How to Change Processor Stepping
Processor stepping is a term for raising the speeds of the CPU clocks, popularly known as "overclocking." The most common way of overclocking a processor is by changing the CPU multipliers in the BIOS of the motherboard. Stepping up the clock speeds of a processor makes programs run faster on your computer. However, processor manufacturers, such as AMD or Intel do not want you to overclock so they void the warranty of the processor if you change the clock speeds.
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Instructions
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Power on your computer. Wait for the boot screen to show up; it is a screen that lists all the components of your computer in black and white letters/numbers. Press "Delete" or "F1", depending on your motherboard manufacturer to access the BIOS while the boot screen is showing. If the boot screen does not appear, press "Delete" or "F1" every second, right after you turn on your computer to get into the BIOS.
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Find the "Advanced Chipset Features" on the main menu of the BIOS and hit the "Enter" key. On the next page, find the "CPU Multiplier" tool and hit "Enter" again. A screen asking you to type in a number will pop up.
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Look at the current CPU multiplier on the page. If you want to step it up, you will have to go one multiplier at a time. In the screen that popped up, type in the next number after the CPU multiplier. For instance, if the CPU multiplier was at 4x when you first saw it, type in "5" to the screen.
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Click "F10" to apply the changes and reboot your computer. Download and install Prime 95 (link in resources). Prime 95 maximizes processor usage to 100 percent, testing its reliability at the new clock speed it is running at. Reboot your computer once more so Prime 95 can run properly.
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Open Prime 95 and run the "Torture Test." If the computer crashes during the test, your processor is not stable enough for overclocking. Restart your computer, go to the BIOS, and reset the CPU multiplier to its previous value.
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Reboot your computer and access the BIOS. Go to the CPU multiplier and change the multiplier one step higher. Hit F10, restart your computer, and run the Torture Test in Prime 95. Do this until your computer shuts down during the Torture Test. When it does, turn on your computer, access the BIOS, and revert the CPU multiplier to the last stable value.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are going to change the processor stepping to a higher level, buy a better cooling solution, such as water cooling or a high end CPU fan. The only reason that the motherboard shuts down for is that the processor becomes too hot at higher speeds and can damage other parts on the motherboard. Buying a better cooling solution allows you to raise the speeds higher.
Changing the processor stepping voids the warranty of the processor.
