Overclocking is the process of increasing the performance of existing graphics cards without spending any money on new graphics cards. Before we dig deep into this topic, let’s analyze when we need to overclock the GPU. Your PC’s performance is the simple answer to these questions.
Upgrade your GPU if you experience lags while playing your favorite games or rendering graphics takes longer. However, upgrading costs a lot of money, which is a limiting factor for many users. If you don’t want to spend lots of money on an upgrade, overclocking is your best option. We will show you how to overclock the GPU in this article.
What is GPU overclocking?
Firstly, you need to understand what clock speed is, and how it relates to GPU performance. Take the example of a CPU that operates at a fixed speed. To make things more clear for beginners, let us take an example of a car engine with a fixed horsepower that determines the performance of the car.
Graphics cards also work at a limited speed called clock speed. The higher the clock speed of a GPU, the better the performance. Overclocking increases the graphics card’s clock speed and performance, unlocks the GPU’s hidden potential, and enables faster playback of games. Overclocking is now supported by the manufactures and can be done with just software, but we will cover that later in the article.
Do You Need Overclocking the GPU?
GPU overclocking is similar to the It includes lots of testing, repeating the procedure till optimum performance, and monitoring the process to get the desired clock speed.
Although overclocking is somewhat time-consuming, it is worth investing time rather than spending huge money on the . Overclocking gives improved frame rates and smoother gameplay. Overall the overclocking process is not that complicated. It requires only time and patience to manage things and follow instructions to achieve the desired results.
If you are concerned and have doubts in mind that “Whether I should overclock the GPU?” or “Does overclocking GPU increase the gaming experience?” To answer these queries, imagine that you are playing a first-person shooter competitive game online. Suddenly you got a lag, and it’s over for you as enemies were ahead of you in speed. That is the moment when you begged for an extra moment that would produce different results. But lags took that from you.
Things work differently for you with overclocked GPU as there are no lags, and you are ahead of your enemy in terms of no lags. This performance boost makes the difference and raises a desire to have an overclocked GPU for maximum performance out of your old graphics card.
But there are downsides of overclocking, which we will discuss later in the article. These include and effect on the lifespan of the GPU. But these issues are not of concern when gaming is at stake?.
Choosing the Overclocking Software
Several overclocking software solutions are available on the market. These are all good softwares for getting the job done. It was common for companies not to make their own clocking software in the past. Today, every GPU manufacturer has its own overclocking software. We have listed some popular software that will help you succeed in your job.
1. NVIDIA Inspector:

Other NVIDIA card users can skip this step since this software is only for NVIDIA cards. NVIDIA Inspector gives live hardware information about the card and monitors its overclocking parameters (fan speed, clock speed, and temperature). The process of overclocking increases the GPU speed, fan speed, and operating voltage of the GPU. It is an efficient tool that monitors and sets overclocking parameters.
2. EVGA Precision X:

If you are looking for software that can do the job while keeping your involvement to a minimum, then EVGA Precision X is an excellent choice. This software can be customized in a variety of ways. Up to 10 custom profiles can be created. With these profiles, you can keep individual settings for your GPU, clock speed, memory, and other options. Software is developed with customizations and overclocking in mind. Unlike the NVIDIA Inspector tool, however, this free utility only supports NVIDIA cards.
AMD Overdrive:

Overdrive is an excellent tool for AMD-based systems. Similar to ASUS GPU Tweak II, it offers more than just GPU overclocking. With the help of this program, we can also monitor fan speed and RAM speed, and we can adjust them accordingly. When AMD developed this utility, it kept ease of use in mind so that even beginners could use it. A built-in system monitor monitors the vitals and provides recommendations based on those values. AMD no longer supports or provides this tool for download. Consider upgrading to an AMD RyzenTM Processor for overclocking* via AMD RyzenTM Master.
3DMark:

As we mentioned above, it is not a very useful utility. 3DMark is enough for some people to get hardware information for overclocking. A benchmarking tool that tests the graphics card’s stability and performance and generates a report.
GPU-Z:

GPU-Z is a great free utility that provides detailed information about hardware. It provides insights into overall system vitals, including the graphics card, CPU, temperature, fan speed, and clock speed. Graphics cards from Intel, NVIDIA, AMD, ATI, and ASUS are supported. Regardless of the system or graphics card you use, it works seamlessly.
Things you need to overclock your GPU
In comparison with purchasing a new graphics card, overclocking is very easy and cost-effective. To overclock any GPU, you only need patience and the right knowledge. Make sure that your PC is capable of handling any task and can sustain its ground with the overclocked GPU. The tool required to overclock the GPU has already been discussed, now let’s explore how to implement them.
1. An overclocking tool
There are many tools available on the market that can help you overclock in the right way. MSI Afterburner, for example, is a very easy-to-use program. It contains all the vital information about the existing system. Check the stats again after overclocking and overclock according to the level required. On its website, there is a beta program channel for this utility. Beta channels are used to add support for new architecture like NVIDIA’s Turning Architecture.
2. A Stress-test/Benchmark Utility
Stress tests are used to determine the GPU’s overclocking potential. Overclocking increases the stress on the PC by maximizing its potential in such a situation, so stress utilities are terrific for testing the potential and consequences.
Furmark: It pushes the graphics card to its limit for testing in the stress test.
3DMark: It is classic benchmarking software that gives real-time benchmark progress and checks the PC components’ potential.
3. A Little patience – bigger reward
The act of overclocking is not difficult, but finding the perfect combination of performance, compatibility, temperature, and endurance is. Overclocking your PC may only take a few minutes, but finding system stability may take longer.
If, for instance, you have achieved perfect overclocking for your gaming needs. However, the game crashes during the test run. To achieve a sustainable performance level, you need to reanalyze the values and tune the overclocking to a lower level.
Is Overclocking Safe? A Big Question!
Overclocking in the old days wasn’t as good as it is now. If you overclock your system incorrectly, you may end up with a burning system. These days, overclocking is straightforward without fear of igniting your build. These days, the worst that can happen is a freeze, a crash, or a black screen. You can easily fix them by lowering the overclock values and returning to a normal state.
Overclocked GPUs have a shorter lifespan, according to some theories. A graphics card’s lifespan can be shortened by pushing it to its limits and getting the maximum performance it can offer. From observing users’ experiences, however, we learn that GPUs are healthy even after overclocking for one year.
Guidelines for Overclocking GPU:

Following proper guidelines for overclocking always gives good results, but if you don’t follow them properly, you’ll end up with crashes and reboots. As a result, we have listed a few things to consider when overclocking.
- Avoid auto-overclocking: Do not let your GPU overclock all the time. Use overclocking instead since it puts stress on the GPU. According to our experience, overclocking profiles should only be used in demanding games and applications, and profiles should be created using the MSI Afterburners profile system. For use later when playing the game, assign the profile a number or specific letter.
- The overclocked system should be cooled properly to avoid overheating. When using overclocked GPUs, air cooling or water-based custom coolers are best. Monitor the GPU temperature for any increase beyond what is normal. Check out the optimal temperature for your GPU while gaming.
- When it comes to an outdated graphics card, it’s better to invest than overclock: Even overclocking won’t increase the performance. If overclocking it to 10-20% doesn’t improve performance, it’s time to upgrade to a better card. If you are looking to buy a new graphics card, don’t forget to check out the list of best RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 graphics cards.
FAQs
Can’t I just google the overclock numbers for my graphics card and skip all that?
The same numbers can be used for a graphics card, but there is a technical problem related to this. We know that hundreds of people use GPUs with the same specs and quality, but they still differ in their overclocking. There is a manufacturing difference that all of the users experience.
At the microscopic level, the GPUs may look the same, but they are different. In other words, they perform the same but have a few figure difference in performance. The difference in material quality and some minor manufacturing details are the main causes of the chip lottery.
Can We Overclock a Laptop?
PC graphics cards are not the only devices that can be overclocked. These days, most laptops come with mobile GPUs. Their performance is limited and they are designed to conserve energy. The mobile GPUs in laptops can be overclocked to improve rendering performance and frame rate.
Overclocking laptop GPUs has a downside. How to Buy the Best Gaming Laptop? GPUs that are overclocked generate more heat and require proper ventilation and cooling that are lacking in laptops due to their compact design. Thus, overclocking the laptop’s GPUs results in overheating and more power consumption, draining the battery quickly.
This article is about overclocking, its scope, effects, and mistakes made during the process. We hope you have a great time reading, and that the information in the article will help you achieve overclocking in just a few minutes. In case of confusion during overclocking, please let us know in the comments section.
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