It’s a shame when just a little bit is not enough to reach a comfortable 60 frames / s. And here you have two options: either change the components, or overclock the processor, video card and RAM. The second way looks more tempting (especially now, when the prices for iron have increased), because it avoids expenses. At the same time, users are stopped by the complexity of overclocking and the associated risks. Overclocking can lead to breakdowns, damage to equipment, and a drop in performance. But if everything is done correctly and without fanaticism, then these problems can be avoided. Our today’s material is designed for beginners, and not for extreme overclockers: we will do without liquid nitrogen and a soldering iron, and try to explain the nuances of safe household overclocking in an accessible way.
How to overclock Intel processors
Manufacturers deliberately underestimate the characteristics of “hardware” so that there is a margin for emergency situations. Overclocking means an increase in frequencies higher than those indicated on the product page in the store and on the box, including higher than the Turbo Boost and Boost Clock – built-in mechanisms when the processor itself increases the frequency under load. We will consider Intel and AMD processors separately, because their overclocking has its own peculiarities.
An important point: your cooler should be able to handle the factory processor frequencies without any problems. Liquid cooling is preferred, but not required. The power supply must be prepared for a significant increase in load.
Intel processors with indexes K and X are amenable to overclocking (say, Core i5-9600K and i5-7640X). Pair them with a motherboard with the letter Z or X.
The CPU frequency is formed by two indicators – the frequency of the base bus of the motherboard and the multiplier. The first indicator practically does not change (100 MHz), the second one changes depending on the load. We multiply them – we get the current processor frequency. You can look at the frequencies of the nuclei, their temperatures and voltage in real time in the HWiNFO program.
We will set the parameters we need through BIOS / UEFI.
- To enter it, after turning on the computer (and before starting the operating system), press F2, Delete, F8 or F1.
- Switch immediately to Advanced Mode – an advanced mode where important settings are not hidden.
- The settings that we need are in the AI Tweaker, MIT, OC Tweaker, OC or Extreme Tweaker section, depending on the motherboard used.
- Disable technologies responsible for energy saving (C-States) and set the Load-Line Calibration to medium. LLC counteracts a sudden voltage drop when going from load to idle. Overclocking requires stability, including from voltage. Please note that the LLC level designations are not the same on different boards. Level 1 on ASUS and ASRock is not the same thing.
- Then raise the multiplier (Ratio) and activate the Sync All Cores option (so that the multiplier applies to all cores). It is desirable to increase the frequency by 100 MHz at a time.
- As for the voltage (CPU Core Voltage), Intel recommends increasing it at a time by 5-10 mV. Above 1.35 V, you should not raise the voltage. 1.4-1.45 V is already a zone of serious risk. The higher the voltage, the hotter the processor will be. The maximum for Intel is 100 ° C.
- Save your changes, start your computer and turn on the stress test (this can be either a special application like Prime95, or a benchmark built into the game – for example, Metro: Exodus). Pass test? Go back to BIOS, add another 100 MHz at current voltage, repeat the procedure. And so – until you “grope” the ideal parameters. During the stress test, the CPU temperature should not exceed 85 ° C.
- If the computer does not start after saving the changes in the BIOS, then simply reset the BIOS settings: click on the Clear CMOS button on the motherboard, rearrange the jumper, or remove the battery (the PC, of course, will need to be disconnected from the network). Again set the frequency to which you are striving, but increase the voltage by 5-10 mV.
It is difficult to squeeze all the juices out of the chip and not get confused in the BIOS. But we warned about this at the very beginning of the article. However, you can cheat and activate the Multi-Core Enhancements function. The processor will stop monitoring power consumption, get very hot (prepare the CBO) and jump above Turbo Boost. Fans of doing everything manually are free to independently raise the Long Duration Package Power Limit and Short Duration Package Power Limit limits.
How to overclock AMD processors
Moving on to Ryzen. AMD processors are gaining momentum in games even without overclocking. This is facilitated by Precision Boost (similar to Turbo Boost) and Extended Frequency Range (XFR) technologies. The XFR kicks in if the processor hits the boost frequency but stays cold. Both technologies in version 2.0 (that is, with Ryzen 2000) are not limited by the number of cores, but gradually raise the frequencies across all cores. And yes, all Ryzen installed in motherboards with an X or B chipset are “friendly” with overclocking. Compared to Intel, the peak temperature for Ryzen is lower – 95 ° C.
Manual overclocking Ryzen is nothing new for you now. Turn off the C-States, select the LLC level, specify the multiplier. Pros recommend starting at 1.3V and, like Intel, not crossing the 1.4-1.45V line.
The Ryzen 3000, Threadripper 2000 and 3000 feature the Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) option. With it, the processor is able to operate at peak frequencies longer than usual.
- Enable PBO in BIOS by setting the value to Manual.
- Transfer the PBO Limits function to Manual too.
- Then you can personally register the values of PPT, TDC, EDC. These limits limit the maximum power consumption and current. Obviously, AMD puts forward certain power requirements for motherboard manufacturers. The situation is such that on many boards the power supply system will give a hundred points ahead of these requirements. Therefore, the PPT, TDC, EDC limits can be increased further – but here it is worth reading the specialized forums on your motherboard.
- The next step is the Precision Boost Overdrive Scalar setting. You have to go through all its values (each time you will need to exit the BIOS and run a stress test) and stop at the one that gives the greatest performance gain. As for the voltage, select not Fixed Mode, but Offset Mode and specify a positive or negative offset (plus or minus 5-10 mV) – the system will apply it to the current voltage.
- Finally, the Auto OC feature is addressed to Ryzen 3000 owners. In the Max CPU Boost Clock Override, add 25-200 MHz to the maximum frequency.
In tandem with PBO, you can raise the base bus frequency from 100 MHz to 101-102 MHz and thus gain additional megahertz, but we do not recommend doing this. Manipulations with BCLK will harm the stability of the system, for example, the work of RAM.
How to overclock a video card
Let’s describe the general overclocking scheme for NVIDIA and AMD video cards. Download free MSI Afterburner (actually for overclocking) and FurMark (stress test). FurMark contains an integrated GPU-Z monitoring utility. If MSI Afterburner does not suit you, please use the overclocking software from your graphics card manufacturer.
- In MSI Afterburner, you will see various indicators on the start screen: frequencies, temperature, voltage, a bunch of graphs. There are also sliders for Core Voltage, Power Limit, Temp Limit, Core Clock, Memory Clock, Fan Speed.
- Raise the power and temperature limits (Power Limit, Temp Limit) to the limit.
- We add 100 MHz to the memory frequency in one run. We are testing the system.
- After overclocking the memory, we start working on the chip. Here you have to shift 50 MHz at a time. After each step – a stress test. An important point: the temperature of an overclocked video card should not exceed 80 ° C.
It’s up to you to experiment with core voltage or not. We cannot ignore the following feature of AMD GPUs: they face both an increase in voltage and a decrease in voltage. This is called “undervolting” – you simultaneously reduce the maximum frequency and voltage. The video card under the undervolting becomes quieter, colder, more energy efficient. If you need increased performance with lower consumption, then study the issue more closely. AMD is known to have long-standing problems with excess TDP.
How to overclock RAM
Let’s get acquainted with overclocking of RAM on the example of DDR4. In the case of AMD Ryzen, the choice of motherboard does not matter, in the case of Intel, overclocking is supported by motherboards based on X and Z chipsets.
The main characteristics of the RAM: frequency, timings (for example, 19-19-19-40, see CPU-Z -> Memory or AIDA) and voltage. All three are displayed in the BIOS. Interestingly, the data may not match what is written on the package. To do justice, apply an XMP profile. XMP profile – overclocking from the manufacturer, activated in the BIOS. If not, painstaking manipulations with frequency and timings await you. It is advisable to fix the voltage (DRAM Voltage) at around 1.35 V and later do not touch it. Want to tinker with the voltage? Be aware that even 1.4 V is dangerous.
The scheme of actions is as follows: increase the RAM frequency (DRAM Frequency) by 100 MHz, turn on the stress test (AIDA will do – select “System stability test” -> Stress system memory), if successful, repeat. If the computer does not start, try increasing the voltage by 10 mV or raising the timings by 1–2 points. The lower the timings, the faster the memory functions. On overclocking sites, you can see what overclocking parameters were previously selected for your model, including the sub-timing values. Ryzen DRAM Calculator will also help with calculating sub-timings.
Overclocking is a delicate task that requires specific knowledge and experience. We hope we have removed the first (informational) barrier in front of you.
Although modern processors and video cards (see the latest generation of Intel Core, GeForce RTX) have a modest overclocking potential, leading hardware manufacturers hire professional overclockers and sponsor related competitions. The importance of the topic is confirmed by a bunch of specialized applications from chip makers and their partners: Intel Performance Maximizer, Radeon WattMan, Ryzen Master, and so on.
Overclocking has no less disadvantages than advantages. One side of the coin is an increase in performance, the other is strong heating, increased power consumption, and sagging stability. Do not try to overclock all elements of the PC at once and to the maximum. Take on one thing. And don’t forget to load the system with stress tests and games.
