Overclocking | GeorgMedia

Computer CPU Chips — Overclocking your CPU takes some preparation, but isn’t hard to do.
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You can overclock your PC’s CPU by increasing the CPU multiplier and voltage in the BIOS or UEFI menu.
Before you overclock your CPU, make sure that your CPU is powerful enough, and isn’t already under stress.
Overclock your CPU in small increments, and stress test it frequently to avoid damaging your PC.
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If you want to improve your computer’s performance without spending money to upgrade its components (or replace the PC outright), you might want to try overclocking the CPU.

When you overclock the CPU, you make it run faster than it was intended to. Depending on how aggressively you overclock it, this can boost its speed by as much as 30%. Dedicated gamers, for instance, overclock their computer’s CPU to extract every last bit of performance from their computer.

Be aware, though, that not every PC can be overclocked safely. And boosting your CPU won’t make the other components any better. So overclocking a CPU by 25% won’t necessarily make the entire computer run 25% faster – especially if the rest of your PC is older.

Can I overclock my computer?

Not every CPU can be overclocked, so you need to begin by determining if your computer is compatible.

Laptop CPUs, for example, generally can’t be overclocked. The hardware typically doesn’t allow it, and even if it did, it’s not possible to cool a laptop well enough to safely overclock.

If you have a desktop PC, you need to see if your processor supports overclocking. Here’s an easy guide:

Intel ends its model numbers with a “K” or an “X” to indicate that the chip can be overclocked. For example, the Intel Core i9-10900K can be overclocked, while the Intel Core i9-10900F cannot.
All AMD Ryzen CPUs can be overclocked. If you have a non-Ryzen CPU, perform a Google search to check the chip’s overclocking status.

AMD Ryzen Threadripper — AMD Ryzen chips are designed to be overclocked.
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How to prepare to overclock your CPU

Before you actually overclock your CPU, it’s a good idea to prep your PC and make sure that your CPU isn’t already too stressed for overclocking. If you try to overclock a CPU that’s already redlining, you could see full system failure.

Start by giving your PC a thorough cleaning. Shut off the computer and unplug it from the wall. Open the case and, using a can of compressed air and a microfiber cloth, clean out any dust that’s accumulated on the motherboard and in the fans, ducts, and other airflow pathways. We also recommend wearing an antistatic wristband, which will keep you safe from static shocks – if you don’t have one, touch your PC case often to ground yourself.

Monitor your CPU’s temperature so you know how hot it’s currently running. While idle, most CPUs should hover around 130℉, and jump up to about 170℉ while working hard. If your CPU is regularly hitting 175℉ to 200℉, especially when you’re not running a lot of programs, it’s probably not safe to overclock it. You can download a free app like HWMonitor to check your temperatures, or you might have an app that came with your video card that’ll be installed already.
The HWMonitor app provides a list of your PC’s components, with the temperature underneath.
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You should also keep an eye on your CPU’s usage percentage. The usage percentage tracks how much of the CPU’s processing power is being used at any given time. If your PC is constantly hitting 100%, pushing it harder might not be safe.
Another way to establish your CPU’s baseline performance is to benchmark it. Benchmarking is the process of deliberately giving the computer a difficult task, to see how well it performs. There are lots of free benchmarking tools out there – Cinebench, for example, is an easy-to-use app that can give you an indication of how well your PC’s CPU and GPU run.
Finally, you should perform a PC stress test. Remember that overclocking a CPU means pushing the chip’s performance beyond the level that it’s designed for. So a stress test, which you can run using a tool like Prime95 or Intel’s Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU), can give you confidence that the CPU is running properly before you begin to overclock it.

How to overclock a CPU 2 — Intel ETU is a versatile utility that can stress test, benchmark and even let you overclock the CPU without rebooting to the BIOS.
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Before you overclock your CPU, you should also consider upgrading your PC’s cooling equipment. Overclocked CPUs can run very hot, and the cooling equipment that came with your PC might not be able to handle the heat.

How to overclock your CPU

If you’ve prepared and are certain that you’re ready to overclock your CPU, there are two ways to do it.

You can overclock via your computer’s BIOS or UEFI startup menu, or use a specialized overclocking utility like Intel XTU. If this is your first time overclocking, using the BIOS/UEFI is simpler and safer.

1. Turn off your computer completely, and then press the power button to turn it back on. As soon as you do, press the proper key to launch the BIOS or UEFI menu. The specific key will differ by system, but it’s usually the Delete, F1, F2, F10, or F12 key. You might need to check your PC’s or CPU’s user guide for details.

2. Your computer will bring you to the BIOS or UEFI menu. What this menu looks like will vary depending upon the computer’s manufacturer and vendor, so there’s no single set of instructions that will help you find the overclocking controls. Even so, they shouldn’t be hard to locate.

3. Find the section that deals with your CPU. This might be called “CPU Tweaker,” “Processor Settings,” or something similar. If you have a more advanced PC, the section might even be called “Overclocking” or “OC.”

4. Once you reach the CPU menu, you’ll see a host of different options. But there are only two controls that you really need to worry about: The CPU multiplier and the CPU voltage. You can adjust both, but start with the CPU multiplier.

CPU multiplier and CPU voltage, explained

The CPU multiplier determines what “clock speed” the CPU runs at. Depending upon your system, this might also be called the “ration multiplier” or “CPU ratio.”
By default, most CPUs’ base clock speed is 100MHz – the multiplier lets you, as the name suggests, set a new speed that’s a multiple of the original speed. A multiplier of 35, for example, forces the CPU to run at 3500MHz, or 3.5GHz.
To overclock your CPU, find the multiplier and increase the value one step – for example, from 100MHz to 200MHZ – then let the computer boot and test its performance using a stress test and benchmark app. If it performs well, you can reboot the computer and increase the CPU multiplier again.
Repeat this until you see the performance you want, or your computer starts to become unstable (it crashes or boots to a black screen).
The CPU voltage can also improve your computer’s performance, but you should be careful when changing this. If the CPU multiplier value is too high, it can cause a computer crash, but can be fixed. If the CPU voltage is too high, it can destroy the CPU.
You’ll find the CPU voltage is probably set to 1.25 by default; you can increase it in small increments and then restart the PC and test it. As a general rule, don’t exceed about 1.4.

Increase your CPU’s power incrementally, and test it before boosting it again.

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Gaming PC — An overclocked computer can run more intensive programs than usual.
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Overclocking is the process of forcing your computer to run faster than it’s intended to go.
You can overclock both your CPU and graphics card, which can help you run advanced programs on an older PC.
Although overclocking is largely safe, it’s possible to run into overheating and crashing issues.
Visit Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.

Overclocking a component in your computer – usually the CPU, and occasionally the graphics card – makes your computer run faster than it was originally intended. This lets you improve your computer’s performance without spending money to upgrade or enhance your PC.

Not every computer can be overclocked, and there are some risks associated with overclocking as well. Here’s everything you need to know.

What is overclocking?

Different computer processor chips run at different speeds – this is known at their “clock speed.” A higher clock speed means a CPU can run more operations per second, and thus run your computer faster.

But even processors with different speeds are all made on the same assembly line. It’s only after the processors are built that companies test them for defects, take out the more defective ones, and manually “throttle down” those chips to make them run slower in a computer.

pc build motherboard cpu — Not all CPUs can safely run at the same speed.
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That means that in theory, even these slower chips can run at faster speeds if you want them to – that’s how they were built, after all. This is where overclocking comes in.

Overclocking lets you undo the throttling and run that slower chip at a faster speed, as if it were a less defective model.

To do this, you need to increase the processor’s “multiplier,” which can be found in your computer’s UEFI or BIOS menu, causing the chip’s clock speed to increase.

The pros and cons of overclocking

Overclocking is incredibly popular among computer enthusiasts, gamers, and anyone who regularly needs to run programs that take a lot of CPU power. This can include graphic design apps, 3D modeling programs, and more. Done right, it can increase your computer’s performance essentially for free.

When you join discussions about building computers or buying graphics cards, you’ll often find people talking about how easily their computers can be overclocked. Buying a less expensive graphics card that can be overclocked can save money, while still ensuring excellent performance.

In recent years, however, there’s been some evidence that overclocking isn’t as useful as it used to be. Modern CPUs already run so fast that overclocking can have little effect. And more important, improving your processor performance can be useless if the rest of your computer isn’t fast enough to keep up. This is called “bottlenecking.”

For example, if you have a slow hard disk drive (HDD), overclocking your CPU can’t make it run faster. Likewise, programs that use your graphics card more than the CPU won’t be helped by an overclocked CPU.

What is overclocking 2 — Your CPU will need enhanced cooling if you plan to run it at a higher clock speed.
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Overclocking comes with some inherent risks. Companies don’t throttle down processor chips for fun – they do it because the chip has defects, and running it too fast can cause your computer glitches.

Too much overclocking can lead to instability and crashing apps, as well as the occasional Blue Screen of Death. Frequent crashes can cause data loss and frustration. In some cases, overclocking can even damage your CPU or graphics card permanently.

You need to weigh the sometimes-marginal performance improvements that come from overclocking against these risks.

How to overclock your processor

If you want to overclock your computer, first assess if your processor supports overclocking – not all do.

Intel adds an “K” or an “X” to the model numbers of the Intel Core CPUs that can be overclocked. For example, the Intel Core i9-10900K can be overclocked; the Intel Core i9-10900F cannot.

If you have an AMD CPU, the news is better – any “Ryzen” CPU can be overclocked.

You should also ensure your computer has adequate cooling equipment. Your CPU should have a heavy duty heatsink and large cooling fans. You might even want to use a liquid cooling system to deal with the extra heat generated by your faster CPU.

Your CPU will need enhanced cooling if you plan to run it at a higher clock speed.

To overclock the CPU, restart your computer and enter the startup menu in the computer’s UEFI or BIOS. These startup screens vary dramatically from one manufacturer to another, so you’ll need to look for the overclocking controls.

What is overclocking 1 — The BIOS or UEFI is where you’ll find an option to overclock your CPU.
Gigabyte Technology; skitching by William Antonelli/Business Insider

It’s a good idea to increase the multiplier by a small amount, reboot the computer and test it. You can increase the clock speed in increments to get to the speed you are interested in.

Every time you increase the clock speed, spend a few hours “stress testing” the computer. You can use an app like Prime95 to temporarily run the CPU at 100% load to make sure there are no problems with the PC.

If your computer crashes, you get a Blue Screen of Death, or your programs won’t open, return to the UEFI or BIOS menu and revert to a slower clock speed.

It’s also possible to overclock your graphics card’s GPU, though you can’t do that from the UEFI or BIOS menu. To speed up your GPU, you’ll need to use an overclocking utility – one of the most common is MSI Afterburner.

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