Do you want to improve the performance of your PC without spending an extra penny? Well, yes, no matter how crazy it sounds, but it is achievable via overclocking. Overclocking the CPU is a great way to speed up your PC and improve its performance. We know most of you aren’t ready for an expensive upgrade. It’s not true?
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Hence, choosing to overclock is a convenient way to use your CPU to its full potential. Let’s learn all about what overclocking is, how to overclock the CPU on Windows, and everything you should know.
What is overclocking?
Before starting the overclocking process, let’s learn a little about this terminology. In the world of computers, overclocking is a process of increasing the clock rate of the device to make it run at accelerated speed and performance. You can easily overclock the CPU by making a few quick changes to the BIOS settings of your Windows operating system.
Many tech geeks undertake overclocking just for the thrill of having fun using their device at full capacity and potentially better performance.
How to overclock the CPU on Windows
Ready to overclock your Windows PC? But yes, we still recommend that you do a quick Google search to check if your CPU is suitable and supports overclocking. If yes, then do it!
Also, if you have no idea your processor name, model/brand, here’s a quick way to find out all the relevant information.
Launch the Start Menu search box, type “Dxdiag” and press Enter to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
Once the tool is open, go to the “System” tab. Look for the “Processor” option and next to it you can find the name of your processor. Copy and paste the processor name and do a Google search if it supports overclocking.
Check your CPU speed and performance
So, it seems that everything is going as planned and if you have finally decided to overclock your Windows PC. Before we proceed, let’s quickly take note of your CPU’s current speed and performance so that we have at least something in hand to compare later. Let’s start!
- Open Windows Task Manager, go to the “Performance” tab.
- In the Performance tab, look for the CPU speed and compare it to the base speed. These values keep fluctuating, so wait a bit before making the final call.
Make arrangements for “cooling”
Overclocking can dramatically raise the temperature and generate a lot of heat in the CPU. Hence, cooling is one of the most important aspects when you decide to overclock your PC. You certainly need to make sure your CPU gets sufficient cooling and has a built-in cooling fan that takes care of the heated CPU environment.
Also, you may need a good amount of space for the hot air to cool. So, if you are deciding to overclock on a laptop, it might be a bad idea. There isn’t enough space on a laptop to handle all the heat that could be generated after the device is overclocked.
Perform a system stress test
Overclocking a CPU requires a lot of stress tests to be sure enough that everything is going well.
To perform a system stress test, download the GIMPS Prime95 tool on your Windows device. Prime95 is the software most used by most users when it comes to trying out overclocking.
Simply download the Prime95 tool on your device and then run the Prime95 executable file to get started.
Select the “Just Stress Testing” option to run a stress test on your Windows PC. It will take approximately 1-2 hours to complete the stress test.
Customize the BIOS settings
To access the BIOS setup on a Windows PC, follow these quick steps:
- Open Windows 10 settings, select “Update & Security”. Switch to the “Restore” tab from the left menu pane.
- In the “Advanced Startup” section, press the “Restart” button below.
- The advanced recovery options will now be listed on the screen. Tap “Troubleshoot”.
- Tap “Advanced Options” and then select the “UEFI Firmware Settings” option.
- Once the BIOS settings are loaded, select “Enhanced Frequency”.
For overclocking, we just need to focus on two things. One is the CPU base clock and the other is the CPU clock ratio.
As the tech experts say, you should start with a 4.7 GHz value and then continue to increase the value slowly after running the Prime92 stress test. You can even run the Prime92 stress test multiple times to make sure your device is stable after increasing the clock ratio values.
NB: Keep an eye on the temperature of your device and make sure it does not exceed 80 degrees as it could prove harmful to your device. A value of 1.35 CPU voltage is considered reasonably safe and will prevent the situation from getting out of hand.
Is it good to overclock your CPU?
Well, if you own a new car, you don’t need to push the limits. But yes, if you have an older device, overclocking can prove to be an efficient way to maximize its speed and performance.
Is it dangerous to overclock a CPU?
Overclocking is considered to be playing with fire and puts your computer at high risk of CPU failure. On the other hand, overclocking has also proved to be a great way to enjoy maximum performance on your device. Most importantly, if you use heavy video editing software, play games, or run advanced applications with heavy on-screen tasks, then overclocking seems like a good idea.
Does overclocking damage RAM?
Overclocking heats up the CPU temperature and that’s a fact. Experts recommend that your device tends to perform better at a cooler temperature. Hence, to protect the RAM during overclocking, it is recommended to embed a fan or water-based cooler in the CPU which keeps the environment stable.
Does overclocking a CPU increase FPS?
Yes, you can expect a decent performance boost in FPS after CPU overclocking. As you work on heavy applications, you will experience a reduction in lag and an improvement in the speed of your PC.
Conclusion
I hope we all understand that overclocking simply pushes the CPU beyond its limits. Quite right? So, yes, it’s totally up to you whether you think it’s a risk worth taking or not. Although, yes, do everything carefully considering the technical specifications of your device, overclocking can turn out to be magical!
