If you have ever entered the BIOS Overclock parameters of your PCs, you will have seen the Load Line Calibration parameter (or its abbreviation LCC), but nowhere is it explained what it is and what its function is. Next, we are going to explain what this BIOS parameter is and what it influences, especially when it comes to Overclocking the processor.
Load Line Calibration is a BIOS setting of almost any motherboard that supports processor Overclocking, not just high-end ones, and is used to apply additional voltage to the processor when it is under load in order to provide greater stability to the processor. system, something that is especially important if we are overclocking.
As the name suggests, Load Line Calibration is a load line calibration, but what is the load line? When the processor is under load, the current it uses increases, thereby reducing the voltage according to Ohm’s law . The load line is precisely the line that shows the variation in voltage as intensity increases on a graph.
In the following example we can see it: if the VCore of the processor is 1.3V, as its load increases, its intensity increases (A, amps) and, with it, its voltage (V, volts) decreases. The load line or Load Line is that line that shows the voltage values according to the current intensity .
Note: the graph has been done freehand and does not represent in perspective the voltage reduction as the amperage increases. It is purposely exaggerated to emphasize the Load Line.
How does the Load Line Calibration work?
What this calibration does is increase the processor voltage so that the load line is as horizontal as possible, always being the processor’s VCore value as close to its idle value . With this, greater stability in the system is achieved, since if the processor does not have the necessary voltage at a certain moment, it is when its calculation errors, crashes, blue screens, etc.
The LCC usually has, generally, between 2 and 4 levels of application, including the deactivated mode in which it will not go into operation. Even on relatively old motherboards we can find this parameter, as long as they are compatible with Overclock.
Leaving aside the deactivated mode (which not all plates have it, by the way, since many force to have the standard level always activated). By raising the LLC level, what we will do is make this voltage increase more intense or even intrusive, so it must be applied with a bit of caution because although the voltage increase is dynamic and rises depending on the load level, it could become excessive and end up damaging the processor.
Should you use it on your processor?
If you are not Overclocking your processor, the answer is no. Better leave the parameter disabled or as it comes by default in your BIOS because you will not need it in most cases, and it would be applying excess voltage to the processor unnecessarily. You should only use it if you are overclocking, or if you have stability problems on your PC due to the processor.
For this reason, it is best to always apply the lowest levels, and if we see that our processor is not stable (especially in Overclock), gradually increase the Load Line Calibration level until the stability of the system is improved, there are no standard levels. that are indicative since each processor and each motherboard are a world .
