But does that mean you cant savor the sweet taste of OC?
Overclocking without getting bogged down in the BIOS is real.
And Im about to guide you through the journey step by step.
Lets begin, shall we?
Can You Overclock CPU Without BIOS?
you’re free to overclock your CPU without getting into the nitty-gritty of BIOS.
It is possible on bothIntelandAMDsystems, thanks to their proprietary softwareIntel Extreme Tuning Utility(XTU)andRyzen Master.
Though, you must ensure proper cooling of the processor to avoid damage.
You see, BIOS is the first word that comes to mind when anyone speaks of overclocking.
And it intimidates a great deal of users.
Besides, tweaking different tweaks without sound knowledge might end up damaging the CPU altogether.
For example, incorrect core voltage (Vcore) or VID can fry up the processor.
So, CPU tuning straight from the OS is an endearing and safe approach for a novice.
With that being said, overclocking from the BIOS is always stable and reliable.
Because bugs and glitches can plague the preset you choose and discard the performance benefit.
What Is CPU Overclocking?
You know, coreArchitectureand thenumber of cycles per seconddictate the performance of a CPU.
Which is also known asFrequencyorClock Speed.
So, increasing the cycles per second allows the CPU to do more work.
This is where the term Overclocking was born.
A bit too technical?
Ok, lets understand this with an analogy.
Imagine, you have a horse, that can pull 2 buggies at a time.
Now, with additional feeding, it is able to drag 4 buggies easily.
Ergo double the work with the additional cost of food.
Makes a lot of sense, right?
In the upcoming section, Ill walk you through the process of intuitive CPU overclocking.
How to Overclock CPU Without BIOS
Traditional way of hardcore overclocking will always involve BIOS.
But most of you, reading this article, will be more than comfortable with overclocking from your desktop.
Inspect and see to it your CPU meet them.
Only some specific chips have an unlocked multiplier.
Hence, they are calledUnlockedand denoted with the LetterK,HK.
Though, AMD typically has less OC headroom than Intel.
Ill get back to this later.
You need a motherboard chipset that supports OC, otherwise, a compatible CPU is just a waste.
Intel and AMD both offer different tiers of chipsets with diverse sets of features.
Unfortunately, Intel motherboards do not support overclocking across the board like AMD.
Interestingly, 12th gen non-K chips are overclockable on some B660 boards with specific BIOS versions.
Not to mention, it includes BIOS tuning.
So check that you have a compatible motherboard to carry out OC.
It doesnt matter how good your motherboard or CPU is unless you cankeep the temperature in check.
So, verify your cooler has enough headroom to handle the extra thermal output of the CPU.
Check the rated TDP of your processor and the cooler.
Validate that your cooler has a higher TDP rating than the CPU.
Which is also known as heat dissipation power, whether it be anAIOorAir Cooler.
In contrast to PC, laptop cooling is a bit tricky.
Thin and light laptops are a no-go due to their extremely slim build profile.
So that, it’s possible for you to squeeze out the last bit of performance.
Every processor has a mean value to determine the final clock speed.
it’s possible for you to consider it as a unit frequency.
In the PC industry, it is known as Base Clock, A.K.ABCLK.
For example, Intel and AMD both have a base clock of100MHz.
So, when you attempt OC, this will play a crucial part.
Dont worry if it sounds complicated now.
Itll all come to sense later on.
Already told you about multiplying numbers, remember?
Clock Speed = Base Clock x Clock Multipliers.
For example, 5.2GHz = 100Mhz x 52.
So, if you increase the core ratio, a clock speed bump is apparent.
Theres one important piece of information you must remember, base clock tampering makes the system unstable.
This is why I recommend you stick with the core ratio tweaking.
As you go ahead with OC, youll be doing extensive modification with CPU voltage.
Its the actual power that the CPU use to retain its maximum performance thresh hold.
So, a higher voltage is better, right?
As per basic physics, too much voltage will exert more heat and eventually end up burning the CPU.
Usually, processors come with a dynamic optimal voltage out of the box.
You should not go too high above that unless you have superior cooling.
This piece of software is specific to overclocking only unlocked Intel processors.
Launch it, and youll see a window with all the hardware information of your setup.
In my case, I have a13600KFpaired with anASUS Prime Z690-P DDR4motherboard.
Switch to theAdvanced Tuningtab from the left pane.
But dont get carried away, seeing all the different options.
Focus only on theCore VoltageandActive-Core Tuning.
Make sureProcessor Core IccMaxis set toUnlimited.
By this, youre, basically, lifting any power limit imposed on the CPU.
For overclocking, choose the button right next to theActive Coreand set your multiplier value.
Do the same thing forCore Voltage.
My recommendation is to increase the core ratio by0.25,0.5,or1, and the voltage to25or50 millivoltsfor each attempt.
Sometimes fraction numbers are unsupported by the software; increment the values by 1 in such cases.
For example, if your default multiplier is set tox49, raise it tox50and voltage from default to1.25V.
But from where should you start raising the voltage?
Then note it down.
And this is your starting point.
Remember, you must run a stress test after every increment or decrement of the values.
execute the tests for at least 10mins to ensure stability.
If you see any crash or error, go back to XTU and decrease the multiplier.
One important thing, you have to monitor temperature constantly.
Id say anything under 85 degrees is feasible.
Usually, high voltage is behind strong thermal output.
So checking the temp is a great sign for you to know when to stop.
Finally, save the prefs as a preset.
Apply it whenever you’re gonna wanna push your CPU to the limit.
Now, for my CPU, I started off with5.2 GHzand3.8 GHzonPandEcore frequencies at stock voltage.
Ran a 10minsCinebench R23loop and it passed the test.
Then I increased the voltage by 50 millivolts for a 100mhz increase in the clock speed.
It also passed the extremePrime 95stability test.
All tests I ran on an open-air test bench with a 280mm AIO.
This amazing overclocking utility is one of AMDs brilliance.
It makes OC highly intuitive and easy to execute for anyone.
Though, installation may fail due to .Net framework 3.5.
Just install it and then everything should work like a charm.
Launch Ryzen Master and go to theCreator Modefrom the left pane.
Except forDefault,other modes apply overclock on the CPU.
PBO and Auto mode do all the tuning automatically based on your silicon quality and cooling headroom.
To keep things simple, you’ve got the option to choose between PBO or Auto OC.
See, the manual OC process is exactly the same as doing it on Intel processors.
The only difference is the utility and UI.
Now, look at theCores Sectionand expand it.
Youll see the list ofCCDsand cores within them.
Just so you know, theStarmark on a core means it is the best core on that CCD.
ADotmark is an indicator of the second-best core.
So, these cores will boost higher than the other cores with proper voltage.
you’re able to even set a common frequency value for all cores.
Just below the core section, youll findPeak Core(s) Voltage.
Tweak it as per your stress test results.
Find the sweet spot for your processor that wield the balance between core clock, voltage, and temperature.
Remember, you must test the stability of the OC after each time you change any value.
Because this is the only way to validate whether the overclock is effective and ready to roll.
Also, check out ourextended CPU temperature guideto ensure the CPUs longevity.
One of the most common queries while overclocking is about the locked processors.
Yes, Im talking aboutIntel non-Kdesktop and low-powered laptop CPUs.
Sadly enough, you have no freedom over frequency and core voltage, as Ive shown you above.
This ensures the processor is delivering all it has and boost to the absolute max clocks.
But theres one caveatheat.
Eventually, you end up with no benefit.
In such cases, find the balance between cooling availability and power.
Run some tests and repeat the process until you are there.
Because of their design and form factor, AMD locked any clock and voltage modification.
Youll see its hovering somewhere around 30W.
Play games or other applications to see the difference.
Ive provided my results across different programs down below.
And let me tell you Im impressed.
Set it in places where I put 30.
Also, make a run at use a laptop cooler to get the best results.
Should You Overclock Your CPU?
Its very unlikely you want to upgrade the processor every couple of years, isnt it?
But is it worth all the hassle?
Well, with proper cooling, overclocking ensures you leave no performance off the table.
On the flip side, it does not always work out with flying colors.
Tinkering with the wrong prefs, you may present yourself with a dead CPU.
On top of that, some chips require a ridiculous amount of power to push a bit further.
Sometimes it is so bad that a marginal uplift in clock speed requires anywhere between 30-40% more power.
Ryzen 7000 series non-X chips are great examples of this.
On the team blue side, things are even more terrifying.
At stock, their latest and greatesti9 13900Kpulls roughly300Wfor all core workloads.
No, thats not the total system power, only the CPU!
Not to mention, you lose the product warranty.
Is Overclocking Safe?
Overclocking is mostly safe as long as you are within the safe limits.
By this, I mean, voltage and temperature should be within a risk-free threshold.
For CPU, anything under85Cand1.4Vis considered a risk-free zone.
Also, synchronized clock speed is a crucial factor.
Else your system might crash abruptly.
This will degrade the silicon, shortening its lifespan.
It failed within a month.
So, tweak everything appropriately, and your system should be snug by a long shot.
Ending Remarks
So, thats a wrap on this complete overclocking write-up without BIOS.
If you have read it through, you should feel confident to enter the world of OC.
Go ahead and play around with your own prefs.
Remember, you’re free to unlock much more power than you’re free to imagine.
