Overclocking Basics: What You Need to Know About Overclocking

As innovative beings, we are always finding new ways to efficiently use the technologies given to us, and nowadays, we are finding new ways to do it. Computers have been improving steadily throughout the years. Computer parts are getting much smaller and a lot faster when compared to before. Each newly released piece is also known to be more efficient than the previous models. But this isn’t enough for many of us.

We want to push certain parts to their limit. We want to push our computers beyond what they are capable of doing. One way we are forcing our computers to be more efficient is through a tech strategy known as overclocking.

What is Overclocking?

You might have heard of overclocking from your tech-savvy friend, but they haven’t gotten into explaining it to you entirely. Well, the easiest explanation of overclocking is forcing your computer to run beyond its given benchmark.

You see, various computers are held back because of different safety protocols. Many consumers certainly don’t want a PC that performs super-efficiently but only lasts for a few weeks. That’s not a good investment. This is why safety protocols are embedded within your computer parts so that they don’t end up destroying themselves from the inside.

When you overclock your computer, you’re technically lifting these safety protocols. Sounds dangerous, right? But not really. Given the right amount of knowledge, you can overclock your computer safely without jeopardizing its lifespan.

Why Overclock Your Computer?

Overclocking your computer can make it perform 20% faster on average. But there are many experts out there who can get more than just the average. However, the question still remains, why do you need that extra 20% performance speed?

For many people, overclocking is related to gaming. Do you have less-than-capable hardware to run a game at 4K resolution? No problem, overclock your system. But overclocking is not just related to gaming.

Many businesses also overclock some of their systems when the need arises. For example, animation companies might want to push the capabilities of some outdated hardware to get a project done. It can save them a decent amount of money until they get enough money to purchase a new rig for their employees.

A freelancer might want to overclock their PC because they want to edit videos and render them a lot faster. Overclocking is now related to many aspects of life, and it’s becoming a lot common among many PC and laptop users.

Basics of Overclocking

Technically, all computers have the capability of being overclocked. But not all of them can be done in a safe and proper manner. The basics of overclocking are getting the right parts for it and knowing the performance limit of your device.

Having the Right Parts

Not all computers or laptops are made to be overclocked. Most likely than not, you’re going to need a customized PC to overclock efficiently. Don’t worry, most of the things you need to overclock can be found online. You can build your rig with the help of a custom PC building website. Make sure you choose a reliable one and feel free to compare prices of overclocked PCs by checking various websites.

Get an SDD

Nowadays, most computers use an SDD to store files. If you still have an HDD, make sure to replace it with an SDD. This is because HDDs are known to “bottleneck” your entire setup. This essentially means that an old component can easily hinder your PC’s overclocked performance. In this case, the HDD. So make sure you replace it with an SDD.

Get an AMD Ryzen CPU

All AMD Ryzen series processors can be overclocked safely, and this should be your primary choice. However, if you’re more into Intel processors, you should look into parts labeled with a “K” or an “X.” These are the ones that are safe to overclock.

Cooling System

Lastly, you’re going to need a cooling system. The more advanced the setup, the more powerful the cooling system needs to be.

How to Overclock

Overclocking is a pretty simple process. First, restart your device. Once restarted, open your BIOS and look into something that’s labeled “CPU Clock Ratio” and “CPU Host Clock Control.” These labels can vary depending on the manufacturer, but they should be close to those labels. These settings are placed on “Auto,” and it’s up to you to change the overall clock speed.

You should only change it in small increments and stress-test your computer every time you change it. There are many apps you can download to stress-test. Some of these apps may come with your video card or processor, such as MSI Afterburner. Generally, it’s safe once your overall CPU performance has increased by more than 20%. We suggest you stay in that mark so that it won’t have too many lasting effects on your hardware.

These are just the basics of overclocking your computer. Once you’ve learned more about the various intricacies of such a process, you can start testing out new parts for overclocking to make your PC even more efficient.