Keep reading for our step-by-step guide on how to safely overclock your CPU. Then find out exactly what overclocking does, if your machine actually can be overclocked, and how to overclock Intel CPUs.
A useful tool for this use is Prime95, which puts a constant 100% load on all CPU cores. Let it run for one or two hours and see what happens, while keeping a close eye on temperatures throughout (see the step above).
Overclocking allows you to run your processor at higher clock speeds than originally intended. This lets you do resource-intensive tasks faster and more smoothly, such as editing videos or photos or gaming. Generally, overclocking makes your computer feel snappier.
Although overclocking is safe, there are still other factors to consider. Below are the most important things to keep in mind when deciding whether to overclock and how far you want to push your machine.
Another possible risk with overclocking is the potential for increases in temperature and power usage causing your device to overheat. Although the chances of this resulting in any short- or medium-term issues are practically nil, long-term overheating can degrade your computer and shorten the lifespan of critical components.
These days, overclocking is very safe, because modern computers have built-in safeguards to power down or turn off components if they get too hot. While overclocking means pushing your hardware beyond its official limits, with modern materials, your hardware will likely have no problems.
If you're experiencing problems with your CPU after overclocking, there are a few things you can do to identify and remedy the situation. Below are four steps for troubleshooting the main overclocking problems you might encounter:
The first go-to when troubleshooting overclocking issues is to conduct a stability test using benchmarking and stress-testing tools such as Prime95, Cinebench, AIDA64, or OCCT. These tools will put your CPU under heavy load to detect possible errors, crashes, or freezes, and help you find a stable overclocking level that your machine can handle.
In other cases, overclocking issues may be due to your computer's software. Updating your device's drivers and BIOS using software like Avast Driver Updater can help ensure your system communicates clearly with your CPU and other components, helping to avoid potential errors, crashes, or freezes.
If you want more performance for gaming, rendering, coding, or simply for your day-to-day tasks, a higher core clock can help. Overclocking is often a quick, easy, and cost-efficient way to unlock better performance, especially when compared to the cost of upgrading to a new CPU or even a new computer.
To get the maximum FPS out of your system, put your unnecessary apps and processes to sleep. Download a free trial of Avast Cleanup, then go into the Speed Up section and look for Background and Startup Programs.
In computing, overclocking is the practice of increasing the clock rate of a computer to exceed that certified by the manufacturer. Commonly, operating voltage is also increased to maintain a component's operational stability at accelerated speeds. Semiconductor devices operated at higher frequencies and voltages increase power consumption and heat.[1] An overclocked device may be unreliable or fail completely if the additional heat load is not removed or power delivery components cannot meet increased power demands. Many device warranties state that overclocking or over-specification[2] voids any warranty, but some manufacturers allow overclocking as long as it is done (relatively) safely.[citation needed]
The purpose of overclocking is to increase the operating speed of a given component. Normally, on modern systems, the target of overclocking is increasing the performance of a major chip or subsystem, such as the main processor or graphics controller, but other components, such as system memory (RAM) or system buses (generally on the motherboard), are commonly involved. The trade-offs are an increase in power consumption (heat), fan noise (cooling), and shortened lifespan for the targeted components. Most components are designed with a margin of safety to deal with operating conditions outside of a manufacturer's control; examples are ambient temperature and fluctuations in operating voltage. Overclocking techniques in general aim to trade this safety margin by setting the device to run in the higher end of the margin, with the understanding that temperature and voltage must be more strictly monitored and controlled by the user. Examples are that operating temperature would need to be more strictly controlled with increased cooling, as the part will be less tolerant of increased temperatures at the higher speeds. Also base operating voltage may be increased to compensate for unexpected voltage drops and to strengthen signalling and timing signals, as low-voltage excursions are more likely to cause malfunctions at higher operating speeds.
While most modern devices are fairly tolerant of overclocking, all devices have finite limits. Generally for any given voltage most parts will have a maximum "stable" speed where they still operate correctly. Past this speed, the device starts giving incorrect results, which can cause malfunctions and sporadic behavior in any system depending on it. While in a PC context the usual result is a system crash, more subtle errors can go undetected, which over a long enough time can give unpleasant surprises such as data corruption (incorrectly calculated results, or worse writing to storage incorrectly) or the system failing only during certain specific tasks (general usage such as internet browsing and word processing appear fine, but any application wanting advanced graphics crashes the system. There might also be a chance for damage to the hardware itself).
At this point, an increase in operating voltage of a part may allow more headroom for further increases in clock speed, but the increased voltage can also significantly increase heat output, as well as shorten the lifespan further. At some point, there will be a limit imposed by the ability to supply the device with sufficient power, the user's ability to cool the part, and the device's own maximum voltage tolerance before it achieves destructive failure. Overzealous use of voltage or inadequate cooling can rapidly degrade a device's performance to the point of failure, or in extreme cases outright destroy it.
The speed gained by overclocking depends largely upon the applications and workloads being run on the system, and what components are being overclocked by the user; benchmarks for different purposes are published.
Conversely, the primary goal of underclocking is to reduce power consumption and the resultant heat generation of a device, with the trade-offs being lower clock speeds and reductions in performance. Reducing the cooling requirements needed to keep hardware at a given operational temperature has knock-on benefits such as lowering the number and speed of fans to allow quieter operation, and in mobile devices increase the length of battery life per charge. Some manufacturers underclock components of battery-powered equipment to improve battery life, or implement systems that detect when a device is operating under battery power and reduce clock frequency.
Underclocking and undervolting would be attempted on a desktop system to have it operate silently (such as for a home entertainment center) while potentially offering higher performance than currently offered by low-voltage processor offerings. This would use a "standard-voltage" part and attempt to run with lower voltages (while attempting to keep the desktop speeds) to meet an acceptable performance/noise target for the build. This was also attractive as using a "standard voltage" processor in a "low voltage" application avoided paying the traditional price premium for an officially certified low voltage version. However again like overclocking there is no guarantee of success, and the builder's time researching given system/processor combinations and especially the time and tedium of performing many iterations of stability testing need to be considered. The usefulness of underclocking (again like overclocking) is determined by what processor offerings, prices, and availability are at the specific time of the build. Underclocking is also sometimes used when troubleshooting.
Overclocking has become more accessible with motherboard makers offering overclocking as a marketing feature on their mainstream product lines. However, the practice is embraced more by enthusiasts than professional users, as overclocking carries a risk of reduced reliability, accuracy and damage to data and equipment. Additionally, most manufacturer warranties and service agreements do not cover overclocked components nor any incidental damages caused by their use. While overclocking can still be an option for increasing personal computing capacity, and thus workflow productivity for professional users, the importance of stability testing components thoroughly before employing them into a production environment cannot be overstated.
Overclocking offers several draws for overclocking enthusiasts. Overclocking allows testing of components at speeds not currently offered by the manufacturer, or at speeds only officially offered on specialized, higher-priced versions of the product. A general trend in the computing industry is that new technologies tend to debut in the high-end market first, then later trickle down to the performance and mainstream market. If the high-end part only differs by an increased clock speed, an enthusiast can attempt to overclock a mainstream part to simulate the high-end offering. This can give insight on how over-the-horizon technologies will perform before they are officially available on the mainstream market, which can be especially helpful for other users considering if they should plan ahead to purchase or upgrade to the new feature when it is officially released.
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