This is why I don’t overclock my PC

• What is overclocking, first of all?
• Why I don’t overclock my PC
• Is overclocking really that dangerous?

When I was growing up, the PC gaming industry was regularly making such huge leaps forward that speed was everything. Whole new genres were born out of improvements in processor power, RAM, and storage — all the way from flight simulators to first-person shooters. Games like Doom might seem quaint to people raised on Call of Duty and Fortnite, but when it launched, it was something that had been technically impossible just a few years earlier.

The gaming industry has settled down quite a bit since the ’90s. Genres are pretty well established, and you can have an excellent time playing PC titles with something as affordable as a Steam Deck. Yet the quest for maximizing performance continues, and a weapon some gamers turn to is overclocking. You might also consider the idea if you’re a media professional who wants to work more efficiently. I actually avoid the practice myself, despite nominally being in both camps — here’s why.

What is overclocking, first of all?

A quick primer and the benefits

All processors — CPUs and GPUs included — have what’s termed a clock speed. As you might guess, this gauges how fast a chip can handle operations, so the higher a chip’s clock speed, the better. Consumer processors function in the megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz) range. The CPU in my laptop, for instance, is an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX, which can operate at anything from 2.4 to 5.2GHz, depending on what apps require.

Overclocking is the process of forcing a processor to operate beyond its usual range. While this used to be tricky, the practice is so widely accepted now that it’s often built into a computer’s BIOS/UEFI interface. You may also see overclocking options within Windows utilities, like the software that comes with Lenovo Legion laptops and/or Nvidia-based graphics cards. Nvidia’s app includes an Automatic Tuning option that analyzes your GPU and chooses settings for you.

Major game studios are constantly trying to one-up each other with more impressive graphical effects, often backed by complex physics simulations — but since these are some of the most intense tasks a computer can handle, every last ounce of power makes a difference.

Typically, the main reason to overclock is to eke out the best possible detail and framerates in games. Major game studios are constantly trying to one-up each other with more impressive graphical effects, often backed by complex physics simulations — but since these are some of the most intense tasks a computer can handle, every last ounce of power makes a difference. The most diehard gamers will overclock a PC even if they have the best available components, either for bragging rights or to achieve a competitive edge in online games. The difference between 55 and 65 frames per second can hypothetically mean the difference between landing a headshot or becoming the victim of one.

Similar demands can apply to people working in fields like video editing, 3D modeling, and scientific simulations. Often, it’s more RAM and faster storage that makes a difference in these tasks, but some professionals aren’t going to leave any performance on the table. If you can finish exporting a 4K video five minutes faster, that’s five minutes you can put into the next project.

Frugal PC owners will sometimes turn to overclocking to stretch out their computer’s lifespan. Even if you don’t play games or edit Hollywood movies, a PC will inevitably become slower over time as apps and operating systems gain more advanced features. If you play your cards right, overclocking can buy you a year or two before you have to upgrade components or replace a system entirely.

Why I don’t overclock my PC

Risk versus reward

By its nature, overclocking increases power consumption, and that translates into extra waste heat that puts a strain on components. Many PCs have a reasonable temperature flexibility made possible by cooling systems, scalable performance, and inherent tolerances — but overclocking tends to boost both average and peak temperatures, increasing the chances of component failure. Certainly, an overclocked CPU or GPU that’s regularly topping 80C (176F) is bound to fail months if not years before one with vanilla settings.

You can gain extra performance without pushing a machine that hard, to be clear. Given how expensive a gaming-ready PC can be, however, I’d rather err on the side of staying cool. I’ll put up with lower detail in my games if it means spending $2,000-plus on a laptop every four years instead of three. Some of you probably expect your machines to last much, much longer.

While I’ve built my own PCs in the past, I think I’m beyond my hobbyist phase. I just want my devices to work out of the box — no hardware upgrades needed.

Even if you’re not threatened by component failure, overclocking also increases the risk of instability, which can be triggered not just by heat but by issues like insufficient voltage. I depend on my laptop for both work and play, so the last thing I need is it periodically freezing or crashing. I was frustrated enough with my old Razer laptop regularly dropping USB connections.

People can and do mitigate the dangers of overclocking with additional cooling measures, such as fans or liquid piping systems, which are often backed by upgraded power supplies. For me, though, that’s actually another strike against the concept. While I’ve built my own PCs in the past, I think I’m beyond my hobbyist phase. I just want my devices to work out of the box — no hardware upgrades needed. It’s a cheaper and less stressful way of existence, considering how many other tech issues I have to troubleshoot on a daily basis.

Is overclocking really that dangerous?

Dialing things back a bit

Realistically, I’m being overly cautious. As I mentioned, it’s possible to overclock a PC without pushing it into dangerous territory, and that’s all the more true if you rely on a PC maker’s official software. A company’s not about to let you void its warranty with a first-party app — that would be a legal nightmare. These apps tend to be intentionally conservative.

Consider talking to people on tech enthusiast forums if you’re serious about overclocking and want to do it right.

You’re only really entering the danger zone if you turn to tools produced by specific component makers or hobbyists. Frequently, there’s an assumption that you know what you’re doing, including monitoring temperature levels and how apps interact. Something like MSI Afterburner (for graphics cards) might be largely safe on its own, but a recipe for disaster if you combine it with a third-party CPU tool and simply ramp clock speeds as high as both apps will let you go.

Ultimately, you’ll have to weigh the risks for yourself. Consider talking to people on tech enthusiast forums if you’re serious about overclocking and want to do it right. Personally, I’m not interested in the gamble, at least not anymore. I feel like most mid- to high-end PCs have reached a decent enough performance threshold for me to be content. I might not be seeing Battlefield 6 or Cyberpunk 2077 in their best possible forms, but they’re still mighty impressive to someone who remembers when any 3D in a game was remarkable.