Should I Overclock My Monitor?
You must have heard of people overclocking their CPUs and GPUs. But have you heard of people overclocking their monitors? Of course, you must have, and that’s why you are asking yourself- Should I overclock my monitor? Now, this is an intelligent question to ask since overclocking means that you will be asking your monitor to perform at higher levels than the limit it can handle.
Here I will tell you if overclocking your monitor is ideal. So read on below:
What Are The Advantages Of Overclocking The Monitor?
Many people hear that overclocking their monitor gives them better results, so they go ahead with it. But a lot of them aren’t clear on the results that they will get due to it. So let me discuss the benefit you should ideally get upon overclocking.
Note that overclocking the monitor will improve its refresh rate, and so it will enhance your viewing experience by making it smoother. Know that refresh rate refers to the number of times each second an image gets refreshed. Now, often 60Hz gets the job done well.
But if you have a highly powerful graphics card, you can get more excellent frame rates out of it. However, a mismatch between the GPU’s frame rate and the monitor’s refresh rate ( for example, 120FPS+60Hz) can cause a screen tear.
This results in a very unpleasant viewing experience. So to avoid this jittery experience, many people increase the refresh rate to go as close as possible to the frame rate of their GPU. As you might guess, generally, gamers overclock their monitors since it improves the gaming experience.
Disadvantages of Overclocking Your Monitor
As I mentioned in the introductory paragraph, overclocking means that you will be pushing your system to perform past its normal limits. And so, there are some risks of going into that territory. Let me discuss them below:
Warranty Becomes Invalid
One of the most significant risks of overclocking your monitor is that its warranty can end up becoming void. This is because you are the one knowingly pushing your system beyond its capacity. As such, most warranties won’t cover this.
So you should check the warranty of your monitor before embarking on this task. If it’s clearly stated that it won’t cover overclocking, then you will be proceeding at your own risk of device damage.
Low-End Monitors Can’t Handle It
Know that generally, overclocking high-end gaming monitors doesn’t result in damage. Most gaming monitors come with an overclocking facility. So if you want to overclock your monitor for gaming, then look for those and buy those monitors.
I would severely advise you against overclocking standard monitors as that can damage the internal components. Know that many people have reported that overclocking their monitor resulted in the screen going black permanently or some applications not loading on screen at all.
Reduced Lifespan
Note that there is a risk of overclocking even with high-end gaming monitors. And that’s a reduced lifespan of the device. This is because increasing the refresh rate means that it will draw more current. As a result, your energy output from the power supply unit will increase. This will lead to the creation of more heat which can damage your components as time goes on.
Should You Overclock Your Monitor?
Now you know about the pros as well as cons of overclocking your monitor. So it’s now up to you to decide if overclocking is worth it or not. However, I would advise you to forego it if you are not a hardcore gamer or have a low-end monitor.
Note that if you are going for overclocking, make sure that you keep your entire system in a cool place and keep an eye on your heat and voltage levels. Remember that your goal should be to keep your system as cool as possible while overclocking it.
Also, here’s an extra tip from me if you will overclock your monitor: Overclock your monitor slowly. Increase 1Hz at a time and then check if the system can handle it. Once you hit the limit that makes your system crash, scale back a couple of Hz from it. This will prevent your monitor from getting damaged soon.
Overclocking a monitor does give a better gaming experience. But you should only do it if you have a monitor that can handle the pressure. Otherwise, you might end up with a damaged monitor and nothing else.
About the Author Michael E. Yates
Hi! The words you are going to read comes from me! A geek passionately and a writer of 5+ years professionally. If you ask about my likings, well, I love to tag along with upcoming technology trends. Though I also have contributed to many more technology sites through my writings. If you ask about my dreams, then one of them is finding an instant solution for every device malfunction, so I am creating a blog post. A blog post that will help more people like me. I, introduce thepcstuff.com the result of my hard work and patience. Do not worry, with me and my team behind the computers will make sure every vital information related to technology reaches all of you people. So, if you are ready to go on an adventurous ride with thepcstuff.com and me, let's get started!
