Is Overclocking Worth It – Details: As a regular, you would be familiar with the term “overclocking,” maybe when buying a new rig or trying to improve your gaming device’s overall performance. Overclocking simply means improving or boosting a component of your PC to perform better than it used to. The main essence of overclocking is to increase clock speeds to get better performance.
Is overclocking worth it? The answer to this question depends on the component you boost. GPU and display overclocking is the best form and, thus, usually worth it. On the other hand, RAM overclocking is not worth it, but it is beneficial in some situations, especially if you have AMD APU.
CPU overclocking is the most expensive; it requires a motherboard and processor that supports overclocking and extra cooling. Experts do not advise CPU overclocking because it is costly and complicated.
What Is Overclocking?
Typically, there is a default speed at which your computer components are designed to work; when those components begin functioning at a higher rate than initially designed, it becomes risky. Overlocking means boosting your PC components to perform faster than the default one, meaning you are crossing a restriction.
Overclocking means you have increased the clock speeds of some of your PC components for better performance. It involves taking the clock speed of these components and increasing them over the limits. Note that the benefits of overclocking are never equal, even among similar PC components.
Also, the extra performance produced by overclocked components depends on the minute differences between each product. For starters, overclocking is not recommended, and you don’t necessarily need to do it.
PC Components That Can Be Overclocked
As you already know what overclocking is, you need to understand that not all PC components can be overclocked. Below are some components that can be overclocked and the grounds to overclock them.
1. The Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The processor is the most overclocked PC component, provided the manufacturer supports it. Not all processors support overclocking: Intel, for instance, does not allow overclocking as only its K and X versions are overclockable. Conversely, AMD allows overclocking, as you can overclock the Ryzen series and FX chips.
You may not necessarily perceive the benefits when you overclock other components, but with CPU overclocking, the performance improvement is always enormous, even by a whole GHz or more. Also, the CPU is the most expensive and complex to overclock, making it a difficult fit for newcomers.
2. Graphics Card (GPU)
GPUs are also overclockable, and most leading manufacturers support this process. GPUs are the easiest PC component to overclock, but there are some disadvantages;
- After overclocking the GPU, the performance improvement is not always huge.
- The result is not always predictable.
In overclocking, there is a term called “silicon lottery,” which explains that some components will always turn out better than others during the production stage (applicable to CPUs, too). As a result, these components can handle overclocking better than others; exceptional quality means extra capability for overclocking.
The issue with silicon lottery is that users can’t determine which components are better during production. For instance, you can buy the same GPU with your friend on the same day from the same brand, but it may handle overclocking better than yours. Despite the disadvantages mentioned, overclocking your GPU is easy.
3. RAM
Just like the CPU, overclocking your RAM is complex, and the benefits vary. Old RAM versions like DDR3 and DD2 do not show any substantial improvement in performance after the process, but new versions like DDR4 display some boosts. Also, with new RAM like DDR4, the improvement is not always noticeable in the speed of some applications.
There are situations where RAM overclocking is essential; an example is the AMD APUs. APUs have CPU + GPU on a single chip, sharing the same resources. A GPU has a RAM of its own, which is faster than DDR3 or 4 RAM, but it has to adapt to a slower desktop RAM with APU. In such a situation, it is crucial to overclock your RAM for better performance.
Read: Motherboard CPU Compatibility – A Guide
4. Monitor
In case you don’t know, you can overclock your monitor too. Overclocking a monitor means running at a higher refresh rate than initially marketed; this is typical with most high-refresh rate monitors. For clearer understanding, if you purchased a 75Hz BenQ monitor, the expected marketed rate is 75Hz at a lower resolution of 800✖600.
Product reviews predict the monitor can run at 1080p with a 75Hz overclock capability. Using the Nvidia or AMD control panel to overclock your monitor will make the process very easy. With this software, you can experiment with any resolution of your choice, and if it does not work, it will reset back to the last functioning refresh rate and resolution.
To be clear, you can only alter resolutions similar to the abovementioned scenario. It is impossible to push a 1080p monitor to 4000.
Benefits Of Overclocking
You might be wondering, “What is the advantage of overclocking some components of your PC?” Below are some reasons;
1. Outstanding Performance
Performance improvement is the main essence of overclocking, especially CPU and RAM overclocking in specific scenarios. GPU and display overclocking have minor advantages but are still worth it, especially when you need a little increase in performance to hit 60FPS while gaming.
2. Saving Financial Resources
This used to be a crucial advantage back in the day. However, it is logical to feel like you are saving money if you can squeeze out high performance from a cheap product, especially a CPU, instead of spending money on expensive ones. This logic has justification, especially for AMD Ryzen CPUs.
Ryzen 2600 and 2600X have several similarities, but the only notable difference is that 2600X comes with a superior factory clock. The 2600 can match 2600X performance through overclocking.
Disadvantages Of Overclocking
As stated earlier, experts do not recommend overclocking; you don’t have to do it unless it’s your last resort. Below are some advantages of overclocking;
1. Overheating
High temperature is the most common demerit of overclocking. Extra performance means excess power consumption, which will lead to high temperatures. To avoid this, you will need to install a better cooling system that will regulate your entire PC system or a better cooler for each component you are planning to overclock.
2. Reduced Lifespan
An unstable overclocking is known to reduce the lifespan of your components. A stable overclock running at 90°C is unlikely to decrease the lifespan of PC components. The wear and tear caused by stable overclocking are still manageable; it does not run at high temperatures and thus will not negatively affect the lifespan of the overclocked components.
You must be careful while overclocking your CPU and RAM to avoid burning them out. Find time to research before you overclock, then test overclock in incremental steps upward and downward and immediately start experiencing instabilities.
3. Instability
Irrespective of whether the overclocking is stable, instability will always be an issue. In its rare case, instability can cause the entire system or the overclock component to crash. As earlier stated, it happens once in a blue moon, but you should always prepare.
4. Extra Cost
CPU and RAM overclocking, apart from being complicated, are also very expensive. If you want to overclock a CPU or RAM, you will have to purchase a motherboard that supports overclocking. A motherboard that supports overclocking has an entry fee of $30-$50, while a CPU that allows overclocking costs between $50-$100 (Intel).
In addition to the expensive hardware you need for overclocking, you will also need to purchase a better cooling system, especially for your PC. Overclocking is worth every penny for high-end components, but contrary is the case when it comes to low-end components.
Read: M1 Vs. M2 Chip -Which Is Better?
Is Overclocking Worth It? Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are There Disadvantages To Overclocking?
Overclocking can help you squeeze extra performance from your components, but it also has disadvantages. Some downsides of overclocking include overheating, instability, reduced lifespan, and additional budget.
2. Will Overclocking Increase FPS?
One of the main essences of overclocking is to increase frames per second. However, the level of improvement you see after the process depends on the component you overclock. One thing is certain: overclocking will increase FPS.
3. What Is The Standard Duration Of Overclocking?
The components determine the time consumed by the overclocking process. The short version of overclocking involves downloading the required software and changing some settings. The extended version involves researching and investing in extra components before and after the process.
4. Things You Need To Overclock
Overclocking is a critical task, and to canary out the process without risk, there are some hardware components you need to put in place. They include an adequate cooling system, a second computer, CPU-Z, and stress testing software.
5. When Should You Overclock?
Overclocking has merits and demerits, so knowing when to carry out this process is important. Overclocking is essential when some of your PC components are old or not the latest version. Overclocking at this stage will yield the best result.
Final Words
If your hardware supports overclocking, you can give it a try. However, you must be careful, especially when overclocking components like RAM and CPU. Whether the process will be worth it depends on the component you are overclocking; display and GPU overclocking yields the best results, while RAM overlocking varies. CPU overclocking is expensive and tedious but is also worth it.