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Is it damaging to overclock?

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Hello! I am thinking about overclocking my CPU from 2.70 GHZ. How much should i improve my GHZ? And do you know about how much fps will increase? Last but not least will it damage my PC if i overclock?

 

Specs:

GeForce GTX 970

Intel® Core I5-6400 CPU @ 2.70 GHZ

16 GB RAM

1920x1080, 60 Hz

Overclocking is linear. If you overclock by 10% you get a 10% increase in frame rate. That's in flight sim. In games, which are more GPU biased, not the case.

 

Intel provide their Intel Performance Tuning Plan. Basically it's an overclocking warranty. It's very cheap, and good insurance. If you damage your CPU overclocking they will replace it.

 

Intel of course wouldn't provide that facility if damaging CPU's by overclocking was likely. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it is uncommon these days. CPU's throttle back to avoid damage and shut down if too hot.

I've been running an i5-3570K 3.4Ghz at 4.4Ghz for about a year. I added a better CPU cooler, but nothing fancy. She runs fine, and temps are in the middle of Intel's stated range. 

i9-10850K, ASUS TUF GAMING Z490-PLUS (WI-FI), 32GB G.SKILL DDR4-3603 / PC4-28800, GIGABYTE RTX5080 16GB WF OC 3 FAN running 3440x1440 

 

Overclocking does not cause damage, what causes damage is overheating.  Good cooling is an absolute must when overclocking and stock CPU coolers often are not up to that task.  Also, when overclocking the CPU by adjusting the FSB speed, it is best to have RAM that will also overclock, otherwise you may end up having to underclock the RAM in order to maintain stability.

My computer: ABS Gladiator Gaming PC featuring an Intel 10700F CPU, EVGA CLC-240 AIO cooler (dead fans replaced with Noctua fans), Asus Tuf Gaming B460M Plus motherboard, 16GB DDR4-3000 RAM, 1 TB NVMe SSD, EVGA RTX3070 FTW3 video card, dead EVGA 750 watt power supply replaced with Antec 900 watt PSU.

Overclocking, if done with care and remaining within the temperature and voltage limits of your CPU, is not damaging. If you run it close tot the limit, you may experience an increase in wear and your CPU may fail earlier, but that is not definite. It is easiest to overclock with an unlocked or K designated CPU, as that allows an overclock without having to adjust the FSB.

 

Definitely you will need an adequate cooling solution for your CPU and case (remember that certain components on the mainboard can also be stressed by the overclock and will need enhanced cooling). Good airflow through the case is adequate with a good quality aftermarket CPU cooler like the Noctua NH14 or equivalent.

 

I have been running the i7-2700K I have at 4.8GHz on air (with the NH14) since I built the computer. I got the processor at the end of 2011, and built the box during the first month or two of 2012, so it has been running for 4 years with little to no issue...

 

A

Andrew Entwistle

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