Since the introduction of the microprocessor in the late 1970s, enthusiasts have been pushing their processors to the limit by giving them more power. As PCs became mainstream, as nanometers got smaller and as processors began using more silicon, "overclocking" a desktop's processor became a common practice for anyone looking to add a little oomph to their computer's performance. Nowadays the practice has become so common that many of the major PC manufacturers offer computers with already overclocked components.