Is it possible to overclock the monitor to 75 Hz. Monitor matrix overclocking - theory and practice. Potential consequences and solutions
I think that most PC users have heard about the fact that you can overclock a processor, video card or RAM. However, few people know about the fact that you can also overclock the monitor, and often the difference from its overclocking is more significant and noticeable than from overclocking other hardware. It is also safer, but more on that below.
Theory
To begin with, what is meant by overclocking a monitor matrix? This implies an increase in the refresh rate of the monitor from the standard 60 Hz and by how much it will turn out - 70-75, sometimes 120, and even 150 Hz (!). Why is this needed? To improve the smoothness of the picture. What does it mean that the refresh rate of the monitor is 60 Hz? This means that the picture on the screen changes exactly 60 times per second. In this case, the video card can produce both a lower number of fps and more. If the number of frames issued by the video card is less than the refresh rate, then some frame will be displayed twice (or even three times), which can lead to noticeable delays. If the number of frames issued by the video card is greater than the monitor's refresh rate, then it will turn out that two or three frames will be displayed on the screen at once, which will lead to artifacts:
The trade-off is the vertical sync setting. What is its essence? It tightly links one frame, prepared by the video card, to one update of the image on the monitor. And here, if your video card consistently produces more frames than the monitor's refresh rate, then you will get an ideal smooth picture, but your video card will not be 100% loaded from time to time and will rest. And it is precisely this mode of operation that is often used in the system - for example, when you scroll in the browser, you do not see artifacts, and at the same time the scrolling is smooth.
Raising the monitor's refresh rate kills two birds with one stone: firstly, now vertical sync will run at a higher frequency, which means the smoothness will increase even more (I think everyone saw the difference in YouTube videos with 30 and 60 frames? Here also). Secondly, if your video card in games produced more than 60 frames per second, now the threshold for the appearance of artifacts is pushed back to the new refresh rate, while the information on the screen will be updated more often, which is quite important for dynamic games.
Of course, the question arises - how safe is it? It is much safer than overclocking hardware: if the monitor cannot work at a given frequency, it simply will not turn on. If it works at a given frequency, it means that you will not have any problems. Overheating, as in the case of overclocking a processor or video card, is definitely not in danger.
Practice
Now that we have figured out a little theory, you can move on to practice. The first thing you need to know is that any monitor and even laptop matrices are chasing, but there are several limiting factors at once. The first is the connection method: via DVI at a resolution of 1920x1080, you are unlikely to get more than 65 Hz - this is due to the rather low bandwidth of the interface. Through older HDMIs (up to 1.4) at the same resolution, you will most likely be able to get around 75-85 Hz. Well, through the new HDMI (1.4-2.0), Thunderbolt or DisplayPort there are practically no restrictions - you can get 120-165 Hz. Similarly, there is often no limitation for laptop matrices connected directly to the board. The second limiting factor is the matrix itself, or rather its controller. It happens that even with a fast connection, when the frequency is increased, some image artifacts appear - alas, there is nothing you can do here, except to reduce the frequency to the last stable one.
Now let's talk about how to overclock. Owners of video cards from Nvidia are lucky here - for them the algorithm is simple: you need to go to the Nvidia control panel, go to the "Change resolution" tab, click on the "Settings" button, in the window that opens, check the box to enable modes that are not supported by the display, and then click on the "Create custom resolution" button, and in the window that opens, we finally get access to change the refresh rate:
The frequency should be raised by 3-5 Hz, then press the "Test" button. If no artifacts appear and there is an image, raise the frequency even higher. As soon as artifacts appear or the image disappears, reduce it to the previous operating frequency, and then raise it by 1 Hz - in general, everything here is exactly the same as with normal overclocking of a video card. After you have found the desired refresh rate, simply save the resulting configuration, and it will appear in user permissions.
As you can see, there is no risk here - if the monitor “does not start up” at the frequency you specified, after 20 seconds the system will roll back the frequency value to the default. Alas - everything is so good only with video cards from Nvidia, with video cards from AMD or Intel everything is worse - there you cannot increase the frequency in the driver settings, but there is a universal application that will help you do this - it is called Custom Resolution Utility (CRU), download its latest version is possible.
I will warn you right away - the program's problem is that it does not have a Test button, as is the case with Nvidia, so the frequencies are applied immediately and irrevocably. So if after setting the frequency you see a black screen, either connecting a second monitor and returning the settings to default will help you, or entering through safe mode and doing the same.
Working with the program is quite simple - you launch it, remove all permissions from the standard ones and uncheck all the boxes on the left (I will not do this for myself, because I have already overclocked the matrix through the Nvidia settings): 
Now, under the window with Detailed resolutions, click on the Add button, set Automatic - LCD Reduced and change the refresh rate below: 
Here the principle is the same - we increase the frequency by 3-5 Hz, click OK, save everything and reboot. Now go to the AMD (or Intel) panel and set a new frequency: 
So, in general, that's all - as you can see, there is nothing difficult or dangerous.
Well, the last question remains - since almost all matrices are overclocked, why do not manufacturers do this from the factory? Everything is simple here: there is such a concept as a standard, and for the refresh rate of monitors it has been 60 Hz for a long time. Therefore, manufacturers, even if the matrix is capable of operating at 70-80 Hz, still limit its frequency to the standard 60 Hz. Secondly - often everything depends on the connection method. For example, you can transfer 1080p60 via any interface, even DVI, even Thunderbolt 3. But for 1080p80 you already need a special cable - DVI and old HDMI are no longer suitable. And in order not to create confusion, manufacturers again limited themselves to 60 hertz.
As for the question, to overclock or not to overclock - it's up to you and only you. If you managed to increase the frequency from 60 to 65 Hz, then there is no point in such overclocking, you will not see the difference. But when overclocked to 75 and above Hz, the difference becomes clearly visible, so the game is worth the candle here. It should also be borne in mind that after overclocking, the load on the video card during normal operation will increase - after all, it will now have to produce more frames per second, so if you overclock the matrix on a laptop, you should take into account that your battery life will decrease slightly.
Modern monitors have a considerable number of characteristics and parameters, thanks to which we tend to choose a particular model. Screen diagonal, matrix type, brightness, contrast, response. But there is a parameter that instantly hangs a "game" label on any monitor - this is the refresh rate of the screen.Screen refresh rate is a characteristic that indicates the maximum number of frames per second that a monitor can display (measured in Hertz (Hz)). Due to the high frequency of the screen, good smoothness and dynamics of the image are achieved.
60 (75), 144 AND 240 HERZ
Most common monitors with a frequency of 60 Hz- these are ordinary monitors that we are used to seeing, the standard of "today" day. Movies, the Internet, work and study, games - will fit for different tasks at an affordable price. There is an increased frequency of 75 Hz - it is already more pleasant to work and play with such a monitor. Many will convince you that there is no difference between 60 Hz and 75 Hz. Know - it is, you just have to try.
The standard of tomorrow is 144Hz monitors... As a rule, such monitors can be considered gaming monitors in absentia, and this is not casual, because the frequency is almost 2.5 times higher. Such monitors are the benchmark in the esports industry, and it is not in vain that they have aggressive promotion and respect among young people, despite the high cost by 2-3 times. Even when surfing the web, you will feel the smooth movement of windows, cursor, content on the Internet, not to mention games. These sensations are difficult to describe - it is better to try it yourself once in order to understand, and be sure - once will be enough for it to be far from the last.
Monitors 240 Hz- this is the standard of the "day after tomorrow" day, which will not come soon. Such monitors are flagships, and not every buyer can afford such a pleasure. The price difference is almost double that of 144 Hz monitors, but the smoothness of the picture is no longer so much different than that of 60 Hz and 144 Hz monitors, although some changes are still noticeable. Due to the high price (2 times more than 144 Hz monitors), the demand for such monitors is not high, but we believe that one day these monitors will also be in demand on the market.
FREESYNC (FREESYNC 2 HDR), G-SYNC
The essence of Freesync (Freesync 2 HDR) and G-Sync is to forcibly refresh the monitor screen at the time the frame is drawn, synchronize the video card and monitor. After all, yours cannot produce the same number of frames per second throughout the entire game, because of this, visual frame breaks appear on the monitor.
FreeSync is owned by AMD and controls the refresh rate of the display through the DisplayPort interface, while NVidia's G-Sync uses a proprietary chip installed in the monitor. Due to this, G-Sync will cost more, but any video card of the NVidia GTX level will easily support this technology, while not every AMD Radeon video card supports FreeSync. The advantage of AMD FreeSync is that it allows you to work in the 9-240 Hz range, while NVidia G-Sync only 30-144 Hz. In addition, NVidia suggests disabling G-Sync altogether when it falls below 30 frames per second.
COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS
There is one significant remark - since the monitor is capable of operating at 144 Hz, then it should produce at least 144 FPS (Frame Per Second ( English.) - frame per second). It will only be better if it is higher, so that in games with a drop in FPS, the number of frames does not fall below 144, because this is fraught with a decrease in the smoothness of the picture. In simple words - if the game on the computer produces only 60 frames, there is almost no point in 144 Hz or 240 Hz in a gaming monitor. You need to take care of the power of your PC in advance - buy it in addition, and if necessary, update it. the number of FPS directly depends on them.
- DOTA II, CS GO, OVERWATCH will do just fine with either a processor level and (or two sticks for) RAM to provide a stable 140-150 FPS
- GTA V, THE WITCHER III, PUBG (PLAYERUNKNOWN "S BATTLEGROUNDS) for 144 FPS will require at least one, or better two, processor level / or and (or two strips for) RAM
However, the FPS in games can be increased not only by powerful ones, but also by lowering the graphical settings in the game, as professional gamers and e-sportsmen do, in order to achieve the maximum FPS value.
BEST 144HZ GAMING MONITORS FOR YOUR PRICE
Of the available options, it is worth noting the monitor is a modified version of the first - an aesthetic design, a control panel, improved ergonomics and new software and hardware improvements have reborn the iconic monitor. And finally, the 34 "" monster - a curved IPS-matrix with a 2560x1080 resolution, FreeSync support and much more will appeal to the most sophisticated gamer with a wide pocket. at a monitor cost of more than $ 600, it is 100% justified.
Any PC and laptop owner has heard about the possibility of overclocking the processor and other components, but few know how to overclock the monitor. What is it for? To improve the smoothness of the picture and the frame rate on the screen, as well as increase the FPS in games. Also, this option will be useful if your eyes hurt from working at the computer. Today we will tell you how to overclock your monitor from 60 to 75 or 120 Hz.
What's improving?
The main parameter is the change in the frame refresh rate (Hz). For any monitor, this value is one of the most important and is on average 60 or 75 Hz. In general terms, this parameter affects the smoothness of the picture, increases the FPS, reduces eye fatigue, the gamer can actually track the improvements in graphics in games. Thus, the improvements are useful in e-sports, for those who like watching high-quality video and for those whose activities are closely related to the constant work at the computer.
How to overclock the monitor matrix to 75 Hz and higher?
So, there are several easy ways to do this. For NVIDIA graphics card owners, this is much easier and more comfortable. Software from other manufacturers (AMD, Intel) does not have the required function due to drivers, so it is more convenient to use a special utility Custom Resolution Utility (CRU), which provides such an opportunity for absolutely everyone. Let's consider each case separately.
Frequency setting in NVIDIA
Note! It is not recommended to change other parameters, because we are only interested in the Hz frequency. The very procedure for overclocking the screen is simple. It is necessary to gradually increase the frequency by running the monitor in “Test” until a black screen appears. After that, you need to reduce the frequency by 2-3 Hz, and try to start the image. Do not worry, if you choose an unsuitable parameter, the system itself will roll back the change to the previous one.
Overclocking via CRU program (for AMD)
Work with the utility Custom Resolution Utility simple enough, but you need to know that there is no testing function in it. At least for now. What do we have to do:
As a rule, the search ends when a black screen appears. It is important to pay attention to the frequency at which the monitor was operating normally so as not to start over. In the case of AMD Radeon or Intel, after completing the procedure, you need to open their panel and set the frequency specified in the CRU there.
Potential consequences and solutions
It is possible to overclock the monitor screen, but you need to remember that incorrect setting of the frame refresh rate leads to:
- friezes - noticeable to the eye slowdowns of the image when the video card gives out fewer frames than the monitor;
- the appearance of artifacts - 2 or more images, sent by the video card, fit in one frame on the screen (the GPU has a frequency that is higher than the monitor);
- black screen - unsupported display parameter at the hardware level.
To solve the problem, you need to use the following rollback methods:
- logging into the system in "Safe Mode" with the subsequent return of the settings;
- using a second monitor;
- reinstallation of display firewood and video card;
- readjustment of the parameter in the overclocking utility or in the software of the video card.
As you can see, there are no contraindications to monitor overclocking, so why not do it? Moreover, even an increase of a few Hertz will ease the strain on the eyes and make the work more pleasant.
Is overclocking harmful?
It should be noted right away that almost any modern monitor can actually be overclocked and its performance increased from 60 Hertz. Frequencies of 75-80 Hz are far from the limit both in fresh models and in old displays.
The reason is that any monitor is capable of updating the picture more often than is laid down in its characteristics, including the maximum allowable ones. Restrictions are imposed intentionally, and not at all because it can lead to malfunctions, but because of maintaining standards. In addition, this allows the use of a marketing policy in which 2 monitors with the same components produce different frame rates. As a rule, these "gaming" screens are sold at a higher price. It is important that such restrictions are imposed by the hardware controller.
As for the video card, the situation is similar. It is able to work faster, but relying on the capabilities of the monitor, it gives out a limited frequency. Perhaps the only possible limitation is the type of connection. Older variants of DVI and HDMI connections (up to version 1.4) have low bandwidth. In the first case, with a high screen resolution, it is unlikely that it will be possible to squeeze more than 65 Hz, and in the second - up to 75 Hz.
Noteworthy is the overclocking of the laptop display. They are overclocked significantly less frequently to maintain battery life. In addition, they are more likely to use flicker-blocking components.
Let's summarize
Now you know how easy the monitor overclocks. Increasing the frequency is a useful procedure for any user. There is nothing complicated in it, and it will not harm the computer, in contrast to overclocking the same processors or views. Note! In this article, we examined overclocking exclusively for computer monitors. Changing the frequency on TVs and high-definition panels is highly discouraged! If you have any comments - write in the comments.