High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Overclocking is the process of operating a computer component at a higher clock rate (more clock cycles per second) than it was designed for or was specified by the manufacturer, but some manufacturers purposely underclock their components to improve battery life. Many people just overclock or `rightclock` their hardware to improve their performance. This is practiced more by enthusiasts than professional users seeking an increase in the performance of their computers, as overclocking carries risks of less reliable functioning and damage. There are several purposes for overclocking: for professional users overclocking allows pushing the boundary of professional personal computing capacity therefore allowing improved productivity or allows testing over-the-horizon technologies beyond that possible with the available component specifications before entering the specialized computing realm and pricing - this leverages the manufacturing practice to specify components to a level that optimizes yield and profit margin, some components are capable of more; there are also hobbyists that, like car enthusiasts, enjoy building, tuning, and comparison racing their systems with standardized benchmark software. Some hobbyists purchase less expensive computer components and overclock to higher clock rates in an attempt to save money but achieve the same performance. A similar but slightly different approach to cost saving is overclocking outdated components to keep pace with new system requirements, rather than purchasing new hardware. This approach lowers the cost of a failure since the system is fully depreciated and new system is needed anyways.;