Written by Vasilis Zafiridis

Overclocking a CPU is, in general, a process for the speed increase in which it is running. It has always been an area for the nerds of the PC, but with the passing of time, manufacturers have now made the process much simpler. Overclocking can significantly improve the performance of your computer, but it may also be harmful if It hasn't done correctly.  But if you want to maximize your computer's performance, then overclocking the processor is the only way. Essentially, you increase the speed of the CPU and check the stability of your computer. You must ensure that the temperature doesn't rise too much every time you increase the speed. If so, then the performance becomes unstable. To learn how to make your overclocking the processor, follow these steps:

First Part

1. Understand the basics of overclocking.

Overclocking is a CPU speed and voltage increase process in which you improve its performance. It's a great way to get the best from a powerful processor or unlock a little more power from  an old or inexpensive PC. But be careful! Overclocking can damage hardware, if it's not done correctly or if you do not take some things into consideration such as the quality of the components you have on your PC. Do you also know that overclocking is greatly affected by small variations in the manufacturing process. Your expectations should therefore be in line with the material you have. If you want to increase performance in video games, you should consider to make overclocking your graphics card. You will mostly see better results. Laptops are not good candidates for overclocking, because the cooling capacity of the CPU is limited. You will have much better results on the performance, on a desktop computer, where you can control the temperature better.

2. Download the necessary tools.

You will need a few benchmarking programs and stress testing tools to test accurately the results of your overclocking. These programs are designed to control your CPU performance, and the ability to maintain this performance over time. Thus we have:

CPU-Z - It's a simple monitoring program that will allow you to see the speed and voltage in Windows. This does not perform actions, but help ensure proper operation.

Prime95 - It is a free benchmarking program widely used to control stress. It is designed to operate for long periods.

LinX - Another stress testing program. It is lighter than Prime95, and is good for testing between each change you make.

3. Check your motherboard and processor.

Different motherboards and CPUs have different capabilities when it comes to overclocking. There are also minor differences in the case of overclocking AMD compared with Intel , but the overall process is the same. The most important thing you should know is whether or not your multiplier is unlocked. If the multiplier is locked, then you won't  have so much autonomy in the settings. Many are designed for overclocking, and thus you can get full access to overclocking settings. Also some motherboards are designed for overclocking, more than others. For example, the "K" series of Intel i7s is specifically designed to be overclocked (e.g. Intel i7-2700K). You can find your CPU model by pressing Win + Pause.

4. Perform a basic stress test.

Before you start overclocking, you must perform a stress test . This will give you a basis to consider some things as you start overclocking, and will also show you if there are any problems with the settings you selected. Essentially it helps to prevent unpleasant situations.  Be sure to check the levels of temperature during the test. If the temperature is above 70 ° C (158 ° F), your system may not be able to get much from overclocking. You may need to install a new cooling system. It is therefore an issue that must be addressed before you start overclocking. Check your memory to see if there are any mistakes. 

Second Part 

Increase of  Base Clock 

1. Open BIOS.

You can access BIOS by pressing the Del key while the computer is starting up. Other possible configuration keys are F10, F2, and F12. Each BIOS is different, so the menu may vary from system to system. Do not be afraid to search for the system menu to find what you need .

2. Open ''Frequency/Voltage Control''.

This menu may have a different name, such as "Overclocking". This is the menu that you spend most of your time, as it'll  allow you to adjust the speed of the CPU, and the voltage received.

3. Reduce memory bus speed.

To prevent memory errors, you should reduce speed before you continue. This can be referred to as "Memory Multiplier", "DDR Memory Frequency" or "Memory Ratio". Lower it to the lowest possible setting. If you can not find options,  try pressing Ctrl + Alt + F1 keys in BIOS main menu.

4. Increase Base Clock 10%.

Base Clock is the basic speed of your processor. It is usually the slowest speed multiplied to reach the overall speed of the core. Most processors can handle a fast jump 10% during the initiation. For example, if the Base Clock is clocked at 100 MHz , and the multiplier is 16, then the overall speed Clock is 1,6 GHz. With the increase of 10% would change the Base Clock to 110 MHz, and the speed of the 1,76 GHz.

5. Run a stress test.

When you run this, restart the computer and start your operating system. Start your Linx and run sometimes. If there are no problems, you are ready to proceed. If your system is unstable,  you may not be able to accept the overclock, and you need to restore your settings .

6. Increase Base Clock until your system becomes stable. 

Rather than increase the speed by 10% each time, it would be preferable to increase the speed by 5-10 MHz at a time. This will allow you to find a " sweet" spot very easily. Perform benchmark every time you make a change to be reached in an unstable state. The instability probably is caused if the processor isn't receiving enough voltage. Be sure to record each of your settings in case you want to return to them later. 

Third Part

Increasing the multiplier

1. Lower the Clock Base.

Before you start increasing your multiplier, you should decrease the Clock Base. This will help multiplier's increase become more accurate. Using a lower speed in the Clock Base, and a higher in the multiplier you will have a more stable system, but a higher speed in the Clock Base and a lower in  the multiplier will lead to greater efficiency. Your aim is to find the perfect balance.

2. Increase the multiplier.

When you lower  a little the Clock Base, start increasing the multiplier of 0.5. The multiplier can be referred to as "CPU Ratio" or something similar. Can be set to "Auto" instead of a number when you first meet .

3. Run a stress test.

Restart your computer and run the benchmark program. If your computer does not address any errors after a few runs through the program, you 'll be able to raise again the multiplier. Repeat this procedure every time you make a raise.

4. Check your temperatures.

Make sure you pay close attention to the levels of the temperature during this process. You can reach a maximum temperature before your system becomes unstable. If so, then you 've reached the limit your overclocking. At this point, you should find a better balance between the rise of the Clock Base and  the increase the multiplier. Although every CPU has a differend safe temperature range, the general rule is to not allow your CPU to reach the 85 ° C (185 ° F).

5. Repeat until your computer starts lagging.

You now have these settings that barely the performance of your computer does not become unstable. As long as the temperatures are still within safe limits, you can start setting up the voltage levels to allow for further increases.

Fourth Part

Increase power

1. Increase the  voltage of the CPU cores.

This can be referred to as « Vcore Voltage ". The voltage increase beyond safe limits can quickly damage your equipment, thus making it the most demanding and dangerous part of the overclocking process. Each CPU and each motherboard can handle different increase of  the voltage, so you need to give extra attention to the temperature. When you increase the voltage of your kernel to increase by 0.025 each. Greater surge can cause damage. 

2. Run a stress test.

After the first rise, run a stress test. If your system is stable, verify that temperatures are still at an acceptable level. If the system is still unstable, try reducing either the multiplier or the speed of the Base Clock.

3. Return to Clock Base sector or the multiplier sector.

Once you manage to make your system stable by increasing the voltage, you can then increase or the Clock Base, or multiplier. Increase in small doses, run the Simulator test until the system becomes unstable again. Once the settings of the voltage increase the temperature, your goal should be to maximize the settings of the Clock Base and multiplier to get the best performance with the lowest possible voltage. This requires a lot of tests and errors as you try different combinations.

4. Repeat the cycle until the maximum voltage or maximum temperature.

Eventually you will reach a point where you can not make the slightest increase or the temperature will approache dangerous levels. This is the limit of the motherboard and the processor, it is possible that you will not be able to advance another. Generally, you should not increase the voltage more than 0.4 compare to the original level of 0.2 using the main cooling system. If you reach the maximum temperature, before reaching the maximum voltage, then you can add additional increases through upgrading your computer's cooling system. You can install a more powerful heatsink or choose a more expensive solution but much more efficient, using coolant.

Fifth Part

Final stress simulator

1. Return now to the last safe settings.

Lower the Clock Base or the multiplier to the latest settings. This is the new speed of your processor, and if you're lucky , will be considerably higher than it was before. If everything is fine, then you're ready to start your final test.

2.Increase memory speed.

Increase the speed of memory to baseline. Do this slowly, as the simulator tests carries out the procedure. You may not be able to increase the memory to baseline levels. Use the Memtest86 to perform memory test and create frequent backups.

3. Run a repeated stress test.

Open Prime95 and run for 12 hours. It may seems like a long time, but your goal is to ensure complete system stability over long periods of time. This will lead to better and more reliable performance. If your system becomes unstable during this test or have temperature increase to unacceptable levels, you must go back and readjust the speed of Clock Base, your multiplier, and voltage. When you open the Prime95, select "Just Stress Testing". Click Options → Torture Test and set it to "Small FFT". Temperatures are usually normal, since Prime95 pushes the computer more at the edges than any other program. You may even want to create copies of your overclock. The temperature should not exceed 60 ° C (140 ° F). 

4. Do some tests in real conditions. 

While your guarantee that your system's  stress testing programs are stable, you might want to try it in real conditions. If you're a gamer, you start playing the most demanding games you have. If you encode videos, try to encode a Bluray. Make sure that everything works as it should.