overclocking – risks and benefits?

basically i want to know if it’s worth doing. i got a new machine over the weekend with an e7200 core 2 duo, 2.53GHz. i’ve read that it overclocks quite well, up to 4GHz with little trouble. but here’s the snag – my machine came with a full 3 year warranty that is void if i tear the stickers and open the case, so i am stuck with the factory cooling system.
looking at a review of this chip, overclocking it only gave an increase of a few fps. doesn’t seem worth it. are there benefits to overclocking outside of gaming?
Answer #1
well theres increased performance (obvious), less bottlenecks with other parts, um, better scores for 3D mark, PC mark etc Downside: Shorter lifespan (dunno if its bad, especially excuse for new pc), more heat generated, processor may die instantly. But with that, you could bump it up just a little maybe? So the temps are still fine but you gain that small extra boost if it is slightly laggy at times to games
Answer #2
ok, you pretty much confirmed everything i assumed.
i’ve not really tested games yet, i spent the weekend just getting crap installed and configured. i played a bit of spore because that’s the only new game i’ve downloaded so far (my last comp was a crap laptop. glad it finally died!) but i guess it’s not really intensive
i’m going to try get bioshock tonight if my neighbor’s wireless is working again. we’ll see how it goes, then i can decide.