There is a proverb-high risk, high gain.
For overclocking a CPU, its the same.
You put the processor on the line, & gain an extra boost in performance.
But is the stake always fruitful?
How much further the chip can go without breaking?
In this article, I will explain the side effects of overclocking CPU & how to handle it.
What is Overclocking & Should You OC the CPU?
Modern CPUs are so fast.
On a CPU spec sheet, you will notice that the processor has a clock frequency like-3.2GHz.
That frequency value is responsible for completing calculations in a second.
By overclockingyou increase the clock speed, completing theCPU cycleto process data faster.
Thats where the concern begins when overclocking.
This brings up a question,should you overclock a CPU?
Though these processors are already overclocked to high frequency, its still achievable to surpass that.
The answer totally relies on the games & other usage cases of the PC.
frameratestable of 4GHz vs. overclocked to 5GHz processors impact on some games.
For the benchmark, i7-8700K, RTX 2080 & DDR4-3000 RAM were used.
The gamers who play graphically demanding games that look great at max configs, need high-spec parts.
Because the games attempt to utilize the full potential of all the components.
But its not practical to grab all high-end parts for everyone.
For this reason, a cheap & fast solution is overclocking the CPU & GPU.
Aside from gaming, CPU-intensive worksencoding,rendering,3D modeling, etc.
will also benefit from CPU overclocking.
As already said, to OC the chip entirely depends on you.
But to avail of the gain, you have toidentify if your CPU is overclockedor not.
What Risks Come With Overclocking a CPU?
But that doesnt mean there is no risk.
All parts have a lifespan, the same for the processor.
Extreme overclocking, like using1.4V+ Vcorecan push the CPU to consume a lot of power.
That being said, with the extreme OC process,can overclocking break a CPU?
As already mentioned, the processor can shut down at critical temp.
ButYES, there is a possibility of getting the CPU damaged in the overclocking process forovervolting&overheating.
Despite the extra voltage, the higher temp can damage a CPU if there is not an adequate cooler.
Here are the vulnerabilities that come with CPU Overclocking:
1.
Shortened Lifespan
The main side effect of overclocking CPU is, it reduces the life expectancy.
The transistors have a typical lifetime.
But with the overclocking, extra heat accelerates the process.
The degradation rate is not specific & depends on the aggressiveness of overclocking.
By aggressive means, how much further you are willing to push the chip to attain your desired frequency?
Will you initiate the chip at high voltage for another 100MHz?
Based on this, light overclocking can prolong life a bit more than hardcore overclocking.
Continuous usage of extremeOC can reduce CPU lifespanconsiderably.
Damage for Critical Temp
Due to the overclocking, transistors work way faster & produce more heat.
Without a sufficient cooling system, the temp rises inside the casing.
Due to overheating, it raises a question-can a CPU get friedfor OCing?
Well, it depends on many factors such as overvolting, faulty CPU, bad PSU, etc.
Stutterfest
The CPU needs a proper voltage for a certain frequency.
If the clock speed & voltage are mismatched, it will be unstable.
As a result, you might face stuttering due to overclocking, framerate drops, system crashes, etc.
This is why its crucial totest the stability of overclocking.
For that reason, finding a sweet value for the voltage is necessary.
After knowing the risk, dont you want to avoid it?
Well, read along to know more about it.
How Can You Prevent Damage from Overclocking?
good idea to OC the chip through BIOS.
So, before overclocking, you should take some precautions to avoid it.
This ensures everything is running smoothly.
With insufficient coolers & high voltages, there is a high risk of breaking your processor.
The misconfiguration parameters for your OC will lead to instability & crash.
If the CPU fails to shut down at critical temps, it can even get fried.
Which Is Better for Overclocking: Air or Liquid Cooling?
A liquid-cooling system is more efficient for overclocking.
But air coolers are also capable of handling OC.
That being said, liquid cooling requires some maintenance, which is time-consuming & risky.
However, air cooler maintenance is relatively easy & doesnt take much of your time.
What is CPU thermal throttling?
This is called thermal throttling.
Final Thought
With overclocking, you are trying to surpass the chips limit.
So without proper measures, there should be troubles that can ruin your rig.
