1) Most AMD chips 1.2 Ghz and up are already unlocked.
2) The pencil trick is to unlock the multiplier on those chips not unlocked.
3) Overclocking is easy. Up the FSB little by little until devices start failing on you. If you still want to up the processor speed, up the multiplier and you'll be able to decrease the FSB (making the system more stable).
And don't be so "cautious" with your new computer. I've seen that you've been asking an innumerable amount of questions like "Is xxx worth it? Everyone happy with their xxx? Any compatibility problems with the xxx?". Trust me bro, you WILL break something. Really, you can be extremely cautious, but somewhere along the line something will go wrong. Something will get fried, something won't work, and despite all your preparation it is unavoidable. So get what you want, don't worry so much about your equipment (it really is okay to take a pencil to the CPU, and use an eraser to clean it for that matter), and have fun. We're talking computer parts, not life and limb.
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