Overvolting
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Overvolting is an arm of overclocking where the voltage flowing through computer components is increased slightly as to increase their overclocking ability.
For example, an overclocker (one who overclocks) will commonly increase the core voltage of their CPU as to satisfy the increased current demands of the CPU because of the higher speeds achieved through overclocking.
Misconceptions and modifications
It is a common misconception that increasing the voltage running through a component increases its "overclockability" simply because the increased voltage supplies more electric energy. While it is true that the circuit draws more power, the real reason it becomes more stable when overvolted is because of the change in signal levels.
Increasing voltage causes a component to draw increased current. However, this increase in current results in increased power dissipation (heating).
Many overclockers can now increase the voltage to various components in their machines (such as the CPU, RAM and AGP bus) easily in the BIOS. However, some components cannot be overvolted in software, and special modifications ("mods") are commonly made by experienced overclockers to manually increase the voltage, especially in the case of modern video cards and the motherboard's northbridge. These modifications are commonly known as "voltage mods" in the overclocking community.
Potential problems with overvoltage
Increasing the voltage running through a component invariably increases the heat generated by that component. This can lead to overheating and even damage to circuitry. It is often said that overvolting decreases the lifespan of a component, and the higher the voltage put through, the shorter the component's life will be. This is due to a combination of various factors, notably increased heat production and internal damage to the conductors from electromigration.