Although you are running your PC at its base clock speed, it’s generating extreme heat, consuming extra power, and the processor fan is always noisy.
So, you are giving a second thought to undervolt your CPU but are confused about the safety factor?
I can feel your pain. I was in a similar situation. But through experimenting, I have come to a concrete conclusion about it.
Stay with me till the end, and I promise you will have a definite answer.
Is it Safe to Undervolt CPU?
Yes, It is safe to undervolt the CPU. There are no hardware factors regarding an undervolt CPU that can damage your CPU as long as you don’t mess with the clock speed. What’s more, When you undervolt your CPU, the CPU gets Cooler.
Undervolting means lowering your CPU voltage without lowering the clock speed. For those who avoid CPU overclocking due to the extra heat and noise, undervolting the CPU will benefit you. If You are just going to run at a base clock speed, the undervoting will reduce the heat and noise of your device.
In a word, undervolting is gaining the base speed of a Processor but putting a low current in the chip.
High voltage makes a CPU temperature high and causes a lag in the system operation, and also can fry your CPU in extreme cases. Undervolting the CPU decreases the voltage while ensuring the CPU’s clock speed. This helps with the heat of the CPU as well as some other factors.
However, the temperature drop is not significant. But a few celsius coolers in the CPU increases the performance dramatically. You can see the difference while gaming or rendering something.
But undervolting and overclocking the CPU at the same time fails the CPU Operation because more clock speed needs more voltage.
Also, don’t forget to check out our experts tested best CPU cooler with screen.
How does Undervolting Beneift the CPU?
Undervolting your PC makes the CPU run at its base speed but with lower power.
Here are the Benefits of undervolting CPU:
- You can run your pc cooler the before without using a high-end fan for your processor or an extra cooler for your laptop.
- It omits the noise of the fan, which is very disturbing.
- It extends the battery life quite a few and prevents extra power consumption.
- By undervolting the processor, you can run your CPU longer than before.
- It increases the life span of your CPU and keeps the optimum performance.
Also, check out our separate post on fix Microsoft block level backup engine high CPU usage.
Should You Undervolt your CPU?
There is no definite answer to this. The choice of undervolt your CPU is solely based on some answers or these questions.
- Why do you use the pc that you want to undervolt?
- Is the base clock speed of your pc is enough for you?
- Do you live in a hotter environment?
- Whether your pc consumes more power or not?
If You use your pc for light purposes like watching movies or running a lightweight program, then overclocking is for you.
However, If you are a heavy-duty gamer or a graphics designer or use your pc for heavy work and need overclocking the CPU, then Undervolt is not recommended.
Check out the fastest way to Overclock DDR4 RAM.
What is Silicon Lottery?
The term Silicon Lottery refers to when people obtain varied results from the same chip model. In other words, you have the same chip as somebody else, but you won’t be able to turbo or overclock or undervolt at the same rate.
For the manufacturing process of the CPU, each CPU can be different in the same batch. Each CPU can achieve different maximum and minimum clock frequencies. Like some can be faster or slower, some can consume more power than others.
This is Called Silicon Lottery…
You and your next-door can buy the same CPU with the same model, but the performance between you two may differ in huge quantities.
Check out our separate post on Motherboard Affecting Performance on PC.
What should you Consider while Undervolting your CPU?
Undervolting your CPU doesn’t have the risk of damaging the component itself. However, if you do it incorrectly, then some software won’t work accordingly. So for a smooth undervolting process, you need to consider some factors.
The Silicon Lottery is an essential factor regarding undervolting your CPU. When the processor says it runs at 2 GHz at 1.2v, it is tasted in that exact value only. But the worst-case operating voltage and the maximum operating temperature varies each processor. So, when undervolting your CPU, your lowest value will depend on the Silicon Lottery factor.
While using AMD Ryzen Master Utility & Intel’s Extreme Tuning kit for undervolting the CPU, there is a function that the BIOS can automatically throttle down the CPU clock speed if you low your voltage too much. So you don’t get the optimum performance in your CPU.
For that reason, keep the CPU fixed at base clock speed and then down the voltage.
If your processor supports Turbo boost mode, It may not work in the low voltage mode. Make Sure to test if the turbo works or not while undervolting your CPU. And keep the voltage at that limit where the turbo works While undervolting your CPU.
Things to Do before Undervolting the CPU
There are some essential tips I tell you before undervolting the CPU. You need to follow these tips accordingly if you don’t want to face the worst-case scenario.
Here are the steps to follow before undervolting your CPU:
- First, Find out how low you can lower your CPU voltage before starting the undervolting. Because if you low your voltage quite a bit, you cant boot your computer.
- Check the support section of the motherboard for how low the frequency it can run and what to do if it gets to a point where it is not compatible with the voltage of the CPU.
- Make sure to reset your BIOS before attempting any unervolting of your CPU. Because when the motherboard gets bricked (it can happen in some cases) in the middle of the process, it won’t work until you reset your BIOS.
Undervolting vs Overclocking: What is the Difference?
Overclocking your CPU means increasing the clock rate, then the factory clock speed, and increasing the voltage accordingly to stable the system. On the other hand, undervolting the CPU is too low the voltage but not the base clock speed.
The Overclocking increases the clock speed > so it gives more performance >So it needs more power > more power generates more heat >, in the end, it affects the longevity.
In other thought, Undervolting decreases the power usage>, so it lowers the heat > So CPU is more stable > So It increases the lifespan.
You can do both in any CPU available on the market, but not at the same time. If you attempt both Undervolting and Overclocking, you can permanently damage your CPU. The CPU won’t open in most cases. However, in the worst-case scenario, You may fry your motherboard, socket, or power supply.
So I don’t recommend doing both at the same CPU same time.
Recently G.skill has released their Trident Z royal series of memory modules which can be overclocked up to 4600 MHz (rated).
FAQ
Does Undervolting Cancel Out Warranty?
Yes. Everything you do with your CPU that isn’t in the default setting cancels your warranty.
Does undervolting increase FPS?
No undervolting won’t increase your FPS, But you can play the game longer than before.
Does undervolting CPU affect GPU?
No. But if you face some difficulties, switch it back to default and do it again.
Can you undervolt your GPU?
Technically you can. However, I won’t recommend doing it.
Conclusion
So long story short, undervolting your CPU doesn’t involve any hardware risks, but in minor cases, some software issues. So it is safe to undervolting Your CPU. But look out for some factors regarding the Undervolting CPU.
After reading this article thoroughly, I am confident that you have got your answers, if undervolting your CPU is safe or not. If You undervolt your CPU, then follow my tips and tricks accordingly So that You won’t face any problems.
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