Overclock Safely


  Overclocking is one of the reasons why many have taken an interest in computer hardware. Not only does it make a computer faster, it also has a thriving community of overclockers who compete worldwide for the highest benchmark score. The problem is though, that by running your hardware at higher frequencies than the ones specified by the manufacturer, you risk destroying your beloved cpu or gpu.

Steps

  1. Find out your stock motherboard settings and their limits. This way you will know what is considered dangerous for the lifespan of your hardware. Voltages, thermal limits and sensitive buses(e.g. PCI express) should be your primary concerns.
  2.  Read different guides with different settings. These should give you an idea of what to do and what to avoid. Read every warning carefully.
  3.  Make sure your components are properly cooled. High temperatures lead to component failures. Since overclocking increases heat output you must compensate for that by installing cooling devices such as heat pipe coolers or water cooling loops.
  4.   Increase voltages and frequencies in small conservative steps. You will know when to stop if you proceed like this as instability will be easier to notice and eliminate by going back to the previous safe setting.
  5. Know the location of the Clear Cmos button. This is the only way to reset the BIOS if your computer doesn't boot.
  6.   Stress test every overclock to see if it is issue free. Instability may be a hint of a hardware malfunction which will cause damage in the future. After setting the clock speed you want test for at least 24 hours.

Tips

  • Monitor temperatures using the readings in the BIOS. Inside windows, use programmes like Coretemp, Real temp and Hardware Monitor.
  • Search for guides about your motherboard. They are the best way to learn about special settings you won't find in general guides.
  • Don't panic if the computer doesn't boot!
  •  Overclockers often pass manufacturer limits for benchmarking. For 24/7 use this is not recommended though. Better safe than sorry.
  • Always overclock via the BIOS.
  • Stress test using Links, OCCT, Prime 95 or IBT.

Warnings

  • Don't change many settings in the BIOS simultaneously. This will only make troubleshooting harder as you won't know the origins of a potential problem.
  • If a value in your motherboard turns to red it means it is at critical levels. Make sure that you review those settings.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

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