just bought a Dell and one of the first things I asked him was whether Dell voids his warranty if he opens the case. He replied that they did not. The reason that I asked this was that his first computer was a Compaq and they did void it if he opened the machine during the warranty period.