Today we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about GPU….. overclocking and more importantly, how to do it, in addition to a brief explanation of what it is and how it works. All questions about GPU overclocking should have been answered in this article, but if you still have questions, feel free to comment below.

(If you’re reading this article and for some reason don’t have a GPU yet, check out our overview of the best graphics cards).

What is overclocking?

First, let’s define overclocking for the uninitiated.

The effective speed of a hardware component can be measured in several ways. For processors, specifically CPUs and GPUs (yes, a GPU is a type of processor), this is measured in megahertz and is called the clock speed.

Early processors could only deliver a few hundred megahertz, but in recent years we’ve seen processors deliver up to 4 gigahertz, and GPUs are also starting to deliver 2 gigahertz, at least in the high-end segment. Although these technologies differ in many ways, they are both measured in megahertz (MHz), and increasing this number above the standard is called overclocking.

You can read our guide to overclocking here.

The principle of overclocking is to increase the performance of your component by increasing its clock speed. However, there are problems related to higher temperatures, higher power consumption, system instability and, in severe cases, system damage. Well done, overclocking is harmless, especially for your GPU….. If you don’t do it right, you can permanently damage your system.

If you want to know more about overclocking your PC and whether it’s worth it, click here to read our article on the subject.

If you’re convinced you want to go further, go ahead and let us show you how to use the GPU Overclocker.

GPU overclocking requirements

Before we start overclocking, we need to make sure that you know what you’re dealing with (i.e. the specifications of your PC) and that everything is in order.

Define your specifications

Download and install the specification. Speccy shows a list of your exact specifications, including the most important: of your GPU. You can’t even overclock your GPU if you don’t even know what card you’re using!

Fortunately for me, Speccy reports that my GPU is an Nvidia GTX 760. However, if you’re not as lucky, you can get similar results with the AMD RX 500 series. That may be technically correct, but it doesn’t limit you to the one GPU you’re using. Fortunately, you will always get the name of your GPU manufacturer, so you can see which GPU you are using in the following section…..

Driver update

It’s time to update your drivers! If you saw AMD, Radeon or RX/R9/R7/R3 under Graphics in Speccy, it’s time to move on to the Radeon Software section. If you see Nvidia, GeForce, GTX or RTX listed under Graphics, go to GeForce Experience.

GeForce Experience (Nvidia)

Download and install GeForce Experience from the link above. Once you open it, it should automatically update the drivers for you.

If you are trying to overclock your Nvidia GPU and haven’t gotten an accurate result before, this will also help you identify the exact graphics card you are using. In my GeForce Experience window, I have z. B. this:

This is exactly what I would need if I were to get a fuzzy result like the GTX 700 series. As long as GeForce Experience can detect your GPU, you should be able to navigate to Install Overclocker.

Radeon software (AMD)

If you are using an AMD graphics processor, follow the link above to download the Radeon software for your system. Once you open it, your drivers will be updated automatically (if they are not up-to-date).

Just like in GeForce Experience, you will see the specification list and the exact GPU (among other things). For a more detailed look at where to find your specific GPU, check out AMD’s guide on the subject.

Once you know which GPU you are using, proceed to the next section.

Installing GPU overclocking software

Now comes the fun part: choosing an overclock program!

For simplicity and cross-compatibility, we will use MSI Afterburner. However, if you use one of the other utilities, you should be able to keep up. Don’t worry, none of the programs below should affect the quality of your overclocking. Usually it’s the little things, like visual differences.

Afterburner MSI (all)

We switch to MSI Afterburner because it is the industry standard and is compatible with all GPUs – AMD or Nvidia – even if MSI is not the manufacturer. However, it does offer some additional features for the MSI GPU. So, if you want to get the most out of MSI’s GPU, choose this model. In the following sections, we will take a closer look at how to use MSI Afterburner.

EVGA PrecisionX (Nvidia)

EVGA PrecisionX is only compatible with Nvidia GPUs and, like Afterburner, has some additional features designed specifically for EVGA GPU manufacturers. Unless you are using an EVGA GPU, there is no real reason to prefer this product over Afterburner…… Unless you prefer the look.

Conduct research

Well, before you do anything rash… you should probably stop and do your research. Now that you know which GPU you are using and (hopefully) which manufacturer, you can look for overclocking results online.

For example, from my previous Speccy results, I know I’m using an Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 made by MSI. So I would google for people who have an overclocked MSI GTX 760 with similar GPUs to see their overclocking results. In this case, a quick search led me to this article, which revealed that my GPU had been overclocked by a technical critic! Note that this is a great link, but you often have to use forums, Reddit, etc.

Also, in case you were wondering: Can I overclock my graphics processor? It is then that we discover how useful or credible it can be.

It gave me a baseline to know what to expect. The expected baseline gives you a starting point that you adjust up or down based on your own test results.

Of course, you will always need to adjust things, as different components will give different results. Also, overclocking your GPU depends not only on your card and its age, but also on other factors that you have absolutely no control over. Thanks to the so-called silicon lottery, some chips have incredible overclocking potential, while others have very, very little.

Don’t skip this step, it’s important to have an idea of where to start!

Overclocking the graphics processor

Button

• Core Voltage – measures the voltage supplied to your GPU. You want to get up to speed. Maximization shouldn’t be a problem as long as your BP has memory free to adjust it. However, if your system is already very close to the maximum capacity of the power supply, you may want to consider buying a new power supply before trying.
• Core / Shader Clock – They are usually interconnected and probably have the biggest impact on your performance. We recommend increasing this value by +25 at a time, as this is the value that gives the most chance of a crash. However, do not start the setup until the memory clock has started.
• Memory Clock – You can usually avoid large jumps in this category – go +50 at a time until failures occur. We recommend doing this before you increase the kernel speed – although you won’t see a big performance gain with this alone, you want to establish memory stability before you increase the kernel speed.
• Fan Speed – The last step is the fan speed, which is quite unique. You can use Afterburner to set a custom fan speed, but if you don’t want to do what I did and run the fan at 100% all the time, just choose Auto.

Before you start overclocking, click Save and save to profile 1. If something goes wrong, you’ll want to quickly return to the default settings.

Make the initial settings for test overclocking, click Save and save as Profile 2. Leave the afterburner open and start testing …..

Testing the overclocking of your GPU

There are two ways to check if your GPU is overclocked. There is a practical way: run a stress test on one or two GPUs and see what happens.

There’s also a silly way to jump directly into your favorite game….. and risk getting stuck in the middle of the game or disconnecting. This leads to loss of progress, matchmaking bans and so on…..

You have the idea. Read our GPU stress test guide and follow the steps we’ve outlined to perform your overclocking test. Every time you fail a test, come back and turn the setting up a notch or two higher. Do this until you reach stability, then test the water by taking small steps up and testing with each step until you reach perfect acceleration.

You can see my ideal OC with my GPU below:

Yeah, it’s just a picture you’ve seen before. Not bad for such an old GPU, right?

If you are looking for a quick and easy solution, unfortunately this is not the case; overclocking can be tedious and requires some effort to find the right balance.

Test the setting. If it works, turn it up. If this does not work, press a little deeper and try again. Do this often enough and you will find the perfect overclock for your system, you just have to be ready for it. Now that you know how to overclock your graphics card, we’d love to know your results.

Supplement

If you are looking for a quick and easy solution, unfortunately this is not the case; overclocking can be tedious and requires some effort to find the right balance.

Test the setting. If it works, turn it up. If this does not work, press a little deeper and try again. Do this often enough and you will find the perfect overclock for your system, you just have to be ready for it. Now that you know how to overclock your graphics card, we’d love to know your results.

Other time synchronization devices

frequently asked questions

Are you overclocking your GPU?

gpu overclocking signal

Is overclocking your GPU worth it?

The clues… is… is…

Is it possible to overclock the GPU and CPU?

comment-overclocker-cpu-gpu

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