How to Overclock Your CPU Safely

The Ultimate Guide to Safely Overclocking Your CPU: Tips and Tricks for Amateurs.

Average people might find Overclocking your CPU is a complex thing. They can think it is a technical attempt that is reserved for gamers and tech enthusiasts. Whatever, it is not that much of a terrible thing as you might think. With the right guide and a little bit of patience, you can outperform your CPU’s performance. With overclocking, you can squeeze extra performance out of your CPU, and that makes your system much faster and more responsive. While you are gaming or rendering some videos or doing some heavy work, overclocking your processor will give you an extra boost of performance. So, let’s dive into how to safely overclock your CPU.

In simple words, overclocking means increasing your CPU’s clock speed beyond its default settings. Nowadays, every CPU comes with its default settings, but we can get some extra performance in most modern processors by just overclocking our CPU. We can push the boundaries a little bit more than what their manufacturers advertise. With just a little bit of settings, you can unlock this secret potential.

But before we dive in further, overclocking might cause some risks if you do it incorrectly. It causes extra heat and can shorten the CPU’s lifespan in the long run.

1.Verify your system

hardware’s compatibility. You have to know that now every CPU or motherboard supports overclocking.Intel “K” series processors, like the Intel Core i5-12600K, and all the AMD Ryzen processors are basically open for overclocking.

On the other hand, your motherboard should also support overclocking. High-end boards offer stable overclocking for their robust power delivery system. You can check the manufacturer’s website or motherboard manual to confirm.

The importance of cooling

As I said before, overclocking might have increased the heat output of your CPU. So, stock coolers are not efficient for this. It’s better to spend some money on some aftermarket air cooler or liquid cooling system to get better performance. Thermal paste is also crucial.Applying a good thermal paste makes sure of efficient heat transfer between your CPU and the cooler.

3.PSU (Power Supply)

It’s a general rule that overclocking your CPU consumes more power than usual.So, you have to make sure that your power supply has enough wattage to keep it efficient. Look for a reliable brand when choosing a power supply.

4.Tools we’ll use

BIOS/UEFI access:We will do most of the adjustments in here.
Tracking and monitoring software:To check temperatures and voltages, you can use tools like HWMonitor, Core Temp, or MSI Afterburner.
Stress testing programs:Cinebench, Prime95, or AIDA64 secures your system under load.
Hardware benchmark tools:You can choose programs like Geekbench or 3DMark to calculate performance improvements.

Backup your data

Before you customize your system’s settings, just back up your important files, because the overclocking process might corrupt data or damage the system.

Update BIOS/UEFI

Look into the manufacturer’s website for the latest firmware updates. These updates sometimes increase system stability and add new features.

Access the BIOS/UEFI

Just restart your computer and press the key (Delete, F2, or F10) while booting to enter the BIOS/UEFI. You will find the overclocking settings under “CPU Configuration” or “Advanced Settings.”

CPU Multiplier

You can calculate CPU clock speed by multiplying the base clock with the CPU multiplier.For instance:

Base clock: 100 MHz
CPU multiplier: 36
Clock speed: 100 MHz × 36 = 3.6

GHz You have to increase the multiplier at one step at a time.If your CPU runs at 3.6 GHz, then just increase it to 3.7 GHz to check stability.

Adjusting Voltage

You have increased your CPU’s core voltage to stabilize your overclock. Higher voltages can cause overheating and stress your CPU. So you have to be very careful here.Make sure you are in the recommended voltage range for your processor.You can find these lists on the manufacturer’s website.

Save and reboot

Now save the changes and reboot your system. Once you’re done booting, just go to the monitoring software as I mentioned earlier to check your CPU’s temperature and voltage.

Check System Stability with Stress Tests

Stress your systems for about 15-20 minutes to check the system’s stability. If your system crashes or the CPU’s temperature exceeds 85°C, then just go back to BIOS settings and decrease the multiplier or adjust the voltage.

Fine-tune and optimize

If you face any problems, just repeat the process by lowering the multiplier and adjusting the voltage as needed until finding a stable setting.

1. Keep Monitoring Ok, after getting a stable overclock, you have to monitor your CPU’s temperature.
2. Keep your system clean. Dust can increase your CPU temperature, so keep your PC internals clean.
3. Updating drivers and software Keep updating your drivers and software to improve system stability for your overclocked settings.

Is overclocking right for you?

For intensive gamers and enthusiasts, overclocking can be a solution for gaining extra frame rates and performance. It is ideal for intensive tasks like video editing or 3D rendering, so overclocking may save you more time while doing these types of works.

However, I wouldn’t recommend overclocking for everyone. If you do normal everyday tasks like browsing and streaming, there can be some potential risks that can outweigh the benefits of overclocking.

Final conclusion

Overclocking can be a great option for people who want to get extra performance from their processor.Also, you can get familiar with PC’s inner systems through it. Just make sure you’re monitoring everything and don’t push your hardware beyond its limit.