My Games Run Too Fast While Overclocking

Overclocking

• Overclocking is the process of making your computer components, primarily your central processing unit, or CPU, and your video card, perform at processing speeds faster than factory settings. For example, it may be possible to make your processor that normally runs at 2.4GHz run at speeds of 3.2GHz. Most processors, whether AMD or Intel, can be overclocked. However, the extent to which you can overclock your CPU is dependent on both the CPU and the connected motherboard. As overclocking your components can cause them to emit more heat, many users who overclock use additional cooling, such as CPU fans and liquid cooling systems, to maintain a safe temperature.

Benefits of Overclocking For PC Games

• Overclocking is primarily used by PC gamers who use the extra power and speed to improve the graphics and frame rate on computer games. Many PC gamers can see upgrades of 10 to 20 frames per second, depending on the game, when they overclock. As newer PC games are released, the technology used to create and display them increases as well, prompting the need for faster computer components. By overclocking, a user can extend the life of his current computer components, allowing him to delay purchasing an upgrade and running a game at higher settings than he normally would.

Older PC Games and Overclocking

• While overclocking allows you to run newer games at better graphical settings, it can have a negative impact on older games, primarily DOS-based PC games: It can cause them to run too fast. Many older games were CPU-dependent; having a CPU that is too fast can cause the game to speed up immensely. In many cases this speed increase can cause the game to become unplayable ̵1; characters move too quickly across the map, text scrolls too fast to read or your mouse moves too fast for you to accurately click an in-game object.

Slowing Down Older Games

• The simplest way to slow down your older games is to revert the settings on your computer components to the default factory settings. However, this can prove to be a hassle, as you need to change your settings back and forth depending on what you play. As an alternative, you can download a program that slows down your CPU. Such programs allow you to slow your CPU down temporarily while you play an older game, causing it to function as it was intended. If you are using any non-native programs to run your older games, check the documentation included to see if they offer ways to slow down games or limit frames.