What does the term "overclocking" refer to?

The term "overclocking" refers to the practice of running a component, such as a CPU or GPU, at a speed higher than its factory-set specifications. This is done to enhance the performance of the hardware, allowing it to process tasks more quickly and efficiently. Enthusiasts often engage in overclocking to achieve better gaming performance, faster data processing, and improved system responsiveness.

To successfully overclock a component, it is essential to have sufficient cooling solutions in place to manage the additional heat generated from increased speeds, which is why additional cooling systems may sometimes be discussed in this context. However, the core concept of overclocking deals specifically with the increased operational speed of the hardware itself, rather than the support systems used to maintain optimal temperatures.

Other options involve concepts that do not align with the definition of overclocking. For example, using more RAM than supported relates to memory capacity issues, and reducing the speed of a processor directly contradicts the idea of overclocking, which is about increasing speed. Thus, the correct answer accurately captures the essence of what overclocking entails in computing hardware.