Where to begin, that's the beginner's question, is it not? You've perhaps bought a new computer, optimized Windows, installed and played some games and now you want more. Well not a lot more, you try to reason with yourself, just enough more to lose those slowdowns in Unreal Tournament. Just enough more so as to NOT need to upgrade your CPU again, again.

Just enough more to get something more out of Intel, and not feel yourself being caught up in a "Coals to New Castle" syndrome, with every other dollar you make padding the bunny's pockets. Well, O/Cing is all about MORE! We're all about helping you to draw a bead on that bunny and blow away that nasty little multiplier-locking rodent's grip upon your CPU.

But where to begin. You've probably visited the forum. Or you were on your way there when you stopped to read this new motherboard article.

"Is that where I begin, in the forum, looking for a new motherboard?"

In a word yes! That's where we all began. And by buying a new motherboard. Why? because Mother is who loves you; Mother is the one who cares about all your parts. If you want your RAM, video card, hard drive and CPU to run faster, then Mother has to show them how.

All Motherboards are not the same. You already knew that, right? Thats why you want a new one, right? Because your motherboard is not taking care of business. She's just not up to what you have in mind. She might cozy up to Big Daddy Intel, but what's your mother done for YOU lately?

Time to get a new motherboard, one designed to make you happy, not Intel.

"OK so what kind of Motherboard am I looking for - a fast one?"

Well fast doesn't hurt. But with most motherboard manufacturers using the same chips, they all run pretty much the same where speed is concerned.

"Well I hardly think color is important, so what am I looking for?"

FEATURES! All the features you can get.

"That's it? Features?"

Yep! And one thing more: STABILITY! Stability when FSB speeds are taking your 500E chip to 750 MHz.

"Is that possible?"

Sometimes, with the right chip and motherboard, it's even likely. My motherboard has taken my 500E to 830Mhz at lower than normal temps.

"Temperature, that's important?"

When overclocking, temps are everything.

"OK! What's first?"

First is the Forum! Go there, stay there! Hang out until you start recognizing a few names, until you start to remember who has which motherboard, video card, sound card and CPU.

"WOW! That's going to take a lot of time! Is it really neccessary?"

Think of it this way: You've been walking along in a nice cyber-garden. If you fell down, you could just boot back up again, brush yourself off no worse for the wear. We're about to give you a jet plane and send you out over a wilderness of speed! If you crash and burn, it won't be just a matter of dusting yourself off.

"Is overclocking really all that dangerous?"

Is air travel? Not if the pilot knows her stuff. But how comfortable would you be watching someone without a clue start taxiing down the runway?

"OK, what else should I look for and is there anywhere else I should go to start to get a handle on things?"

Look out for the people who are answering questions on a regular basis. Go for what they're using. When you run into problems (we all do) you'll have a MUCH easier time finding solutions if you're using the same gear.

Another great source of information is our CPU Database. Skip has thousands of people's recorded overclocking stats. You can learn what one can reasonably expect to get out of a given CPU, and usually what motherboard they used to do it.

"All right! Now let's say I've spent an hour or so a day for a few weeks in the Forum. I've decided upon a motherboard after weighing all the good advice I've read posted there. What's the best way to go about buying one?"

We tried to anticipate this question in the first part HERE. But basically what you need to know is - be careful! For lowest prices go to Pricewatch, then go to resellerratings for a trustworthy vendor - the two may or may not match.

"OK, but once I've bought my board, how do I install it?

Now's the fun part. First unpack your board. Don't take it out of it's anti-static bag yet, just make sure everything that should be there is there - usually a motherboard, a manual, a disk with drivers, (if you bought a VIA board, which I personally recommend) and a pair of IDE cables. Sometimes a small bag with screws and motherboard mounts - plastic, rubber or brass.

Now,

STEP AWAY FROM YOUR COMPUTER.....AND PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR MANUAL!.....STEP AWAY FROM YOUR COMPUTER.....AND PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR MANUAL....DO IT NOW!!.....WALK AWAY FROM YOUR COMPUTER! ......WALK AWAY FROM YOUR COMPUTER!!...DO IT NOW!!

Find a quiet, comfortable spot where you can pass an hour in careful study. I don't want to nag, but this cannot be over-emphasized: READ YOUR MANUAL! There, I've just saved you from asking a really embarrassing question or ten in the Forum. In fact if you do your homework you'll be able to answer a quarter of all questions asked about your motherboard in any forum on the net.

If helps a good deal to have a magnifying glass. Small pictures now, smaller switches and jumpers later. In fact my wife just bought me an LSM 180 Magnifier lamp from Lamps Plus, made by Lite Source Inc., Chino, CA.

It has two spring-weighted arms, a 5 inch lens with 1.75 magnification at a 13" focal length. It's arms can stretch to 45" and it clamps to the edge of my desktop. It's lit by a 22 watt fluorescent lamp. What a joy it is! I can SEE the smallest writing on my motherboards with ease! Best $70.00 I ever spent.

One last thing to do before we crack your case and set to it: I didn't want to tell you this right off but....well.....there's another manual; don't get upset, it's a more detailed version of the paper manual you just finished. It's on the CD Disk with your drivers.

You should take a good look at it before we begin. There will be a few things you need to know specific to your motherboard NOT covered by this guide.

"OK, I've read the manual three times, yeah I spent a half hour on the CD version as well...Man this is scary!....What do I do first?"

Relax, take a deep breath, you're about to become an overclocker. If you weren't ready for this I'd tell you.

You've spent time in the forum with some of the best overclockers on the planet - that's a fact! You've studied their moves and followed their advice. You got a great price from an honest vendor on one of the BEST MOTHERBOARDS EVER MADE! You've studied the manual. YOU'RE READY FOR THIS!!

Turn off your monitor, turn off your computer, unplug all the connections from the back of the machine.

Remove the cover from your case. Something good to know: As long as you don't try to force anything you can't make a wrong connection. That's right, all the plugs are fitted. Cool huh? Feeling better? Good.

Locate your MAIN motherboard power plug. It's the BIG ONE with lots of different colored wires. Unplug it and tuck it up someplace around the power source.

Use your hands to see-feel where the ribbon cables are coming from your hard drive to your current (read, "OLD") motherboard. Where it plugs in on the motherboard: That's called your IDE connection.

There will be at least two of these side by side. (Sometimes four if your new board has Ultra 66. Some boards have two 33MHz IDEs and two Ultra 66 IDE connections.)

Now check out your A: drive connection - it looks similar but is smaller and has it's own connection, usually, but not always next to the IDE connections. Unplug these at the motherboard. Leave them connected to the drives. Try to have some zip ties on hand to keep the ribbon cables up out of your way.

Now take a look at your RAM. Check out the pivot arms holding it in place. Gently push back and out from the center of your RAM module on one arm at a time. This will lever up the RAM from it's slot. You should have an anti-static bag to place it in. Bag up your RAM and put it out of the way.

Now follow your manual's instructions on removing your CPU - the procedure will vary according to type. Bag it, put it safely out of the way. Remove any PCI cards from their slots and bag 'em.

Locate the tiny case-to-motherboard connects and unplug them. Unplug any fans you may have. See and feel around your old board for anything you might have missed that could hang up while removing your board.

You'll need a phillips screw driver to remove screws (usually six) holding the motherboard in place. Guard these screws carefully, you'll need them to attach your new board.

Once the screws are removed, carefully lift the edge of your board furthest from the back of the case just slightly, then slide it out from the rear wall of the case where your interconnects plug in. Then up and out!

Now take a breather. Walk around and dump any built-up tension...shake it it out and lose it. Re-seat yourself, remove your new motherboard from it's bag. Place the bag on your desk and rest your motherboard on the bag.

Feast your eyes. Caress it's finely crafted surfaces. Pick it up again and experience it's weight and shape. Study the gold tracings and connections. Turn it over and feel it stubbled penetrations and silvery protuberences. Sing a little song like..."Take time to know her.....This is not just an overnight thing".

Enjoy the minutia, the gold and silver-laid beds in which a rivers of lightening will flow, powering the data streams flowing to and from a cyber-ocean who's millisecond waves will wash across your monitor. Touch the heart of the beast, know that she is yours.

You have tamed her with your knowledge, so she shall serve you as well as you know her. She will bring all your parts together and teach them to serve you as one.

Lay her down upon the case mounts making sure they match the motherboard's holes and screw her in.

Are we having fun yet? As there is no juice yet flowing, the sequence for re-assembling parts is not especially important. I like to first return the CPU to is honored place followed by it's attendant RAM modules. Then hook up the ribbons and slot the PCI and AGP cards, screwing each down as it goes in, making sure each card is fully inserted in it's slot.

Now take a look at your manual and make your case-to-motherboard connections.

Any extra parts laying about? No? You're sure? Good, now do your connections at the rear of the case. Give everything the once-over. Turn on the monitor. Turn on your computer. Because this is you doing this and not me, we'll say she lights up first go, but in truth if you boot up by the third try your doing good.":O}

Go into your BIOS by hitting the "Del" key. Hit the setup defaults and set your multiplier to match your actual CPUs MHz. Set the Date and Time and reboot. Hit "Del" again. Once in the BIOS, make whatever setting changes you need to and reboot to a Windows start-up floppy.

Re-partition, re-format and reinstall your OS. Reinstall all your software. Go to the Forum. Thank everybody who helped you to arrive at a place where you have such interesting hardware problems to discuss.

Leave SETI running, or put Quake III into an endless loop and go to bed knowing your new mother is watching over you and all your favorite things.":O}

Email Dan