# Tweaking > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tweaking > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tweaking.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweaking > Source revision: 1356000935 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Fine adjustments to a system}} {{About|hardware and software tweaking|the drug-induced behavior|Stereotypy|other uses|Tweaker (disambiguation)}} {{More citations needed|date=April 2008}} '''Tweaking''' refers to fine-tuning or adjusting a complex system, usually an electronic device. Tweaks are any small modifications intended to improve a system. In electronics, it is a synonym for "trimming." Analog circuit boards often have small [potentiometer](/source/potentiometer)s or other components on them that are used to [calibrate](/source/calibrate) or adjust the board as a service procedure: the small insulated screwdriver used to turn them is often called a "tweaker." This use was echoed in the name of the product ''Tweek'', a popular but controversial audio product during the 1980s, which was claimed to improve the electrical characteristics of audio switch contacts. ==Hardware== '''Hardware tweaking''' is a process of modifying certain parts of a hardware such as changing the [cable](/source/electrical_cable)s, cleaning the heads of a [VCR](/source/Videocassette_recorder) with a branded cleaning fluid or oiling the moving parts of an [engine](/source/engine) with the best possible oil. ==Computer hardware== Computer hardware tweaking is an extension of hardware tweaking, specifically geared towards the components of a [PC](/source/Personal_computer). They include: changing [voltage](/source/voltage) and [clock rate](/source/clock_rate)s of [processing unit](/source/processing_unit)s, modifying [RAM](/source/RAM) unit timing, improving [cooling systems](/source/Computer_cooling) to reduce chance of overheating, etc. Tweaks specifically designed to allow a processor to operate at a higher clock speed than normal are known as [overclocking](/source/overclocking). Modifications of computer systems not aimed at increasing performance, such as [quieter fans](/source/Quiet_PC), external controls, and decorations such as lights or windows, are known as [modding](/source/modding). ==Software== Software tweaking is the process of improving the performance of an [application](/source/application_software) or the quality of its output. There can be two ways of accomplishing this: manually (that is, if one is familiar with [programming](/source/Computer_programming); though it may be irrelevant if the [source](/source/Source_code) of the application is [closed](/source/Closed_source), and there are no built-in means to adjust its performance) or using another piece of software specialized for that purpose. Tweaking of this kind generally increases usability, in terms of personal configuration preferences, rather than objective performance of the system overall). More precise applications usually require more and higher-quality tweaking to produce accurate results. ==See also== * [Overclocking](/source/Overclocking) * [Modding](/source/Modding) * [TweakUI](/source/TweakUI) ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [http://tweakguides.com/ Tweakguides.com] Site with various Windows and PC Game tweak guides Category:Computer hardware tuning --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tweaking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweaking) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweaking?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.