CPU overclocking increases clock performance so that the CPU runs beyond the manufacturer’s actual capacity, just like you would with your bike. Overclocking takes technique, but if you’re not familiar with it, you can use one of the five popular overclocking software below.
5 best CPU overclocking software
1. MSI Afterburner
MSI Afterburner is free software that allows you to overclock both CPU and GPU. This software also tells you detailed information about your hardware, MSI Afterburner allows you to control your computer’s fan speed, benchmark and video recording.
Furthermore, MSI Afterburner comes with a customizable user interface, multi-language support and Furmark-based software to unleash the full potential of your graphics card and boost your gaming performance.
Main features stand out
- Free to use
- Works with Intel CPUs
- It can also be used for GPU overclocking
2. Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (Intel XTU)
This is Intel CPU overclocking software that works mainly for Intel CPUs. Intel XTU allows you to overclock, monitor and stress test your PC, with several other special features for Intel CPUs and Intel motherboards.
Furthermore, the Intel XTU also gives you metrics like CPU temperature and usage, which can be used to track overclocking progress and see if it is causing any performance issues.
In the event of a bad CPU overclock, your computer may freeze and eventually shut down. To fix this, all you have to do is restart your computer, open the Intel XTU app and reset your overclock settings back to normal.
This is a fairly advanced piece of software, which is why you should not use it if you have never overclocked your CPU before. However, if you have experience overclocking CPU, Intel XTU is one of the best CPU overclocking apps right now.
Main features stand out
- Free to use
- Works with Intel CPUs
- User-friendly interface
- Easy to use for both beginners and professionals alike
3. EVGA Precision X
EVGA Precision X is another great, free software for gamers who want to take their gaming laptops or PCs to the next level. EVGA Precision X comes with up to 10 customizable user profiles and allows you to overclock your Intel CPU with ease.
However, if you want to use it to overclock your GPU, it only works with Nvidia graphics cards, unlike MSI Afterburner which also works with AMD GPUs.
EVGA Precision X comes with many useful settings. You can automatically set independent CPU voltages for maximum control over your processor, overclock with just one click with linear mode and find the optimal voltage level for your graphics card with scanning degree.
Main outstanding features
- Free to use
- Works with Intel CPUs
- Also useful for GPU overclocking
4. AMD Ryzen Master
With its comprehensive approach to overclocking, AMD Ryzen Master is arguably one of the best CPU overclocking software available today.
Along with the ability to overclock the CPU, AMD Ryzen Master comes with pre-tuned settings to overclock your RAM and memory to boost DDR3 RAM performance.
AMD Ryzen Master is made specifically for AMD CPUs, so you should use this software if you are using a Ryzen CPU.
However, since Ryzen and the latest AMD processors nowadays have pretty good performance already, you probably don’t need to overclock them.
Main features stand out
- Free to use
- Supports AMD CPUs
- Can also be used for RAM overclocking
5. CPU Tweaker
CPU Tweaker is a lightweight yet powerful CPU tuning utility that allows you to overclock your CPU to increase your computer’s processing performance.
With advanced controls, you’ll get the best possible overclocking performance without frequent crashes and a blue screen.
One downside of CPU Tweaker is that it is a bit difficult to use, as the user interface is not very beginner friendly. However, if you are an experienced overclocker, you will love this tool.
Main features stand out
- Free to use
- Works with Windows XP, 2003, Vista, 7 and 8
- Light capacity
Frequently asked questions about CPU overclocking
Is CPU overclock safe?
CPU overclocking is much safer than it was a few years ago when the cooling system wasn’t as efficient as it is today.
Is it possible to reverse CPU overclock?
In most cases, the CPU overclocking can be easily reversed. If you have a very powerful processor, you should not overclock it.
Is CPU overclocking dangerous?
CPU overclocking isn’t as dangerous as it once was. Today’s microprocessors have a much higher capacity to handle heat as the cooling system has improved over the years. Furthermore, CPU and motherboard manufacturers often pay attention to overclocking, producing hardware specifically suited to overclocking.
Should we overclock?
Today, there are very powerful processors on the market, such as the AMD Ryzen and M1 Silicon processors from Apple.
With this power, you don’t really need to overclock your CPU, as they are already powerful and offer amazing performance. This is especially true when we compare today’s processors with CPUs of decades ago.
In short, overclocking is almost unnecessary at this point. Even modern graphics cards are incredibly powerful and require no overclocking. However, if you have older CPUs and GPUs, you might consider overclocking them to keep up with modern game configuration requirements.
