5 Best CPU Overclocking Software to Boost Performance

If you’ve found your way to this page, you’ve probably already figured out what CPU overclocking is and how to use it to improve your computer’s performance. That means you already know how to overclock your PC and for that, you will need some of the best CPU overclocking software. While these CPU overclocking software are sure to boost performance, you may also have to deal with the extra bit of heat generated. If you are ready for that, here’s our list of 5 best CPU overclocking software.

Best CPU Overclocking Software

5 Best CPU Overclocking Software to Boost Performance

Here we have the 5 best CPU overclocking software. Keep in mind that while these overclocking software are safe to use, if your CPU reaches the T-Junction temperature, it will shut down suddenly. Therefore, you will need to have efficient cooling before you overclock your CPU.

1. MSI Afterburner

Best CPU Overclocking Software

MSI Afterburner is a free program that allows you to overclock both your CPU and GPU. MSI Afterburner provides a detailed overview of your hardware as well as the ability to control the fan speed of your computer through customized fan profiles, benchmarking, and video recording.

MSI Afterburner also includes custom user skins, multilingual support, and Furmark-based software to help you get the most out of your graphics card and improve your gaming performance.

Main Features of MSI Afterburner

  • It is completely free to use.
  • Intel processors are supported.
  • It’s also capable of overclocking GPUs.

[su_button url=”https://www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner/graphics-cards” target=”blank” center=”yes” icon=”icon: cloud-download”]Download MSI Afterburner[/su_button]

2. Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (Intel XTU)

Best CPU Overclocking Software

This is Intel’s Windows-based CPU overclocking software, designed primarily for Intel processors. Intel XTU is a software program that allows you to overclock, monitor, and stress test your computer, as well as a few other features for Intel CPUs and motherboards.

Intel XTU also provides CPU utilization and temperature readings, which you can use to track the success of your overclock and see if it’s causing any performance issues.

Your computer may freeze and shut down as a result of a bad CPU overclock. To fix this, simply restart your computer, open the Intel XTU app, and restore your overclock settings to their original state.

Because it’s such an advanced piece of software, it’s not recommended that you use it if you’ve never overclocked your CPU before. However, if you’ve ever overclocked a CPU, Intel XTU is one of the best CPU overclocking apps available.

Main Features of Intel XTU

  • It’s completely free to use.
  • It’s compatible with Intel processors.
  • An easy-to-use interface.
  • Beginners and experts alike will find it useful.

[su_button url=”https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/17881/29183/intel-extreme-tuning-utility-intel-xtu.html” target=”blank” center=”yes” icon=”icon: cloud-download”]Download Intel XTU[/su_button]

3. EVGA Precision X

Best CPU Overclocking Software

EVGA Precision X is yet another excellent piece of free software for gamers looking to take their laptops or gaming PCs to the next level. EVGA Precision X allows you to overclock your Intel CPUs with ease and comes with a maximum of 10 custom user profiles.

However, if you want to overclock your GPU, it only works with Nvidia graphics cards, unlike MSI Afterburner, which works with both AMD and Nvidia GPUs.

EVGA Precision X has a number of useful settings. You can use it to dynamically set independent CPU voltages for ultimate processor control, use its linear mode for one-click overclocking, and use its scan mode to find the best voltage/frequency curve for your graphics card.

Main Features of EVGA Precision X

  • It is completely free to use.
  • Intel processors are supported.
  • It’s also capable of overclocking GPUs.

[su_button url=”https://www.evga.com/precisionx1/” target=”blank” center=”yes” icon=”icon: cloud-download”]Download EVGA Precision X[/su_button]

4. AMD Ryzen Master

Best CPU Overclocking Software

AMD Ryzen Master is arguably one of the best CPU overclocking software available, thanks to its comprehensive approach to overclocking.

In addition to CPU overclocking, AMD Ryzen Master includes pre-tuned settings for overclocking RAM and memory profiles to improve DDR3 RAM performance.

As you can see, AMD Ryzen Master is designed specifically for AMD processors, so if you have a Ryzen processor, you should use it.

However, because Ryzen and the latest AMD processors are already extremely high-performing, you won’t need to overclock them in most cases.

Main Features of AMD Ryzen Master

  • It is completely free to use.
  • AMD processors are supported.
  • It’s also capable of overclocking RAM.

[su_button url=”https://www.amd.com/en/technologies/ryzen-master” target=”blank” center=”yes” icon=”icon: cloud-download”]Download AMD Ryzen Master[/su_button]

5. CPU Tweaker

Best CPU Overclocking Software

CPU Tweaker is a small but powerful CPU tuning tool that allows you to overclock your CPU and boost your computer’s processing speed.

You get the best possible overclocking performance with its fine-tuned control features, without the frequent freezes and blue screens that unstable overclocks are prone to.

One disadvantage of CPU Tweaker is that the user interface is not very user-friendly, making it difficult to grasp. If you’re an experienced overclocker, on the other hand, you’ll love this tool.

Main Features of CPU Tweaker

  • It is completely free to use.
  • Lightweight
  • Compatible with Windows XP, 2003, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11.

[su_button url=”https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/cpu_tweaker.html” target=”blank” center=”yes” icon=”icon: cloud-download”]Download CPU Tweaker[/su_button]

Frequently Asked Questions about CPU Overclocking

Let’s take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions about CPU overclocking.

Is Overclocking Safe for Your CPU?

Overclocking the CPU is much safer now than it was a few years ago, when cooling systems were not as efficient as they are now.

Is it possible to undo CPU overclocking?

In the vast majority of cases, CPU overclocking can be easily reversible. Overclocking a processor that is already extremely powerful is not recommended.

Is Overclocking Your CPU Dangerous?

Overclocking the CPU is no longer as dangerous as it once was. Because cooling systems have improved over time, processors are now much more capable of handling heat. Furthermore, CPU and motherboard manufacturers frequently design with overclocking in mind, creating special hardware to accommodate it.

Does CPU Overclocking Void Warranty?

Because you’re exceeding the processor’s default specs, it technically voids your warranty. However, unless you willingly tell the CPU vendor that you overclocked it, there is no way for them to know.

Is the CPU Warranty Restored If I Reverse the Overclock?

If you’ve reversed your CPU overclock and restored all of the settings to their default values, the warranty should be restored. So long as you haven’t damaged the CPU—if you try to return a processor that has been damaged by overclocking, the hardware vendor may well figure out what happened to it.

But, in most cases, your system will shut down before anything truly terrible happens.

Is CPU Overclocking Worth It?

Today’s processors, such as AMD Ryzen and Apple’s M1 Silicon processors, are extremely capable and powerful.

You don’t need to overclock your CPU with this much power because they’re already extremely powerful and provide incredible performance. This is especially true when comparing today’s processors to those from only a few generations ago.

To summarize, CPU overclocking is almost obsolete at this point. Even today’s graphics cards are insanely powerful and don’t need to be overclocked. If you have an older CPU and GPU, you may want to consider overclocking them to meet modern gaming requirements.

The Bottom Line

These are the best CPU overclocking tools available right now, and they cover both AMD and Intel processors. The latest generations of CPUs, such as the Ryzen 7000-series and Intel’s 14th Gen Meteor Lake series, do not require overclocking. They’re already extremely powerful pieces of equipment.

Well, that’s all we have for you about the best CPU overclocking software to boost performance. We hope this guide helped you. If you liked this, don’t forget to check out our other best lists and how-to guidesFurthermore, if you have any questions or suggestions, please use the comment section below to contact us.

As always, proceed with caution, and best wishes!

Posted by
Noah Aronofsky

I’m a freelance content writer who (surprise!) kind of has a thing for tech. When I’m not working on guides for Make Tech Quick, you can probably find me somewhere in Teyvat, Novigrad, or Whiterun. Unless I’m feeling competitive, in which case you should try Erangel.

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