Overclocking CPU with stepwise increase in frequency by BIOS gaining control upon interrupt generated at predetermined intervals

• US 8,245,075 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MSI Computer Company Limited (Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: MSI Computer Company Limited (Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chien, Chih-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, KENNETH S
• Application Number:
  US12/432,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/08 Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method for overclocking a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer motherboard is disclosed. Step A is to set a second frequency of front side bus (FSB) by an operating interface of BIOS. Step B is to determine FSB frequency F_n at each of N stages according to a difference between a first frequency and the second frequency. Step C is to load the CPU with an operating system by booting the CPU at the first frequency of FSB, and send an interruption signal to the CPU from a chipset at predetermined intervals upon completion of the loading of the operating system so as to allow the BIOS to gain control over the CPU, and execute step D by the CPU on each of N occasions of interruption until the FSB frequency of the CPU is changed to the second frequency. Step D is to execute the BIOS by the CPU on the nth occasion of interruption such that the CPU operates at the FSB frequency F_n, and allow the operating system to resume control over the CPU.

Claims

1. A method for overclocking a central processing unit of a computer motherboard, wherein the computer motherboard comprises the central processing unit (CPU), a BIOS, and a chipset, the method comprising steps of:

(A) setting a second frequency of front side bus (FSB) by an operating interface of the BIOS;

(B) determining FSB frequency Fn at each of a plurality of stages according to a difference between a first frequency and the second frequency, the stages totaling N, and N denoting positive integers, wherein n=1, 2, . . . , N, wherein N is a positive integer;

(C) loading the CPU with an operating system by booting the CPU at the first frequency of FSB, sending an interruption signal to the CPU from the chipset at predetermined intervals upon completion of the loading of the operating system so as to allow the BIOS to gain control over the CPU, and executing step (D) by the CPU on each of a plurality of occasions of interruption until the FSB frequency of the CPU is changed to the second frequency or the BIOS can not gain control over the CPU, the occasions of interruption totaling N; and

(D) executing the BIOS by the CPU on the nth occasion of interruption such that the CPU operates at the FSB frequency Fn, and allowing the operating system to resume control over the CPU upon completion of the executing the BIOS.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency is default FSB frequency of the CPU.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence FSB frequencies F₁, F₂, . . . , F_n in step (B) is an arithmetic progression with common difference.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating system is Windows operating system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein N, the total of the stages, in step (B) is one of positive integers between 1 and 50.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the predetermined intervals in step (C) is a sum of duration of executing step (D) once by the CPU and an error of the duration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the chipset comprises a north bridge chip, a south bridge chip, and a clock generator.