If you find that you've reached the max recommended voltage level, you should drop your CPU multiplier to closer match the performance limits of your system. This will usually take care of the freezing issue. If you've got room to increase your voltage safely, do so. Complete an internet search for " + safe voltage" to find the recommended voltage limit for your chip. You've likely set your multiplier higher than your voltage can handle. Here are a few common overclocking issues and how you can overcome them.
Once you've saved your settings, you're all set! You know how to overclock a CPU.Ĭommon Overclocking Issue and How to Fix ThemĬPU overclocking isn't without issue or risk. You can increase it further from here to raise the CPU multiplier range available to you.īy gradually increasing your CPU multiplier and CPU voltage, you'll find the maximum performance your machine is capable of. It's typically set to Auto or 1.25, so try setting it to 1.4 first and see if things run smoothly. Related: Common Mistakes That'll Damage or Ruin Your MotherboardĪs with the core multiplier, raise this number slowly. This is titled CPU Voltage, CPU Core Voltage, CPU Vcore, CPU VCCIN, or a slight variation of these on your BIOS menu. Increasing the multiplier is only the first step. Run another benchmark to check CPU performance and stability, then head to the next section. Save the new settings and restart your PC. In this, you must be meticulous with only raising the multiplier in very small increments and testing your system between increases for heat generation and stability. The more core multipliers you raise, the more heat your machine will produce. The higher you raise it, the hotter your machine will become, causing instability and possible damage to the parts at extreme temperatures.Īfter raising one core's speed, you can attempt to raise other cores as well. Raise this multiplier in small iterations. This affects your PC's base internal clock speed (usually set at 100MHz) multiply this internal clock speed by the CPU multiplier to measure overall clock speed (100 x 38 = 3.8GHz). It's almost always better to set your own levels.įirst, let's adjust the CPU multiplier (or CPU Ratio). Automatic overclocking (or OC Level, Game Boost) typically doesn't add much in the way of performance. Some boards have options for automatic overclocking. Every motherboard is slightly different, so be on the lookout for what yours prompts you to press. You can do this by restarting your computer and pushing the indicated button (usually F2, F10, or F11). You'll need to access your computer's BIOS menu to overclock your CPU.
This can become tedious after a while-be patient! The free CPU gains are worth the time you put in.
Please note that this process will require you to restart your PC several times. You've got your preliminary stats and you're ready to learn how to overclock your PC-let's get started. Monitor the results on the Statistics tab and Save them if you wish.
Let Aida64 run the tests, then press Stop. In the top left, untick all options other than Stress CPU.Ĭlick Start at the bottom left. Here's how to run a CPU stress test using Aida64 Extreme:Ĭlick the graph icon which reads System Stability Test when you hover over it.
We'll be using Aida64 Extreme to stress test our CPU in this example (it costs $34.99 a month, but you can use a 30-day free trial to fulfill your overclocking needs), though there are plenty of free apps available that do the same thing. For best results, close all background applications (including Google Chrome, Skype, etc.). Set aside one to three hours to run the tests while you're not at the computer.
Related: How to Check the CPU Temperature on Your PC Running a CPU Stress Test Take note of the current temperature.Ī healthy idle processor temp is anything under 50☌ (122☏), and ideally under 80☌ (176☏) during intensive activities such as gaming, video editing, etc. Core Temp is one such free tool for tracking processor temperature (heads up, be sure to uncheck the ad installation during setup).
You can monitor your CPU's temperature with any number of third-party apps or proprietary software. We'll get this reading by running stress tests (benchmarks) to measure CPU load, temperature, and more. You should get an accurate reading of your CPU's base performance before we overclock it this way we can determine if it's healthy enough. Measure the Performance of Your Current CPU