Overclocking is the process of making a computer system run faster than the manufacturer’s specification. Most people who overclock their computers do it for the simple reason of wanting to get more performance out of their system. There are other reasons one might want to overclock their computer as well. Some might do it to try and get more life out of an aging system.
The majority of users do this via BIOS, but overclocking is still feasible without it. Intel’s Extreme Tuning Utility, or XTU for short, can let you overclock your CPU without using the BIOS, whether you’re a novice or an expert.
Overclocking has a significant chance of making your gadget run very hot. Also, keep in mind that overclocking your CPU may result in faster wear and tear. The XTU, on the other hand, has built-in CPU and memory testing to evaluate your device’s temperature and stability. Many people choose to overclock their CPU without using the BIOS since the alternative method, using the BIOS, maybe somewhat inconvenient.
Now let’s look at how you can overclock a CPU without the BIOS.
Steps you’ll need to take to overclock your CPU
1. Download Intel XTU
The first step is to get Intel XTU from Intel’s website and install it. After that, turn off all background programs and start the software.
2. Run Benchmark
This is to put your PC through its paces and get your current benchmark score. You’ll notice where to click on “Run Benchmark” if you go to Basic Tuning. Wait till it’s finished. You will be shown various statistics as well as your benchmark score. This score should be somewhat higher after overclocking, indicating whether or not your overclocking was successful.
3. Go to Advanced Tuning
Before overclocking your CPU, go to the Advanced Tuning tab and modify your CPU parameters. You may then eliminate power constraints, allowing your CPU to get the maximum amount of power it requires.
Slide the Turbo Power Boost Max all the way to the right, to the maximum setting. Enable the Turbo Boost Short Power Max option if it appears on the presented page. Slide the Processor Current Limit option all the way to the top as well. You may now go to the next phase, which is overclocking the machine.
4. Overclock System
To do so, set the Processor Core Ratio and Processor Cache Ratio to their highest values, which is all the way to the right, and then click Apply. Then choose Witness Performance Improvement and Run Benchmark from the drop-down menu. After a while, it will offer you a new score. To assess whether there was an improvement, compare it to the initial benchmark score you received. Instead of setting the maximum explicitly, you might try the following.
5. Increase Multipliers
This is where you may boost your CPU’s speed above its existing limit. The Reference Clock should be set at 100 MHz. Increase the multiplier by 1x for each CPU core in the Multipliers option, and then run the benchmark. If your system doesn’t crash, go to the Profiles page and save the new profile.
Increase the core count by a factor of one and observe whether the system crashes. Carry on like this until the system fails. Make sure you save a fresh profile after each time you increase the multipliers. In this manner, if your system crashes, you may reboot and utilize the last stored profile that didn’t cause the system to crash.
6. Increase Voltage
Increasing your CPU’s multipliers and voltage is the same as overclocking it. All you have to do now is raise the voltage offset, which will only apply extra voltage when it is required. Altering the core voltage is another solution, but this will leave your system operating on that voltage indefinitely, resulting in greater heat. The first choice is preferable.
If you prefer to adjust the voltage core, simply increase the core voltage by 0.1 each time and perform a benchmark to ensure that the extra power has stabilized things.
Conclusion
There are a lot of pros and cons to overclocking your CPU. The main benefit is that you can get more performance out of your system, but there are also some risks involved. For example, if you overclock your CPU too much, it can damage the chip or even cause your system to crash.
So, should you overclock your CPU? It really depends on your needs and how comfortable you feel with the risks. If you’re only going to overclock your CPU for 1 or 2 years, then it’s probably not worth the risk. On the other hand, if you want to maximize performance for a long time and are willing to take some risks with it, overclocking is a good way to go.
