Questions on overclocking

[IT'S JEB!]

I'm completely new to the process of overclocking and I'm wondering if it's worth it to do so.
I've read a bit about AMD's auto-tune overclocking test and that doesn't seem to be the smartest option yet I wouldn't know what I'm doing/what to set it at while manually OCing.
I'm running an A8-6600k amd processor with Radeon 8570D graphics (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-355-AM)

Tips would be mighty helpful,
thanks guys.

[Rove]

Overclocking will void your warranty and may break your CPU, use at your own risk. The APU is probably unlikely to break if you do not subject it to extreme conditions but there is a risk of doing so and it will not be replaced by AMD. You should purchase strong high-quality 3rd party cooling if you wish to overclock seriously. This is usually pretty expensive which is why I recommend with new CPU purchases that you spend money on buying a better CPU instead of a better cooler. The included stock cooler is always covered by warranty to work for the entire CPU warranty period. Overclocking is something to do when the CPU is getting old and so is the CPU cooler and you need to make it go faster and you probably are also wearing out the stock cooler so you need to replace it as well. However you already own a CPU or APU and would like more performance so your situation is different. You probably need a $30-50 aftermarket CPU cooler to get the job done right. Price does not mean quality though. Look for at least 6 points of contact between copper heatpipes and heatsink plate, also if you can see any cooling information about how much air it moves or how many watts TDP CPUs it supports. The stock cooler may be enough for a mild overclock as long as you do not increase the voltage or power. You may also undervolt or underpower the APU while still attempting to overclock in a attempt to make it higher performance while using less power and staying cooler.

APU:
You need to find what is the recommended maximum safe temperature to constantly run your APU at. I have found online on some 3rd party websites that the A8-6600K can run at up to 74 degrees Celsius but you should verify that with a official AMD document if possible. AMD does not recommend overclocking and if you ask they will tell you so.

CPU:
If you are using GPU as primary graphics card overclock it first or instead. Use the Turbocore feature rather than changing base clock. To start do not overclock the base clock higher than the Turbocore default maximum. Turbocore can help to determine what the maximum safe overclock with your current cooling is by trying to thermally regulate the overclock and increasing or reducing it within your limits depending on temperature. I recommend seeing how high you can get it at the default voltage and power settings.

Once you find your maximum safe speed limit at 100% load sustained use then you should reduce the Turbocore speed to at or slightly below this level and you can increase base clock below that speed as you see fit, do try and leave turbocore at least a few 100 mhz headroom and a little voltage on your final settings though.

Pushing the Voltage or power past defualt settings is probably where the real risks start, other than temperature.

GPU
If you are using the HD 8570D for your primary graphics card then you should probably leave the CPU (mostly) alone and only (or mostly) overclock this. If you have a separate graphics card then do not overclock the HD 8570D unless you are actually somehow using it. GPU overclocking is more simple. There is a slider or entry field that you can use to set clockspeed. In addition to AMD programs I know that many GPU manufacturers make good GPU overclock programs. I like HIS's iTurbo program but download several and find what you like and what works best for you. I recommend seeing how high you can get it on default voltage and power settings. After there is where it *might* get risky, though they are usually pretty good about trying not to damage it and shutting down if it is not working.

I am not a serious overclocker and do not really recommend it if it is not needed. It might be fun to play with though. You might be able to substantially increase the performance of your system. If you are doing it for fun then I suggest underclock and undervolting is *probably* a safer hobby that is less likely to ruin your hardware.