Overclocking a laptop
Overclocking a laptop
Hello everyone!
I've been part of the PC building community for a while now. I'm a gamer with some basic and advanced knowledge about computers. Recently, I purchased a gaming laptop from Lenovo, the Y520, because I won't be staying at home anymore and I can take my desktop with me. I just wanted to learn more about overclocking laptops. Here are the details: Intel Core i5 7300HQ 2.5GHz - 3.5GHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB GDDR5.
Should I try overclocking for better performance?
If possible, what should I focus on and how much?
Could you also share some tips for optimizing laptops?
Thanks!
Only suggestion would be that if you happen to have a decent piece of silicon you can try to reduce voltages (if possible) and lower temperatures. That should increase performance a little by giving the components more headroom to stay boosted for longer.
Exceeding the design spec of the cooler will result in overheating. You only see overclocking as a legitimate option on more 'custom' laptop hardware that is much more massive. Now that they are shoving desktop parts into laptops, there isn't a huge need. You just pay for the speed you want and watch the battery whimper.
I'm trying to recall the model that drained the battery while plugged in and gaming. I vaguely recall it being an alienware offering. Some newer heavy duty laptops...
Laptops usually aren't able to be overclocked. If forced, it would be limited by BIOS settings, and even then, you'd likely face serious overheating problems.
Only a good chunk of silicon might help; reducing voltages and lowering temps could boost performance slightly. Staying within design limits keeps things stable. Going beyond specs for the cooler leads to overheating. Overclocking is mainly viable on custom laptops, not typical desktops. With more laptops squeezing into desktops, demand isn’t high. Just pay for speed you need and accept slower battery life.
Only a handful of users on Tom's suggest overclocking laptops. The main issue is heat, as laptops are already at their thermal limits when under continuous stress. Some individuals attempt to boost performance by lowering the GPU voltage using MSI Afterburner, while simultaneously increasing frequency for the GPU processor and VRAM.