We can hardly keep up with the
changes due to the tremendous speed in technological development, which is what
prompts some to find alternative solutions as much as possible, among which is
an overclocking of the central or graphic processor in the hope of higher
performance and a high frame rate. Since overclocking has become within reach,
and has not remained the monopoly of specialists, it has become possible for
anyone to easily overclock the components of his own device, taking into
account the warnings circulating so as not to damage the components such as
providing appropriate cooling and maintaining performance stability for the
longest possible period of time. Overclocking time.
But due to the high prices of
hardware parts as a result of the semiconductor crisis, many of us seek to
console ourselves by buying a “used” processor or graphics card that is newer
than the one we use, but there is always a risk with the used components, as we
do not know what we got until after the experience, and one of the Those things
that can not be guessed about the processor used is whether it was overclocked
or not. Fortunately, checking this is very easy and does not require an expert
or specialist.
Below we explain how to test the
CPU or the graphics processor in four very simple ways, but there are some
things that I must tell you before we start explaining the methods, the most
important of which is the definition of Overclocking.
You must have seen a traffic sign
indicating that the speed limit is “80km/h” while you are traveling in one of
the streets of your city, and you know instinctively that you will receive a
traffic violation if you exceed the specified speed, and you will certainly
adhere to the permissible speed in literature or out of public safety, but at
the same, The moment will glimpse a maniacal driver who has exceeded the speed
limit by several times.
You would be wrong if you thought
that overclocking is limited to motorists and motorists only, there are also
those who are obsessed with "overclocking" but another kind is
"overclocking" where the manufacturer of a piece of hardware in the
computer specifies a processing speed of certain commands per the second One,
but someone comes over that speed, this process is called overclocking.
Since we are talking specifically
here about graphics and core processors, let's take the 10900K as an example,
it is a processor that offers a base operating frequency of 3.70 GHz and a
maximum speed of 5.30 GHz. But in the presence of a high-performance cooler,
the maximum operating frequency of the processor can be increased to 6 GHz and
then we get higher performance from the same processor.
So, to know whether the processor
is overclocked or not, we need to know the maximum operating frequency of the
processor as it came out of the manufacturer. This is done by searching for the
processor model on the Internet and then comparing the data that appears on the
company's page with our processor frequency.
Method 1: Using CPU-Z
Certainly, CPU-Z is a well-known
program for the computer that displays the specifications of the CPU, as well
as random memory, the motherboard, and other information. One of its advantages
is its ease of use, so you can easily find out if the processor speed has been
broken by looking at the Core Speed field in the graphical interface of the
program after running it In the Clocks section, you should also look at the Multiplier
and Bus Speed field.
Core Speed represents the
current speed at which the CPU is running. This speed changes from moment to
moment depending on the load or processing operations that the CPU is currently
running. Whereas, Bus Speed refers to the frequency and speed of the
processor, but indirectly. When we multiply the value of Bus Speed by the
value of the multiplier, we get the base speed of the processor used.
Now that you know that
information, use Google to search for the processor of your device, which will
direct you to the processor page on the official website of the manufacturer,
and there you will find information about the processor, including the maximum
operating frequency, specifically in the "CPU Specifications" section,
for example, when searching for an Intel processor i5 10500 then the value is
3.1 GHz.
Switch back to CPU-Z and multiply
the Bus Speed and the highest value of the Multiplier listed in parentheses.
For example, in this example, we find that the highest value of the Multiplier
is 45. If we multiply this number with the speed in the Bus Speed field, i.e.
45x99.73, we get approximately 3100MHz or 3.1GHz, which is the maximum
frequency of the Intel i5 10500 processor. If the resultant value is higher
than 3.1, it means that the processor has been overclocked.
Method 2: Using GPU-Z Software
To do the same with the graphics
card, we will use the GPU-Z program that specializes in displaying the
specifications of the graphics processing unit connected to the device, whether
internal (integrated with the processor) or external from AMD or Nvidia. All
you have to do is launch it after installing it and look at the fields in front
of "GPU Clocks".
GPU-Z displays the default,
maximum speed, and current processing speed of the graphics card within the
Default Clock and GPU Clock fields, respectively. If the GPU Clock's readings
are greater than the Default Clock's readings, then the graphics card is
overclocked. As seen in the image above, you will find that the Default Clock
(the base and current speed of the graphics card) are identical, so the GPU is
running at a normal speed without any evidence of overclocking.
Method 3: Using MSI Afterburner
Previously, we explained how to
use MSI Afterburner and why it is an important and specialized overclocking
program for graphic processors. But we can also use it to check whether the
graphics card has been overclocked or not. So we will download the program from
the official website and once it is launched, it will give you an overview of
the state of the graphics processor, where it will show you the current fan
speed, overclocking speed, and temperature.
Here, look at the Clock Speed
field and compare the clocked speed to that of your GPU. Again, via GPU-Z or
the official graphics card page on the manufacturer's website. If the Clock
Speed value in Afterburner is greater than the base speed value, then the GPU
is overclocked.
Method 4: Checking data via the BIOS screen
You must have used the BIOS or
UEFI screen in order to determine the side from which the operating system will
boot, or look at the hardware components after upgrading a piece, and you can
also know the speed of the processor or graphics card if it was broken through
this screen.
First, access the BIOS screen, and
let's agree that this process differs from one device to another due to the
variety of graphical interfaces for the BIOS screens. For example, on our ASUS
laptop, we needed to press and hold the F2 button and turn the device on while
holding F2 until the BIOS screen appeared.
In the BIOS screen, go to the CPU
settings page, then search for CPU frequency. Remember, the labels may vary
from company to company, as some manufacturers call the processor frequency CPU
FSB frequency. In the end, when you find the value of the processor frequency
and the value of the multiplier "CPU Core ratio", multiply the two
values together and compare the result with the one you obtained from the
Internet, if the values of your device are higher, it means that the speed
has been broken, but if the speed is relatively identical, it means that it has
not to Exceed the speed specified by the manufacturer.
In conclusion: As we have seen, we
can determine if the speed of the central processor or the graphics processor
has been broken in four different ways, try one of them and determine if your
processor has been overclocked or not. If you find that the speed has been
broken, you have to choose between returning to the speed recommended by the
company Mothering or maintaining the current clock speed, in the case of a
high-performance cooler. It is true that overclocking will increase performance
relatively, but it may expose the processor to several risks, especially in the
absence of adequate cooling, including damage to the processor, or shortening
of its life span.