Pros vs Cons – Is Overclocking A CPU Worth it?

Overclocking is a tool every techy considers at least once in their life. It makes their computers faster to use. There are many resources to help, so you don’t have to be an expert to get it done. But is it worth it? We’ll help you decide with our article.

What Is Overclocking?

The speed at which your processor handles information is known as its clock rate. You can increase its speed by “overclocking” it. As you can imagine, there are some obvious pros. However, there are some cons that people don’t realize.

Pros

First, we’ll be discussing its pros. We’ll be talking about its cons next, and concluding what you should do in the latter part of our article.

You’re Saving Money

One of the best things about overclocking is that you can save a lot of money. You are getting the most out of your processor, without splurging on a more expensive one. For example, the Intel i7 3770K is known to be a bit more expensive than the 3770. Unfortunately, this is only as the former’s cores run at 0.1 less GHz.

If you’re a gamer, you know that newer games need more processing power. There are specialized CPUs for it, like AMD’s Ryzen line. Units like the Ryzen 5 3600 can only be placed in very specific motherboards, which makes them even more special. As they regularly release to be on par with newer games, you’re saving cash as your Ryzen CPU would be superbly optimized.

Never Let Go

Not only will you be saving money, but you’ll never have to let your set-up go. You are allowing your computer to be on par with newer ones. If it’s been with you for years, it will last even longer. You can also overclock smartphones and tablets. This is more useful as hand-held devices release with better specs more often than their computer counterparts. Not having to discard your computer is also great for the environment. You won’t be chucking out a bunch of metal and plastic.

Faster Speeds

Of course, the most obvious advantage is a better user experience. You are getting a computer that has been sped up. Some CPUs freely let you overclock them. They are ‘unlocked’. This would let you make your PC extremely fast. However, with a regular unit, you can expect up to a 20% increase. But this depends on how you overclock it. Remember that you’re exerting your processor above its threshold, so if you try and work it more than it can handle, you’ll be left with a computer that refuses to work.

Be Knowledgeable

As a tech enthusiast, you need to know which brands are most worth your time. One of the best ways to do this is by overclocking parts. With small, regular bursts, you will know how much they can handle, while not putting them in danger. This is something hobbyists do a lot. There are a plethora of forums and articles dedicated to the comparison of the overclocked specs between the brand’s processors.

Cons

With the pros run through, we think they are pretty useful. But let’s see how they fare against the cons.

Damaged Parts

You could easily damage your CPU if you overclock it. You might do this with whatever part you’re trying to overexert, like its RAM, motherboard, and GPU too. Remember that you’re overheating the processor as you’re getting it to work above its limits. This is due to the increase in voltage that’s taking place. If you damage it, it would be a shame as you’re overclocking it to make it easier to use. You would also make your device a headache to use – it might unexpectedly start to crash.

A Loud Computer

Your PC has a cooling system to take care of overheating. Depending on the type you have, it could make a lot of noise when you over-exert your CPU. It could be a fan, so it would work at high speeds trying to cool your processor down. This isn’t something fun to work with, you’ll be too distracted to get on with your work.

The processor working at its highest would also exert heat, which would make your PC not fun to be around. Thankfully, you might be overclocking it a bit, and not go way above its thresholds.

If you have a liquid or nitrogen cooling system in place, it might leak from the amount of cooling it has to handle. This would damage the parts in your PC.

A Destroyed Warranty

Manufacturers set specific clock rates on processors. According to them, these are the best speeds they can work at. By going above them, you’re sabotaging their consistency. You’ll find it impossible to find companies providing coverage for such units.

But it’s not the end of the world – this is only true for certain processors. If you remember, we said that some manufacturers let you purchase types that can be overexerted. They are called unlocked variants. If you look around, you’ll easily be able to snag them.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to overclocking, it’s clear that there are both pros and cons to take into account. Depending on the type of person you are, you might think its pros outweigh its cons. However, we don’t think this is the case. You will be voiding your warranty, and the company’s obligation to replace your parts. This could end up with thousands of dollars going down the drain. You also risk damaging the insides of your computer. You will make it more difficult to use due to the heat being produced as well.

Yes, its pros are great. You will be getting a faster computer. You will also be prolonging the life of your device, but you have to be careful. There are many guides to help. But you may go beyond its threshold, seriously damaging your PC.

In line with everything we said, what do you think? Will you be overclocking your CPU?