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We talk about overclocking, explaining what this practice is, the components that are usually overclocked, and the main considerations regarding cooling for this practice.
We can find on the market a large number of hardware components for our computer or computer, according to our needs. Depending on how we are going to allocate our equipment to navigate and office automation, to play video games or to carry out heavy tasks, such as video rendering, we will need some components or others. It may be that our Intel or AMD processor, or perhaps our AMD or NVIDIA graphics card, do not perform enough after a while, but we do not necessarily have to change equipment, we can resort to overclocking.
WHAT IS OVERCLOCKING?
Overclocking is an English term, which would be translated as 'increased clock'. This practice consists of increasing the clock speed of an electronic component. Within computer hardware, overclocking is usually performed mainly on two components: the processing (CPU) and the graphics card (GPU).
Both the graphics card and the processor are capable of performing many tasks for each reflex cycle and the more powerful these are and the higher their frequency, the more work they can do. It is for this reason that the working frequencies are increased, to improve its performance. Logically, this practice has its counterparts, which we will see later.
OVERCLOCKING IN THE PROCESSOR
The processors are rated at a base frequency and a 'Boost' frequency. The base frequency is the one you will work at, if there is not a great workload or in other words, it is the one you will operate most of the time. The 'Boost' frequency of the processor is nothing more than an automatic overclocking that the processors themselves have configured, according to the tests carried out by the manufacturer. This increase in frequency allows the processor to perform work faster and more efficiently, without affecting the integrity of the processor, as the manufacturer sets the limits.
Modifying the frequency of a processor, defends to a greater extent the BIOS, a chip that motherboards carry. Not all BIOSes allow overclocking and not all processors allow free overclocking. Some processors only allow to increase the frequency, while the so-called 'unlocked' processors, such as the AMD Ryzen in general and the Intel Core K Series, also allow to increase the multiplier.
This practice is not 'free'. It should be taken into account that the increase in frequency leads to an increase in the processor voltage, which will consume more and also increase the heat generated by the processor, so we must bear in mind that we must install a higher quality heatsink .
OVERCLOCKING ON THE GRAPHIC CARD
Graphics cards also allow a good dose of overclocking, what's more, they are usually friendlier in this practice than processors. Here the GPU and memories are often overclocked to improve performance. The processor relies on the BIOS for overclocking, but overclocking a graphics card is much easier, as it can be done through software. The most popular and accurate are the MSI Afterburner and the ASUS GPU Tweak II, which allow OC to any graphics card on the market, regardless of whether they are from AMD or NVIDIA or from the final assembler.
Assemblers often offer graphics based on AMD and NVIDIA reference models, with better heatsinks and custom PCBs, some even coming with a special dose of overclocking. Typically, the top-of-the-range builder models usually offer powerful heatsinks and OC out of the box. These models still allow more OC, normally.
TEMPERATURE, A PROBLEM
Increasing the working frequencies of the components is not free. We must bear in mind that by increasing the frequency, the work is increased and this generates an increase in heat. To avoid problems, solutions have to be found in the market that are capable of dissipating all the heat.
Processors usually come with a stock heatsink, which is not designed to dissipate the heat of a possible overclocking, so it is not a good decision to use these heatsinks when we are going to perform OC. In this case, it is recommended to install heatsinks with great heat dissipation power or liquid cooling systems. Above all, liquid cooling heatsinks are recommended, which are much more efficient.
When it comes to graphics cards, more advanced dual-fan or even three-fan coolers allow a good margin for overclocking. We can also opt for special liquid cooling systems for graphics cards. Normally it is difficult to find liquid cooling systems of the All-in-One type or ready to install on the market, so blocks are usually used for custom liquid cooling systems.
EXTREME OVERCLOCKING
Average users can do a bit of overclocking their components, increasing them within a reasonable margin, which depends on the processor and the model, but normally around 10% with respect to the working frequencies, being a volume, which we could call , of security. There are users who are not enough with this and want to see that these processors are capable and take them to the limit, through extreme overclocking.
This practice is usually carried out by advanced users, with extensive technical knowledge. For this practice, special containers are installed, usually made of copper, which are installed directly on the processor. These are hollow internally and liquid nitrogen is often used to cool the processor to prevent burnout. Sometimes dry ice is also used, which is nothing more than solid blocks of CO2, usually in the form of small cylindrical bars.
This practice allows raising the frequency to very high, it is even possible to multiply the working frequency by three. It depends a lot on the component used and is a practice that users with basic knowledge cannot do, since very advanced knowledge is required for this practice. Other components also influence a lot, especially the motherboard, which will be the one that will power the processor.
DISADVANTAGES OF OVERCLOCKING
Logically, nothing is free in this life. Overclocking has its drawbacks, like everything else. We have commented that the first thing we have to bear in mind is to have a good cooling system, which will allow us to have a stable and quality overclocking. We must bear in mind that we should not go overboard, because the more we raise the working frequency, the more heat the processor will generate.
We must bear in mind that this practice causes the life of the processor to be cut, since we are making it work above the working frequency. It will not break after two days, simply, if a processor could last us five years and we overclock, it will last us four years, but we gain in performance. Normally, this practice is done after a couple of years, which is when an increase in performance is required, when new games and applications arrive on the market and more power is needed.
