{"id":24084,"date":"2023-11-23T09:22:31","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T08:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/g100.us\/?p=24084"},"modified":"2023-11-23T09:22:55","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T08:22:55","slug":"check-if-cpu-or-gpu-is-overclocked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-if-cpu-or-gpu-is-overclocked\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Check If Your CPU or GPU Is Overclocked"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Want to know how to check if your CPU or GPU is overclocked?<\/strong> You\u2019ve come to the right place!<\/p>\n<p>Today, I\u2019ll break down all you need to know about checking for system overclocks and give you a few parting words on overclocking before sending you on your way.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s get into it!<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_39 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66843dda9e82a\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66843dda9e82a\" class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66843dda9e82a\" checked><nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 \"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-if-cpu-or-gpu-is-overclocked\/#A_Brief_on_Overclocking_and_How_It_Works\" title=\"A Brief on Overclocking and How It Works\">A Brief on Overclocking and How It Works<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-if-cpu-or-gpu-is-overclocked\/#How_To_Check_If_Your_CPU_or_GPU_Is_Overclocked\" title=\"How To Check If Your CPU or GPU Is Overclocked\">How To Check If Your CPU or GPU Is Overclocked<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-if-cpu-or-gpu-is-overclocked\/#Step_1_Verify_Your_Stock_Clocks_on_the_Product_Page\" title=\"Step 1: Verify Your Stock Clocks on the Product Page\">Step 1: Verify Your Stock Clocks on the Product Page<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-if-cpu-or-gpu-is-overclocked\/#Step_2_Monitor_Your_Active_Clocks\" title=\"Step 2: Monitor Your Active Clocks\">Step 2: Monitor Your Active Clocks<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-if-cpu-or-gpu-is-overclocked\/#Step_3_Confirm\" title=\"Step 3: Confirm\">Step 3: Confirm<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-if-cpu-or-gpu-is-overclocked\/#FAQ\" title=\"FAQ\">FAQ<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-if-cpu-or-gpu-is-overclocked\/#Does_overclocking_void_warranty\" title=\"Does overclocking void warranty?\">Does overclocking void warranty?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-if-cpu-or-gpu-is-overclocked\/#Is_overclocking_bad\" title=\"Is overclocking bad?\">Is overclocking bad?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-if-cpu-or-gpu-is-overclocked\/#How_do_I_improve_overclocking_performance\" title=\"How do I improve overclocking performance?\">How do I improve overclocking performance?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-if-cpu-or-gpu-is-overclocked\/#Over_to_You\" title=\"Over to You\">Over to You<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Brief_on_Overclocking_and_How_It_Works\"><\/span>A Brief on Overclocking and How It Works<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Overclocking&#8221; refers to the practice of taking your CPU or GPU's &#8220;clock speed&#8221; and manually increasing it beyond its intended limits<\/strong>. This results in a tangible performance improvement (depends on &#8220;the silicon lottery&#8221; and the rest of your hardware), but also comes at the cost of increased heat output and power consumption.<\/p>\n<p>You may even have an &#8220;unstable overclock&#8221;, which refers to an overclock that <em>mostly<\/em> works but can cause applications or your system to crash when something goes wrong, meaning the overclock wasn't properly stress-tested.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/08\/GPU-Overclocking.jpg\" alt=\"GPU Overclocking\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"GPU Overclocking\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/08\/GPU-Overclocking.jpg\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Due to how overclocking works, it is <em>extraordinarily <\/em>unlikely that your PC is somehow being overclocked without your knowledge<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In the case of GPU overclocking, it's a near-impossibility, since GPU overclocking is purely done through software that <em>must <\/em>be actively running for the GPU overclock to even be applied. Unless your GPU's BIOS has been flashed over downright, you won't be overclocking without the appropriate software.<\/p>\n<p>CPU overclocking is traditionally done within the BIOS, and requires changes to BIOS settings in order to function (as well as RAM overclocking, for that matter). While you <em>can<\/em> do CPU overclocking in software like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intel.com\/content\/www\/us\/en\/download\/17881\/intel-extreme-tuning-utility-intel-xtu.html\" target=\"_blank\">Intel Extreme Tuning Utility<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amd.com\/en\/technologies\/ryzen-master\" target=\"_blank\">AMD Ryzen Master<\/a>, these applications are still changing your underlying BIOS settings in order to actually apply your overclocking settings. <strong>That's why a CPU overclock will always be detectable within the BIOS.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And because so many readers have been asking this: A CPU that boosts clock speeds automatically isn't what we call an overclock.<\/strong> Well, <em>technically<\/em>, it is similar, but what is commonly known as an overclocked CPU or GPU refers to a manual overclock (by the consumer) <em><strong>after<\/strong> <\/em>what the manufacturer intends for it to do automatically.<\/p>\n<p>You see, CPUs and GPUs boost their clocks automatically, depending on things like core temperature, power delivery, or how many cores are in use. This is intended, automatic boosting behavior and not a manual overclock. I'm repeating myself here \ud83d\ude42<strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Now, let's get into finding out if your CPU or GPU is just <em>boosting automatically<\/em> as intended, or has been tinkered with by you or someone else <em>manually<\/em>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_To_Check_If_Your_CPU_or_GPU_Is_Overclocked\"><\/span>How To Check If Your CPU or GPU Is Overclocked<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Verify_Your_Stock_Clocks_on_the_Product_Page\"><\/span>Step 1: Verify Your Stock Clocks on the Product Page<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24615\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks.jpg\" alt=\"What are Base Clocks and Boost Clocks\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24615 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"What are Base Clocks and Boost Clocks\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Before you do <em>anything<\/em>, make sure you have the full product information for your CPU or GPU on hand<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>For both your CPU and GPU, you need to know the Base Clock and <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-base-clocks-vs-boost-clocks\/\">Boost Clock\/Turbo Frequency<\/a>. <strong>This information (available on the manufacturer\u2019s site or retail page) is what you\u2019ll be comparing your active clocks to, to find your answers.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24653\" style=\"width: 778px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24653\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24653 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-cpu-clocks-manufacturer-site.png\" alt=\"check overclocking - cpu clocks manufacturer site\" width=\"778\" height=\"674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-cpu-clocks-manufacturer-site.png 778w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-cpu-clocks-manufacturer-site-300x260.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-cpu-clocks-manufacturer-site-768x665.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 778px) 100vw, 778px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24653\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24653 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20778%20674%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"check overclocking - cpu clocks manufacturer site\" width=\"778\" height=\"674\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20778%20674%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 778w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 778px) 100vw, 778px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-cpu-clocks-manufacturer-site.png 778w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-cpu-clocks-manufacturer-site-300x260.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-cpu-clocks-manufacturer-site-768x665.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-cpu-clocks-manufacturer-site.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-24653\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Intel<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>In my example, my core specifications are an Intel Core i7-10700K and an MSI Gaming LHR Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti. <\/strong>Neither component is overclocked or has overclocking enabled.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24654\" style=\"width: 905px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24654\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24654 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-gpu-clocks-manufacturer-site.png\" alt=\"check overclocking - gpu clocks manufacturer site\" width=\"905\" height=\"626\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-gpu-clocks-manufacturer-site.png 905w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-gpu-clocks-manufacturer-site-300x208.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-gpu-clocks-manufacturer-site-768x531.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 905px) 100vw, 905px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24654\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24654 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20905%20626%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"check overclocking - gpu clocks manufacturer site\" width=\"905\" height=\"626\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20905%20626%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 905w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 905px) 100vw, 905px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-gpu-clocks-manufacturer-site.png 905w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-gpu-clocks-manufacturer-site-300x208.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-gpu-clocks-manufacturer-site-768x531.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/check-overclocking-gpu-clocks-manufacturer-site.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-24654\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: MSI<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The 10700K runs at a stock <strong>base<\/strong> frequency of 3.8 GHz, with the ability to <strong>boost up to<\/strong> 5.10 GHz on its <strong>Turbo frequency<\/strong> (this is stock behavior on Intel CPUs). Base 3.8, boost 5.10 GHz.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, my RTX 3060 Ti\u2019s stock clock speed is 1410 MHz.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s see how we can monitor these devices a little more closely to check for overclocking:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Monitor_Your_Active_Clocks\"><\/span>Step 2: Monitor Your Active Clocks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve identified the intended behavior of your CPU and GPU hardware, it\u2019s time to take a closer peek at it to make sure it\u2019s functioning as <em>you<\/em> intend.<\/p>\n<p>However, before you can monitor your clock speeds, you'll have to put your CPU and\/or GPU under a load to make sure it's boosting as high as possible to check for an overclock (OC). Even with an OC, some parts will settle into lower power states to save power when it's not in full use. For CPUs, you can use a test like Cinebench and for GPUs, you can use something like <a href=\"https:\/\/geeks3d.com\/furmark\/\" target=\"_blank\">Furmark<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/benchmark.unigine.com\/superposition\" target=\"_blank\">Superposition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>Next, you'll need an application like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hwinfo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">HWinfo<\/a> to monitor your CPU and GPU clock speeds. <\/b>There are other options, but HWinfo is one of the best ones out there and that's what I usually recommend and use.<\/p>\n<p>When you open HWinfo, you'll see a small window like this one:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gcdnb.pbrd.co\/images\/x6zNFIB3XuyX.png?o=1\" alt=\"uploaded image\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"uploaded image\" data-src=\"https:\/\/gcdnb.pbrd.co\/images\/x6zNFIB3XuyX.png?o=1\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/p>\n<p>Check &#8220;Sensors-only&#8221; as shown above and click Start.<\/p>\n<p>Now, you should see the HWinfo window with a ton of information on your screen. Don't get overwhelmed, though.<\/p>\n<p>Slowly scroll down to where it says &#8220;CPU&#8221; and expand the section. You should see a label called &#8220;Core Clocks.&#8221; Match this against your stock clocks and boost clocks to assess whether you do have an overclock enabled.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/HWinfo-CPU-Overclock-Check-Checking-Core-Clocks.jpg\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-24776\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/HWinfo-CPU-Overclock-Check-Checking-Core-Clocks.jpg\" alt=\"HWinfo CPU Overclock Check - Checking Core Clocks\" width=\"397\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/HWinfo-CPU-Overclock-Check-Checking-Core-Clocks.jpg 992w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/HWinfo-CPU-Overclock-Check-Checking-Core-Clocks-238x300.jpg 238w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/HWinfo-CPU-Overclock-Check-Checking-Core-Clocks-813x1024.jpg 813w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/HWinfo-CPU-Overclock-Check-Checking-Core-Clocks-768x968.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 397px) 100vw, 397px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-24776 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20397%20500%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"HWinfo CPU Overclock Check - Checking Core Clocks\" width=\"397\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20397%20500%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 397w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 397px) 100vw, 397px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/HWinfo-CPU-Overclock-Check-Checking-Core-Clocks.jpg 992w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/HWinfo-CPU-Overclock-Check-Checking-Core-Clocks-238x300.jpg 238w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/HWinfo-CPU-Overclock-Check-Checking-Core-Clocks-813x1024.jpg 813w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/HWinfo-CPU-Overclock-Check-Checking-Core-Clocks-768x968.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/HWinfo-CPU-Overclock-Check-Checking-Core-Clocks.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>You can also further expand this section and check the frequency each of your CPU cores are hitting for more granularity.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, scroll down to the GPU section (usually near the bottom) and pick the first one. Expand it and look for &#8220;GPU Effective Clock&#8221; and match that number against your stock\/boost clocks to check for an overclock.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Confirm\"><\/span>Step 3: Confirm<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You now have all the information available to you and should be able to confirm whether or not your hardware is overclocked.<\/p>\n<p><strong>With the information and screenshots I\u2019ve provided, you should be able to see pretty clearly that I am not running overclocked hardware<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Don't fret if your CPU is using its boost clocks even when you're not putting it under load. Usually, a few cores will boost whenever the scheduler pushes a task to them. It's completely normal behavior.<\/p>\n<p><strong>And\u2014 an important sidenote here\u2014 unless someone else is using\/has used your PC, you most likely are <em>not<\/em> overclocking if you have to ask<\/strong>. GPU Overclocking requires software to run at startup with your PC to work properly, and won't work without it. CPU overclocks can be done in software <em>or<\/em> in the BIOS, and can <em>always<\/em> be <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-to-enter-bios\/\">checked within your BIOS<\/a> if you want to be <em>extra<\/em> sure.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_overclocking_void_warranty\"><\/span>Does overclocking void warranty?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Yes. <\/strong>Overclocking is for a dedicated Expert or Enthusiast above all, and this is enforced by overclocking voiding warranty. That said, if you don't disclose an overclock and you haven't murdered your CPU\/GPU with too much voltage (hard to do if you're just messing around due to built-in safety features), your manufacturer can mostly never find out if an overclock was ever applied or not. So, if you're applying for an RMA, describe what's wrong with your part, and nothing more.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_overclocking_bad\"><\/span>Is overclocking bad?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>No, but it does come with risks. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Both CPU and GPU overclocking are ways of providing higher performance returns on your existing hardware, so long as you\u2019re able to keep them cool and tweak them correctly\/precisely enough to run at your desired higher clocks without crashing.<\/p>\n<p>Besides trial and error in setup and potential instability until you\u2019ve thoroughly vetted your overclock, <strong>the other fundamental downside to be mindful of with OCing is higher power consumption<\/strong> and, thus, higher heat dissipation.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24616\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/Drawbacks-of-Overclocking-1.jpg\" alt=\"Drawbacks of Overclocking (1)\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/Drawbacks-of-Overclocking-1.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/Drawbacks-of-Overclocking-1-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/Drawbacks-of-Overclocking-1-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/Drawbacks-of-Overclocking-1-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/Drawbacks-of-Overclocking-1-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24616 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Drawbacks of Overclocking (1)\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/Drawbacks-of-Overclocking-1.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/Drawbacks-of-Overclocking-1-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/Drawbacks-of-Overclocking-1-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/Drawbacks-of-Overclocking-1-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/Drawbacks-of-Overclocking-1-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/Drawbacks-of-Overclocking-1.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Overclocking definitely isn\u2019t for the soft of heart, and can be catastrophic if you have zero idea what you're doing.<\/p>\n<p>PS. A stable <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/overclocking-reduce-cpu-gpu-lifespan\/\"><strong>overclock shouldn\u2019t threaten the lifespan of your CPU or GPU<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_improve_overclocking_performance\"><\/span>How do I improve overclocking performance?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Well, if you already have a stable overclock, there may not be any increasing it no matter what you do thanks to this little concept called \u201csilicon lottery\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Basically, not all CPUs and GPUs are made equal, and thus they won\u2019t always overclock as well as their siblings might, even with the exact same product. If you\u2019ve rolled poorly on the silicon lottery, that by itself can stop you from improving overclocking performance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For the best experience with an overclocking setup, you\u2019re always going to want to do what you can to maximize your case cooling and airflow<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Make sure you have enough <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-many-case-fans\/\"><strong>case fan<\/strong>s<\/a> for your PC, and that they\u2019re placed properly in order to give you good airflow.<\/p>\n<p>GPU overclocking will work at its best if you can give it a cool environment to operate within <em>before<\/em> it starts heating everything up.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24617\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-is-Thermal-Throttling.jpg\" alt=\"What is Thermal Throttling\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-is-Thermal-Throttling.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-is-Thermal-Throttling-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-is-Thermal-Throttling-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-is-Thermal-Throttling-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-is-Thermal-Throttling-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24617 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"What is Thermal Throttling\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-is-Thermal-Throttling.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-is-Thermal-Throttling-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-is-Thermal-Throttling-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-is-Thermal-Throttling-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-is-Thermal-Throttling-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/09\/What-is-Thermal-Throttling.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve written an extended <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/thermal-throttling-guide\/\"><strong>Thermal Throttling Guide<\/strong><\/a> that I recommend to anybody looking for ways to cool down the operation of their PC, especially if they\u2019re hoping to improve temperatures for an overclocking setup.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Over_to_You\"><\/span>Over to You<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>And that\u2019s all, for now!<\/p>\n<p><strong>I hope this article taught you how to check if your CPU or GPU is overclocked, and imparted some helpful overclocking knowledge on you while we were at it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>If you have any other questions about your PC or hardware in general, fire off in the <a href=\"#comments\">comments<\/a> below! Me or another CGD Team member will get back to you as soon as we can.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Alternatively, you can also hang out on the CGD <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/forum\/\">Forum<\/a> with other Experts and Enthusiasts, if you prefer longer-form discussions on tech topics and creative projects.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Until then or until next time, happy computing!<\/strong> And remember: it\u2019s your hardware. You paid for it. If you <em>can<\/em> overclock it, maybe you should.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to know how to check if your CPU or GPU is overclocked? You\u2019ve come to the right place! Today, I\u2019ll break down all you need to know about checking for system overclocks and give you a few parting words on overclocking before sending you on your way. Let\u2019s get into it! A Brief on...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2339,"featured_media":24613,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[74],"tags":[118,293,117],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24084"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2339"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24084"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24084\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24778,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24084\/revisions\/24778"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}