How To Overclock A Monitor

Overclocking your monitor means pushing it past its native refresh rate. It’s a quite safe way to squeeze a bit of extra performance out of your monitor, which can lead to smoother scrolling and a better gaming experience; if your GPU can follow the monitor OC. Below, you’ll find out how to overclock a monitor with multiple tools. Before we show you how to do it, let’s talk about potential risks and the actual chance of being able to overclock your monitor.

When it comes to monitor overclocking, while a very safe thing to do, it still comes with certain risks. The most common issue you might encounter is getting a black screen and having to restart your PC. But, in case your monitor is factory overclocked (many high refresh rate monitors come with some form of a factory overclock), you can encounter serious issues. So, if you have a monitor that’s factory overclocked, we strongly advise you not to overclock it further, it can get broken.

Next, chances are you won’t be able to overclock your monitor if you own a high refresh rate model. They are already pushed to the max. For instance, many 240Hz gaming monitors are factory overclocked. Even the 120Hz or 144Hz monitors are usually impossible to overclock because they come with various methods to limit the OC. Methods such as firmware (software) or hardware limiters. Further, in some cases, you might be able to overclock your monitor but the video connection you’re using isn’t capable of pushing a specific combination of resolution and framerate.

You’ll have the best chances to overclock a monitor if you own a 60Hz model. They are usually capable of running at least at 70Hz, which isn’t a lot but can make a difference in games and while scrolling down webpages. And before we explain how to do it, let us warn you again about risks. Be sure to check if your model is factory overclocked. If it is, don’t try to OC your monitor further. Now, let’s see how you can overclock your monitor with different tools.

Overclocking Monitor With CRU

CRU (Custom resolution utility) is an app that’s been here for years and years. It’s free to use and works with GPUs from the big three – Nvidia, AMD, and Intel. Do note that, in case you encounter issues with your GPU, try overclocking with different tools.

First of all, download the app and extract it to a new folder. Next, open CRU and click on the “Add…” button in the “Detailed resolutions” tab. Next, change the “Refresh rate” value to your desired OC value. We recommend starting with 5Hz higher than your monitor default refresh rate and going from there.

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Once you set up the new custom resolution with overclocked refresh rate it should be visible in the detailed resolutions tab. Now, reboot your PC so the change can be detected by the OS. Once the PC is rebooted, if you’re on Windows 10 right-click on the desktop and select Display Settings. Next, scroll down until you find Advanced display settings.

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Open the menu and click on “Display adapter properties for Display 1” (if you use a multimonitor setup you can also select other displays, in case you overclocked one of those). Once a new window is opened click on the “Monitor” tab and then select a different refresh rate. Your newly created custom refresh rate should be offered as a choice. Remember, if the OC refresh rate is too high the monitor should stay black for 15 seconds and then revert to the default refresh rate. But if that doesn’t happen, reboot your PC and you should be fine.

Overclocking Monitor With Nvidia Control Panel

Owners of Nvidia cards should use Nvidia Control Panel for overclocking their monitor because it’s safer since you can test the OC refresh rate in the control panel before applying the settings.

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Okay, right-click on the desktop and then click on Nvidia Control Panel. Now, select the “Change resolution” option listed under the “Display” tab. Next, click on “Customize” and then on “Create Custom Resolution.” Once there, just tweak the refresh rate value, and then click on “Test.” If the test is successful, apply the settings and then repeat the procedure for applying the overclocked refresh rate in Windows 10.

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Overclocking Monitor With Intel HD Graphics Control Panel

If you have an integrated GPU from Intel, you can use the Intel Control Panel for overclocking your monitor. Open the control panel by finding it in the Start menu, then click on “Display” and then click on the “Custom” button right from the resolution option. In there, type your native resolution along with the desired refresh rate and then click on “Okay.”

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Intel Control Panel should warn you in case your monitor cannot support the overclocked refresh rate. But if all goes well after you apply the overclock, reboot the PC and follow the aforementioned procedure of applying the new refresh rate, if you’re on Windows 10.

Overclocking Monitor With AMD Radeon Software

Last but not least, we have the Radeon Software for owners of AMD graphics cards and APUs. We don’t have access to an AMD GPU so you won’t find any screenshots in this section. Okay, first of all, open Radeon Software by right-clicking on the desktop. Once opened, go to the “Display” tab.

Once in there, find the “Custom Resolutions” option and click on “Create.” Tweak the refresh rate and then save the custom resolution. Repeat the procedure for applying the new refresh rate option by rebooting the PC and going into Windows 10 display settings.

Before we end, we would like to again remind everyone that most modern gaming monitors aren’t good overclockers. These days, even budget gaming monitors come with a 144Hz refresh rate that’s more than enough for an ultra-smooth web browsing experience and competitive gaming. Further, many models come with software limiters that won’t let you OC your monitor even by one Herz. And never attempt to overclock a monitor that’s factory overclocked out of the box. There’s a high chance you’re going to have a bad time.

About The Author

Goran Damnjanovic

Goran studied psychology but video games and PC hardware were much more interesting. On top of that he likes writing so he decided to become a writer. And it was the right choice. Other than games and hardware, Goran is interested in basketball, Sci-Fi literature, and music.

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