Here’s why you might want to give it a shot, and how you go about doing so.
What Is Monitor Overclocking?
Overclocking a monitor means going past your monitor’s advertised refresh rate.
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Many ofour top-rated monitorsin fact use a standard 60Hz refresh rate.
The advertised refresh rate is the one you should expect to receive from your monitor when making a purchase.
Likeother types of overclocking, pushing your monitor beyond its advertised bounds is a game of trial and error.
HDMI Licensing Authority
That’s when you’ll have to stop and settle.
Do All Monitors Support Overclocking?
Not all monitors support overclocking.
Many standard 60Hz office monitors may struggle to exceed their native refresh rate.
To further complicate the issue, there can be a degree of variance between different units.
Manufacturing tolerances can make a difference.
The only way you’ll know if your monitor can be overclocked is to try it out for yourself.
Related:Should You Overclock Your Gaming Laptop?
With that in mind, many monitors can accept a modest overclock.
It’s not simply enough to overclock and call it a day, however.
When overclocking, your chosen resolution can make a difference to your chances of success.
Lastly, bandwidth can introduce a bottleneck.
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A 4K (UHD) 8-bit signal at 60Hz uses 17.82 Gbps.
If you’re connecting to a computer over anHDMI2.0b cable, your maximum available bandwidth is 18 Gbps.
You may be able toget around this using DisplayPort(DP).
The DP 1.4 standard has a maximum throughput of 32.4 Gbps, while DP 1.2 can manage 21.6 Gbps.
The easiest way to do it is using a graphics card utility.
When overclocking, it’s a good idea to increase by increments of around 5 Hz.
it’s possible for you to then hit “Test” to try out your new prefs.
Hit “Save” to test and activate your new parameters.
With CRU, you’re free to add custom resolutions to your Windows display options.
To use the app, download the CRU ZIP file from the link above andextract the contents.
Then,right-clickon CRU.exe, select “Run as Administrator,” and wait for the app to launch.
Use the drop-down at the top of the screen to select which display you want to overclock.
From here, click “Add” next to the “Standard Resolutions” box.
In the window that appears type your desired resolution and refresh rate.
Click “OK” to save, then reboot your system.
Verify Your Overclock
So you’ve managed to overclock your monitor, good job!
Now it’s time to confirm that your monitor is displaying all of the frames you are sending it.
This can result in frame skipping.
When frames skip, you might see uneven motion and noticeable stuttering.
Fortunately, you’re free to test for frame skipping using theBlur Busters Frame Skipping Check.
Now take a look at the photo you’ve taken.
Are There Any Risks to Overclocking?
Overclocking may place your monitor under additional stress and generate more heat while operating at a higher refresh rate.
This could lead to a shorter overall lifespan, but it’s hard to say for sure.
Related:Why You Should Overclock Your RAM (It’s Easy!)
Then when you’re just browsing and doing office work, you go back to regular refresh rates.
Want Even Higher Refresh Rates?
Buy a New Monitor
The gains you’ll encounter from overclocking your monitor may only be small.
Before you buy, ensure you pick a monitor whoserefresh rate suits your usage and computer’s performance.
You may also notice some benefits inusing a high refresh rate on the desktop.
