READ ALSO: Improve Windows 10 performance
1) Come fare overclock
Overclocking is the procedure that allows you to increase the speed and performance of your computer’s hardware components so that they work above the capabilities set by the manufacturer. PC component manufacturers, in fact, use conservative configurations, using balance to preserve the longevity of the parts.
In many cases it is possible for the user to unlock these limits, with the risk of stressing the components to a higher level than the specifications, thus decreasing the life of the same. For secure overclocking, it is important to proceed step by step gradually increasing speeds, and testing from time to time until an acceptable and sustainable level is found.
Processor and RAM overclock
The processor and RAM should be upgraded together, given that by increasing only one component we will not have any real benefits in terms of speed (it would create bottlenecks). The safest method of boosting the CPU and RAM is to use the tools offered by the BIOS or better by UEFI if possible.
To enter the UEFI BIOS you have to press a key as soon as the PC is turned on (usually ESC, DEL, F1, F2, or F12 depending on the motherboard manufacturer.
We access the BIOS or UEFI again as seen above and, if we are really inexperienced, we take advantage of the overclocking features that the same motherboard is able to provide (light overclocking); usually, the increments are very small and do not compromise the stability of the system, but they also allow you to get 400 MHz more on the CPU and 200 MHz and broken on the RAM!
So let’s check if there is a Boost mode in the simplified UEFI screen easily recognizable among the icons provided.
We will have thus obtained a light overclocking and easily managed by system components at the expense of a little more noise (especially with the series heatsinks).
If we do not consider this overclock sufficient and/or we want to act manually, we open the advanced mode of the UEFI and go to the screen Ai Tweaker and Overclock.
With the fans at maximum cooling power, we increase the offsets for the Vcore and in parallel the CPU frequency by a few points, until the system is stable (check the temperatures as detected by the motherboard). On compatible processors, we can also act on the multiplier to increase the CPU frequency (K models from Intel and AMD).
Let’s go to the RAM section and proceed by increasing voltage (slowly) and frequency (very slowly), until obtaining a stable overclock. Let’s remember that increasing the frequency increases the latency of the RAM, so let’s be aware of this limitation.
When everything is ready (hoping I didn’t blow anything up!) we restart UEFI or the BIOS and check if Windows is stable, also using the programs we have recommended to monitor the temperatures (we can then also adjust the fan speed differently to reduce noise but without exaggerating) and the stress test programs present at the end of the guide.
To learn more we can read the guide to Overclocking programs for CPU processors and video cards.
Overclock GPU
To upgrade the graphics card or GPU you can use the program Afterburner already described in another article, which works with all video cards.
On ASUS cards you can use the program ASUS GPU Tweak II; we will be able to use both the predefined profiles dedicated to overclocking (OC Mode), so as to apply a light overclocking and well managed by the video card is to switch to professional mode and decide how much to increase the voltage, the frequency (also for the video memory) and the rotation speed of the fans (possibly to always push to the maximum if we do not know how to intervene).
For the latter we can also create the so-called cooling curve, that is, program the speed of the fans according to the temperature reached by the GPU at all times; to do this, just reach the fan control system (GPU Fan Speed) and use a custom profile.
General overclocking tips
Boosting PC performance may seem very easy, actually, it takes very little to destroy a good, perfectly functional desktop PC!
To avoid errors and make safe overclocking, we follow the advice of the experts that we have collected below:
- we try to keep the core temperatures of our CPU always below 80 ° C for Intel processors and 70 ° C for AMD processors: temperatures above these values for a long time can damage the CPU);
- For the GPU of the video card the ideal temperatures are below 70 °, but in overclocking it can be pushed up to 75 ° without damage;
- we remove all the dust from the fans and the heatsink;
- if possible we act with the case open on both sides to facilitate the passage of air;
- CPUs usually turn off automatically when we exceed 95 ° C, we try to avoid reaching this value;
- during the overclock we have to keep the CPU cooling system always at 100% (maximum fan speed) and lower it slowly when stable overclock is reached (taking into account the reference temperature);
- we use air cooling systems with turret or liquid to obtain better results;
As a further suggestion we carry out stress tests on Windows to check if the overclock is stable at maximum load; we use Prime95 (CPU), MemTest86 (RAM), and 3DMark (video card) with the fans at maximum power, respecting the recommended temperatures.
2) How to check temperatures
Many users underestimate the drop in performance that is generated on PCs due to the excessive heat, on overclocked PCs as well as on normal computers without modification. Having control of temperatures, especially in summer, will give you a considerable advantage, being able to intervene promptly when the computer starts to slow down (coinciding with a rise in internal temperatures).
Between programs to control temperatures remember:
- CPUID HWMonitor to effectively control the temperatures of the CPU and of the individual cores within it.
- Core Temp shows all the temperatures as detected by the motherboard, the information about the temperature communicated by the processor (Package and the various cores), the fan speed, the applied voltages, and the temperature of the GPU in the video card.
- RealTemp measures the temperature in real-time precisely.
Using these programs we will be able to know the temperature of each component of the computer, in particular, the values recorded for the CPU, for the video card (if present) and for other “hot” components (such as hard drives, SSDs or M.2 cards).
How to boost cooling
Linked to the internal temperatures of the PC, there is the management of the cooling. From the UEFI Bios, you will find the advanced mode (Advanced Mode) and section Monitor and Tweakyou can control the rotation speed of the fans on the PC (CPU Fan, Chassis Fan, and others that may be present).
If present, the mode can be activated Turbo which is the maximum one, or mode User and Manual to manually set the maximum cooling speed (100% RPM).
If the motherboard is not very recent and it has the classic BIOS we can try to install the program SpeedFanable to manage the fans directly inside Windows.
In addition to showing the temperatures of all the main components of the PC, it allows you to adjust the speed of the fans using the items available below (at least on old BIOS and compatible motherboards).
Another very interesting feature for those who overclock is the generation of temperature graphs for each component so as to monitor the temperature trend over a given period of time.
In another article, we saw how to improve PC cooling and airflow.
3) Tips and tricks for boosting Windows
If you don’t want to do hardware overclocking we can use a lot of hidden options and tools of various kinds to optimize the system and make it faster than it just installed.
To use all these tools and apply those system changes without having to fiddle with registry keys or looking in Windows settings you can take advantage of some “all in one” programs that contain many different options to be activated or deactivated only by pressing a cross.
Among the best all-in-one programs to boost Windows we surely find Advanced SystemCareavailable free for Windows 11 and for Windows 10.
This program stands out from many others for its AI mode, which uses artificial intelligence to find all the possible optimizations that can be activated on Windows so that you can improve PC performance with a simple click on the screen.
On this program, we can also read our guide on how to use Advanced SystemCare to speed up Windows (free).
Conclusions
To improve the performance of the computer to the maximum we can follow two ways: use overclocking to go beyond the specifications of the hardware components (risky, but very satisfying in the long run) or use automatic programs for PC optimization so you can take advantage of the hidden options of Windows to speed up any computer to the maximum.
To learn more, we can read the guides in the following bulleted list:
- Programs to modify everything in Windows 10
- Speed up Windows with 10 hidden options
- Optimize old Windows 7 PC for better performance
- Tricks to speed up Windows
Let’s read them all to have the absolute certainty of taking full advantage of the capabilities of the chosen computer.
