What can overclock bring to your pc: advantages and disadvantages

Although it is not a particularly widespread practice among the wide spectrum of PC users; it is very likely that you have heard the term Overclock (OC) before. This refers to an activity focused on increasing the performance of some of the components that make up the team; Today we are going to explain what Overclocking is and what it can bring to our computer.

Index of contents

What is Overclocking

To understand the term "Overclock" it is necessary to know that the vast majority of our components are synchronized to an internal clock that sets the rhythm (pulses) at which these components work. Its speed is measured by cycles of change per second and we usually describe them in hertz (Hz). The higher these hertz the higher is the theoretical speed at which a specific component operates, such as a processor.

Overclock literally translates from English as "on the clock"; it is so since this practice focuses on increasing the operating rhythm of the internal clock of our components. Generally, above the manufacturer's specifications; from there the term itself is born.

Why do this practice?

The main reason why this practice is so widespread among advanced users is due to the possibility of improving the performance of the components they already have, without the need to modify them; There is also an enthusiastic community around the practice, always looking to scratch a few more hertz on the pieces of their equipment. In addition, the improvements in performance that we can obtain through overclocking are usually substantial; which is why it is such a required and documented practice.

It is sensible to say that it is not without its problems and limitations (some physical and others based on policy). Otherwise the overclock would be used by all and for all purposes before acquiring any new part. At the end of this text we will investigate some of these factors, as well as advantages to take into account to balance the balance.

To which components is this practice normally carried out?

When we have talked about the internal clock and how we modify it to achieve the desired overclock, we have mentioned that there are a large number of components to which we can apply this practice. Despite the veracity of these words, some of them stand out above the rest; Of all of them, the most popular are the following:

The Processor (CPU)

Without a doubt, the piece that most users think of when they hear the word "overclock". The processor is the centerpiece of all equipment and has been a participant in this practice since early times by users. A practice that is not to the liking of large manufacturers. Processor overclocking has huge effects on computer performance in some scenarios.

We recommend reading the best processors on the market

Currently overclocking in home processors is relatively limited to certain ranges and series. From AMD we have more freedom, with the multiplier unlocked in all its Ryzen processors and many compatible chipsets; unfortunately, these models usually do not have much room for improvement, or have time constraints . Intel makes things more difficult in this regard. First, only “ K-series ” processors have the clock multiplier unlocked, and we can only practice this activity on their higher-end chipsets.

Intel Bx80684I99900K Intel Core I9-9900K - Processor, 3.60Ghz, 16MB, LGA1151, High Quality Material Gray. 555, 40 EUR AMD Ryzen 9 3900X - Processor with fan Wraith Prism DT RYZEN 9 3900X 105W AM4 BOX WW PIB SR4; It is from the AMD brand; It is of great quality 482.98 EUR

Graphics card (GPU)

Another piece with a certain leading role in this practice is the graphics card and the parts that make it up. Performing an OC on this component is a common practice among players concerned with the performance of their team.

Tools like MSI Afterburner are in charge of performing OC on our cards in a relatively safe way.

The facilities when carrying out this practice make it relatively safe and popular with some users; Unfortunately, the OC to this component is limited, inconsistent, and does not usually involve a large change in performance. Most of the models assembled by manufacturers other than the developers of these GPUs usually apply a factory OC.

RAM memories

The OC to RAMs gained strength during the first generation of Ryzen processors; mainly due to the enormous dependence of these on the speeds of this piece. It is a component that directly intervenes in the general operation of our programs and the equipment itself, so its OC affects many clubs. Our board usually performs an OC to this component from the XMP profile, but we can modify these parameters on our own.

However, the process of overclocking our memories is tedious and the real performance that we can obtain from it, insufficient in most scenarios. It should be noted that products such as APUs, or the aforementioned first-generation Ryzen processors, do see this practice as a powerful ally.

The consequences of doing OC on our team

The multiplier of the clock that we modify to perform the OC on our equipment determines the number of electronic pulses that these components receive in each cycle. Increasing your rate usually means increasing the current that passes through transistors and circuits; an event that unequivocally leads to an increase in voltages (reached a certain point). That is, there is a limit to what we can increase performance through the OC in each part before having to increase the voltage.

WE RECOMMEND YOU QWERTY keyboard history

There are manufacturer-imposed limits on these voltages; Increasing these levels excessively ends up damaging the components involved. Furthermore, increasing the voltages always leads to an increase in the residual heat that all the electronic components give off; reason why the heat can get to be a factor to consider very much.

A few final words: do this practice or not

Regardless of its consequences, overclocking is an interesting practice with a long history within the computing sector. Its benefits have almost as much weight as its possible drawbacks; they usually set the tone that determines whether or not a user is willing to carry out an OC on their computer. By way of conclusion, we list those that, for us, are the most notable:

Most striking advantages of overclocking

Undoubtedly, the possibility of obtaining greater performance from the parts we already have is the great attraction of the OC. Obtaining better performance in situations that our factory components would not be able to cope with is a huge draw.

Outside of this, the history of this medium has shown us that it is possible to keep certain pieces as relevant through time thanks to this practice; A good example of this could be Intel's Sandy-Bridge or Haswell processors, which still populate many functional teams even today.

Most notable disadvantages of overclocking

As we have already dropped in one of our previous paragraphs, the OC is not an infinite source of performance. Its practice involves changes in certain sensitive parameters for our equipment, with consequences that manifest themselves in the form of heat, consumption, and instability.

WE RECOMMEND YOUHow to mount the RAM

It is very important to be able to face both to perform a satisfactory overclock ; and despite this, we must keep in mind that we will not get rid of consequences such as the greater wear of the pieces of our equipment. In addition, on some platforms, having the possibility of doing this practice involves paying an extra when it comes to getting our components.