Other projects • YAOG - Yet Another Overclocking Guide

YAOG - Yet Another Overclocking Guide
for Rpi 5

Unlock the full potential of your Raspberry Pi 5 with safe, methodical overclocking

Disclaimer

IMPORTANT: Read before proceeding

Overclocking your Raspberry Pi 5 is done entirely at your own risk. This process may:

Void your warranty
Cause permanent hardware damage
Lead to system instability, data corruption, or data loss
Reduce the lifespan of your device

The author is not responsible for any damage resulting from following this guide. Raspberry Pi is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Ltd. The author is not affiliated with Raspberry Pi Ltd and uses this name purely for descriptive purposes.

Active cooling is MANDATORY for overclocking. Do not attempt to overclock with passive cooling or no cooling solution.

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Prerequisites
Understanding Silicon Revisions (D0 vs C1)
Default Values and Parameters
Editing config.txt
Firmware Update Procedures
Step-by-Step Overclocking Procedure
Stability Testing with Pi-Under-Pressure
CPU Governor Settings
Monitoring and Diagnostics
Fan Speed Configuration
PCIe Gen 3 Mode
Understanding Throttling
Recovery When System Won't Boot
Performance Benchmarking
OS Performance Differences
Achievable Results and Silicon Lottery
Best Practices Summary
Advanced: Beyond 3.0 GHz
FAQ and Troubleshooting
Reference Links

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1. Introduction

The Raspberry Pi 5, powered by the BCM2712 SoC with four Cortex-A76 cores, delivers impressive performance at its stock 2.4 GHz frequency. However, with proper cooling and configuration, many units can achieve stable operation at 2.8-3.0 GHz, unlocking significant additional performance for demanding workloads.

This guide provides a comprehensive, methodical approach to overclocking your Raspberry Pi 5 safely. We'll cover everything from basic configuration to advanced monitoring, with a focus on verifying stability using Pi-Under-Pressure — a specialized stress-testing tool designed specifically for overclocked Raspberry Pi systems.

What you'll learn:

How to configure overclocking parameters
How to test stability at each frequency step
How to monitor your system during stress tests
How to recover if something goes wrong
Best practices for long-term stable operation

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2. Prerequisites

Before you begin overclocking, ensure you have:

Hardware Requirements

Raspberry Pi 5 — 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB model (all work)
Cooling — Active cooling solution (Official Active Cooler minimum)
Power Supply — Official 27W USB-C power supply (5.1V / 5A)
Storage — microSD card or NVMe SSD
Monitor — HDMI display (recommended for seeing kernel panics)

Software Requirements

64-bit Raspberry Pi OS or compatible distribution (DietPi, Ubuntu)
Updated system packages
Terminal access (SSH or direct)

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3. Understanding Silicon Revisions (D0 vs C1)

Not all Raspberry Pi 5 units are identical. The BCM2712 SoC has been manufactured with different silicon steppings:

Stepping Versions

Code:

Stepping    Chip ID       Models                        Board Revision--------    -------       ------                        --------------C1          BCM2712C1     Original 4GB, 8GB             rev 1.0D0          BCM2712D0     2GB, 16GB, later 4GB/8GB      rev 1.1

D0 Stepping Improvements

The D0 stepping features significant improvements:

33% smaller die (37.67mm² vs 55.84mm²)
~30% lower idle power consumption (2.4W vs 3.3W)
~4°C cooler under load
Removed unused "dark silicon" (Ethernet controller, UARTs 3-4, SDIO0)

Important: Despite these thermal advantages, D0 stepping does not provide higher maximum overclocking frequencies. The silicon lottery still determines your chip's maximum stable frequency.

Practical implication: If you have a 16GB or 2GB model (or newer 4GB/8GB), you may see slightly lower temperatures during stress testing, but your maximum stable frequency will still depend on your specific chip.

Source: Jeff Geerling — New 2GB Pi 5 has 33% smaller die, 30% idle power savings

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4. Default Values and Parameters

Note: These values may vary slightly depending on the operating system, firmware version, and board revision. Always verify your current settings before making changes.

Stock Configuration

Code:

Parameter             Default Value    Description---------             -------------    -----------arm_freq              2400 MHz         CPU frequencygpu_freq              910 MHz          VideoCore VII frequencyover_voltage          0                Voltage offset (legacy)over_voltage_delta    0                Voltage offset in microvolts (recommended)force_turbo           0                DVFS enabled (default)

Overclocking Parameters

Code:

Parameter             Range              Description---------             -----              -----------arm_freq              2400-3000+ MHz     CPU clock frequencygpu_freq              910-1100 MHz       GPU clock frequencyover_voltage_delta    0-50000+ µV        Voltage adjustment (preserves DVFS)over_voltage          0-8                Legacy voltage offset (disables DVFS)force_turbo           0 or 1             Force maximum frequency always

Tip: Start with CPU only

When beginning your overclocking journey, focus on arm_freq first and leave gpu_freq at default (910 MHz). This makes troubleshooting easier — if you change both simultaneously and experience instability, you won't know which one is causing the problem. Only increase gpu_freq after you've found a stable CPU frequency, and only if you have a specific use case (desktop graphics, V3D, video encoding).

Why Use over_voltage_delta Instead of over_voltage?

The over_voltage_delta parameter is strongly recommended over the legacy over_voltage because:

Preserves DVFS — Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling continues to work
Better power efficiency — System can still downclock when idle
Finer control — Adjustments in microvolts instead of fixed steps
Lower idle temperatures — Voltage scales with frequency

over_voltage_delta Value Guide

The value is specified in microvolts (µV). The maximum effective voltage is capped at 1.0V by hardware, regardless of settings.

Code:

Value (µV)    Voltage Added    Risk Level    Typical Use Case----------    -------------    ----------    ----------------0             +0.000V          Safe          Stock operation10000         +0.010V          Safe          Mild OC (2.5-2.6 GHz)25000         +0.025V          Safe          Conservative OC (2.7-2.8 GHz)50000         +0.050V          Moderate      Common stable OC (2.8-3.0 GHz)75000         +0.075V          Higher        Pushing limits (3.0 GHz)100000+       +0.100V+         High          Extreme OC (not recommended)

Recommendations:

Start low — Begin with over_voltage_delta=0 and only increase if stability tests fail
Safe zone — Values up to 50000 µV are generally considered safe for daily use
Caution zone — Values 50000-75000 µV require excellent cooling
Danger zone — Values above 75000 µV significantly increase heat and may reduce chip lifespan
Hardware limit — The BCM2712 has a hard cap at 1.0V; higher delta values won't exceed this

Undervolting: The value is a signed integer, so negative values (e.g., -5000) can be used for undervolting to reduce power consumption and heat.

Sources: Raspberry Pi Forums, Jeff Geerling

What Does force_turbo=1 Do?

By default (force_turbo=0), the CPU frequency governor dynamically adjusts clock speeds:

Under load — Clocks increase to maximum frequency
At idle — Clocks drop to minimum frequency to save power

Setting force_turbo=1:

Forces maximum frequency at all times, even when idle
Increases power consumption and heat during idle
Disables frequency scaling part of DVFS (voltage scaling may still work)

When to use:

Benchmarking (ensures consistent maximum performance)
Latency-sensitive applications
When you want to eliminate frequency ramping delays

When NOT to use:

Daily operation (unnecessary power consumption)
24/7 running systems (extra heat, wear)

Important: Raspberry Pi officially discourages using force_turbo=1 for normal overclocking. It's primarily a benchmarking tool. For daily use, rely on the CPU governor to manage frequencies dynamically.

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5. Editing config.txt

File Location

On Raspberry Pi OS (Trixie, Bookworm, and newer), the configuration file is located at:

/boot/firmware/config.txt

Note: Older guides may reference /boot/config.txt. On modern Raspberry Pi OS, a symlink exists for backwards compatibility, but always use /boot/firmware/config.txt to avoid issues.

How to Edit

Code:

sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

Saving and applying changes:

Press Ctrl+X to exit nano
When prompted "Save modified buffer?", press Y to confirm
Press Enter to confirm the filename
Reboot is required for changes to take effect:
Code:
```
sudo reboot
```

Changes to config.txt are only applied during boot. The system reads this file before the Linux kernel starts, so there is no way to apply changes without rebooting.

Example Overclock Configuration

Add these lines under the [pi5] section (create it if it doesn't exist):

Code:

[pi5]# Overclocking settingsarm_freq=2800gpu_freq=1000over_voltage_delta=50000# Optional: Force turbo# force_turbo=1

Safe Starting Point

For initial testing, start with a conservative overclock:

Code:

[pi5]arm_freq=2600over_voltage_delta=10000

For complete documentation, see: Raspberry Pi config.txt Documentation

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6. Firmware Update Procedures

Keeping your firmware updated is important for stability and compatibility with overclocking.

Standard Method (apt)

This installs stable, tested firmware versions:

Code:

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -ysudo rpi-eeprom-update

To apply a pending update:

Code:

sudo rpi-eeprom-update -asudo reboot

Advanced Method (rpi-eeprom from GitHub) — Recommended for OC

For the latest bleeding-edge EEPROM firmware, use the official rpi-eeprom repository:

Code:

git clone https://github.com/raspberrypi/rpi-eeprom.gitcd rpi-eepromsudo ./test/install       # Install latest firmware

For beta/bleeding-edge firmware:

Code:

sudo ./test/install -b    # Install beta firmware

What this does:

Copies firmware to /lib/firmware/raspberrypi/bootloader
Installs rpi-eeprom-config, rpi-eeprom-digest, rpi-eeprom-update to /usr/bin
Updates configuration at /etc/default/rpi-eeprom-update

After installation, apply the update:

Code:

sudo rpi-eeprom-update -asudo reboot

Verify the update:

Code:

sudo rpi-eeprom-update

Source: GitHub — raspberrypi/rpi-eeprom

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7. Step-by-Step Overclocking Procedure

Follow this methodical approach to find your maximum stable frequency:

The Process

Code:

1. Start at stock (2400 MHz)         ↓2. Increase arm_freq by 50 MHz         ↓3. Reboot         ↓4. Run Pi-Under-Pressure for 3 minutes         ↓5. PASSED (green)?   YES → Go to step 2, increase by another 50 MHz   NO  → Add over_voltage_delta (+10000 µV)         Retest. If still fails, reduce arm_freq         ↓6. When stable at target frequency, run extended test (1h+)         ↓7. If extended test passes → OC successful!

Example Progression

Code:

Step    arm_freq     over_voltage_delta    Result----    --------     ------------------    ------1       2400 MHz     0                     Baseline (stock)2       2450 MHz     0                     PASSED3       2500 MHz     0                     PASSED4       2550 MHz     0                     PASSED5       2600 MHz     0                     PASSED6       2650 MHz     0                     PASSED7       2700 MHz     0                     FAILED (errors)8       2700 MHz     10000                 PASSED9       2750 MHz     10000                 PASSED10      2800 MHz     10000                 FAILED11      2800 MHz     20000                 PASSED12      2800 MHz     20000                 1h test → PASSED ✓

Final stable configuration: arm_freq=2800, over_voltage_delta=20000

Tip: Speed up the process

You don't have to start from stock 2400 MHz. The vast majority of Raspberry Pi 5 units will boot and run stable at 2600-2700 MHz without any voltage adjustment. To save time:
Start directly at arm_freq=2600 (or even 2700)
If it boots and passes a quick 3-minute test, continue increasing
If it fails to boot or crashes, step back to 2500 MHz and work your way up
This approach can save you 10-15 iterations in the tuning process.

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8. Stability Testing with Pi-Under-Pressure

Pi-Under-Pressure is a specialized stability testing tool designed specifically for overclocked Raspberry Pi 5 systems. It simultaneously stresses CPU, RAM, and optionally NVMe storage while monitoring for errors, throttling, and thermal issues.

Why Pi-Under-Pressure?

Multi-component stress testing — Tests CPU, RAM, and NVMe simultaneously
Real-time monitoring — Temperature, throttling, frequency, and errors
I/O error detection — Monitors kernel logs for I/O errors and hardware issues (with -e flag)
Designed for Pi 5 — Optimized for ARM Cortex-A76 architecture
Clear pass/fail results — Green = stable, Red = unstable

Installation

Code:

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cmd0s/Pi-Under-Pressure/main/install.sh | bash

Usage

Quick stability check (3 minutes):

Code:

sudo pi-under-pressure -d 3m

Extended stability test (1 hour):

Code:

sudo pi-under-pressure -d 1h

Full test with NVMe stress:

Code:

sudo pi-under-pressure -d 1h -e

With video encoder stress (requires ffmpeg):

Code:

sudo pi-under-pressure -d 1h -V

What It Tests

Code:

Component    Workloads---------    ---------CPU          FFT, Matrix Multiplication, Prime Sieve, AES-256 EncryptionRAM          Sequential patterns, Random access, Fill & verify, STREAM-like bandwidthNVMe         4K random I/O, Sequential read/write, Mixed workloadVideo        H.264/H.265 hardware encoding (optional)

Understanding Results

A test is successful ONLY if:

✓ The test runs to completion (no crashes, freezes, or kernel panics)
✓ The final report displays in GREEN showing PASSED
✓ Zero errors in all categories (CPU, RAM, NVMe, throttling)

If ANY of these conditions are not met, your overclock is NOT stable.

Testing Strategy

Code:

Phase              Duration        Purpose-----              --------        -------Quick check        3 minutes       Fast validation after each frequency changeConfirmation       15-30 minutes   Verify stability before moving to next stepFinal validation   1+ hours        Confirm long-term stabilityBurn-in            8+ hours        Maximum confidence (optional)

Time-saving tip: Start with 3-minute tests. Only run extended tests once you've found a frequency that passes the quick check. This saves significant time during the iterative tuning process.

Source: Pi-Under-Pressure on GitHub

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9. CPU Governor Settings

The CPU governor controls how the processor scales its frequency based on load.

Available Governors

Code:

Governor       Description--------       -----------ondemand       Default on Pi OS. Scales frequency based on CPU loadschedutil      More responsive, uses scheduler dataperformance    Maximum frequency always. Best for benchmarkspowersave      Minimum frequency always. Maximum efficiency

Check Current Governor

Code:

cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpufreq/policy0/scaling_governor

Temporary Change (resets on reboot)

Code:

echo performance | sudo tee /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpufreq/policy0/scaling_governor

Verify the change:

Code:

cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpufreq/policy0/scaling_governor

Permanent Change (using cpufrequtils)

Install cpufrequtils:

Code:

sudo apt install cpufrequtils

Edit the configuration file:

Code:

sudo nano /etc/default/cpufrequtils

Add the following line:

Code:

GOVERNOR="performance"

Save the file, then enable and start the service:

Code:

sudo systemctl enable cpufrequtilssudo systemctl restart cpufrequtils

After reboot, verify the setting persists:

Code:

cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpufreq/policy0/scaling_governor

Recommendation for Overclocking

Use schedutil for daily use — it's more responsive than ondemand and still allows power saving when idle. Use performance only during benchmarking or stress testing.

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10. Monitoring and Diagnostics

Essential Commands

Check CPU temperature:

Code:

sudo vcgencmd measure_temp

Check current CPU frequency:

Code:

sudo vcgencmd measure_clock arm

Check GPU frequency:

Code:

sudo vcgencmd measure_clock core

Check voltage:

Code:

sudo vcgencmd pmic_read_adc

Look for EXT5V_V — this shows the actual voltage your Pi is receiving.

Throttling Status

Code:

sudo vcgencmd get_throttled

This returns a hexadecimal value representing the current and historical throttling status.

Throttle Flag Meanings

Current State:

Code:

Bit    Hex Mask    Meaning---    --------    -------0      0x1         Under-voltage detected (Power supply issue)1      0x2         Arm frequency capped (Frequency limited)2      0x4         Currently throttled (Active thermal throttling)3      0x8         Soft temperature limit (Approaching thermal limit)

Historical (Since Boot):

Code:

Bit    Hex Mask    Meaning---    --------    -------16     0x10000     Under-voltage has occurred17     0x20000     Arm frequency capping occurred18     0x40000     Throttling has occurred19     0x80000     Soft temperature limit occurred

Important: Historical bits (16-19) are "sticky" — they remain set until you reboot. If you see 0x50000 but no current issues (bits 0-3 are clear), it means the problem occurred earlier but has since resolved. A reboot will clear the historical bits.

Common Values

Code:

Value       Meaning-----       -------0x0         PERFECT — No issues ever0x50000     Under-voltage and throttling occurred at some point0x50005     Currently under-voltage AND throttled

For a successful overclock, you want 0x0 after a stress test.

Continuous Monitoring

Code:

sudo watch -n 1 'vcgencmd measure_temp && vcgencmd measure_clock arm && vcgencmd get_throttled'

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11. Fan Speed Configuration

Typical Fan Behavior

The official Active Cooler uses PWM control. These are typical values — actual defaults may vary depending on firmware version and cooling solution:

Code:

Temperature    Fan Speed-----------    ---------Below 50°C     Off50°C           30% (speed 75)60°C           50% (speed 125)67.5°C         70% (speed 175)75°C           100% (speed 250)

Recommendation: For overclocking, always configure your own fan curve to ensure adequate cooling rather than relying on defaults.

Custom Fan Configuration

Add these parameters to /boot/firmware/config.txt:

Code:

# More aggressive cooling for overclockingdtparam=fan_temp0=45000dtparam=fan_temp0_hyst=5000dtparam=fan_temp0_speed=100dtparam=fan_temp1=55000dtparam=fan_temp1_hyst=5000dtparam=fan_temp1_speed=150dtparam=fan_temp2=65000dtparam=fan_temp2_hyst=5000dtparam=fan_temp2_speed=200dtparam=fan_temp3=70000dtparam=fan_temp3_hyst=5000dtparam=fan_temp3_speed=255

Parameters explained:

fan_tempX — Temperature threshold in millidegrees (45000 = 45°C)
fan_tempX_hyst — Hysteresis to prevent rapid on/off cycling
fan_tempX_speed — PWM value 0-255 (255 = maximum)

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12. PCIe Gen 3 Mode

The Raspberry Pi 5 features a single PCIe lane that officially operates at PCIe Generation 2 speeds. However, forcing PCIe Gen 3 mode is a simple configuration change that doubles the bandwidth — a form of overclocking that's particularly beneficial for NVMe storage users.

Default vs Overclocked PCIe

Code:

Mode               Speed      Bandwidth      Status----               -----      ---------      ------Gen 2 (default)    5 GT/s     ~500 MB/s      Officially supportedGen 3 (forced)     8 GT/s     ~1000 MB/s     Unofficially supported

Why Force Gen 3?

While PCIe Gen 3 is not officially supported by Raspberry Pi, in practice:

It works very well — Almost all NVMe adapters and drives handle Gen 3 speeds correctly
Double the throughput — Significant improvement for NVMe SSD performance
No stability issues — From extensive testing, Gen 3 mode is reliable for daily use
Easy to enable — Simple config.txt change, easy to revert if needed

Configuration

Add the following lines to /boot/firmware/config.txt under the [pi5] or [all] section:

Code:

[pi5]# Enable PCIedtparam=pciex1# Enable PCIe Gen 3 (default is Gen 2)dtparam=pciex1_gen=3

After adding these lines, reboot for changes to take effect.

Verification

After rebooting, verify the PCIe link speed:

Code:

sudo lspci -vv | grep -i "lnksta:"

Look for Speed 8GT/s to confirm Gen 3 mode is active.

When to Use This

NVMe SSD users — If you're booting from or using NVMe storage, Gen 3 provides a noticeable performance improvement
High-bandwidth peripherals — Any PCIe device that can benefit from increased bandwidth

Compatibility Notes

Most adapters work — The vast majority of NVMe HATs and adapters support Gen 3 speeds without issues
Some older devices may not work — If you experience instability, remove the pciex1_gen=3 line to revert to Gen 2
Official Pi HAT+ — The official Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT+ works reliably with Gen 3 enabled

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13. Understanding Throttling

Throttling is your Pi's protection mechanism against overheating or power issues.

Types of Throttling

Code:

Type                   Trigger         Behavior----                   -------         --------Thermal throttling     CPU > 80°C      Reduces frequency to lower temperatureHard thermal limit     CPU > 85°C      Aggressive frequency reduction, OC may be disabledUnder-voltage          Voltage < 4.63V Caps frequency to reduce power draw

Note about temp_limit: The config.txt parameter temp_limit (default 85) sets the hard thermal limit. This is the point where aggressive throttling kicks in. The soft throttling starts earlier around 80°C.

Why Throttling = Failed Overclock

If your system throttles during a stability test, your overclock is not stable. The system is protecting itself by reducing performance, which means:

You won't get the performance you're targeting
The system is operating at its limits
Long-term reliability may be compromised

Solution: Either reduce arm_freq or increase over_voltage_delta until throttling no longer occurs.

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14. Recovery When System Won't Boot

If your Pi won't boot after applying overclock settings, don't panic.

Method 1: Edit config.txt on Another Computer (Recommended)

Power off the Pi
Remove the microSD card
Insert it into another computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux)
Open the bootfs partition
Edit config.txt (in /boot/firmware/ or root of boot partition)

Comment out or remove your overclock settings:

Code:

[pi5]# arm_freq=3000        # Commented out# over_voltage_delta=50000

Save, eject, reinsert into Pi, and boot

Method 2: Hold Shift During Boot (Less Reliable)

Holding the Shift key during boot can temporarily disable overclock settings on some configurations.

Note: This method is less reliable on Pi 5 — it depends on boot flow, firmware version, keyboard type, and HDMI connection. If it doesn't work for you, use Method 1 (editing config.txt from another computer).

Kernel Panic Visibility

If you have an HDMI monitor connected, kernel panics will be visible on screen. This can help diagnose whether the issue is an overclock-related crash or something else.

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15. Performance Benchmarking

GeekBench 6 (Primary Benchmark)

GeekBench 6 is the standard benchmark for comparing Raspberry Pi 5 performance.

Installation:

Code:

wget https://cdn.geekbench.com/Geekbench-6.4.0-LinuxARMPreview.tar.gztar -xzf Geekbench-6.4.0-LinuxARMPreview.tar.gzcd Geekbench-6.4.0-LinuxARMPreview

Run the benchmark:

Code:

./geekbench6

GeekBench 6 Scores

Screenshot: GeekBench 6 results comparing stock 2.4 GHz vs overclocked 3.1 GHz with DietPi OS

Current GeekBench 6 Records (as of December 18, 2025)

The highest Raspberry Pi 5 scores we've been able to locate:

Code:

Record              SC Score    MC Score    Frequency    Model               Link------              --------    --------    ---------    -----               ----Best Single-Core    1195        2481        3.40 GHz     Pi 5 Rev 1.1 (16GB) https://browser.geekbench.com/v6/cpu/9905864Best Multi-Core     1180        2529        3.30 GHz     Pi 5 Rev 1.0 (8GB)  https://browser.geekbench.com/v6/cpu/9922491

Note: These are extreme overclocking results requiring specialized cooling and are not representative of typical safe overclocking.

Other Benchmarks

sysbench (CPU):

Code:

sudo apt install sysbenchsysbench cpu --threads=4 run

stress-ng:

Code:

sudo apt install stress-ngstress-ng --cpu 4 --timeout 60s --metrics-brief

7-Zip compression benchmark:

Code:

sudo apt install p7zip-full7z b

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16. OS Performance Differences

Your choice of operating system significantly impacts benchmark results.

Performance Comparison

Code:

Operating System           Performance    Notes----------------           -----------    -----Raspberry Pi OS Lite       Excellent      Minimal overhead, optimized for PiDietPi                     Excellent      Highly optimized, minimal footprintRaspberry Pi OS Desktop    Very Good      More overhead from desktop environmentUbuntu Server              Moderate       More generic, less Pi-optimizedUbuntu Desktop             Lower          Significant desktop overhead

Recommendation

For maximum overclocking performance and best benchmark scores, use:

Raspberry Pi OS Lite — Official, optimized, minimal
DietPi — Community favorite, extremely lean

Both provide noticeably better results than Ubuntu or other general-purpose distributions.

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17. Achievable Results and Silicon Lottery

Every BCM2712 chip is unique. Due to manufacturing variations, some chips can achieve higher stable frequencies than others.

Typical Results

Code:

Category       Frequency Range    Percentage of Chips--------       ---------------    -------------------Average        2.6-2.8 GHz        Most chipsGood           2.9-3.0 GHz        Many chipsExcellent      3.0-3.1 GHz        Some chipsExceptional    3.1-3.2+ GHz       Rare

Important Notes

Firmware limits: Older firmware capped at 3.0 GHz. Newer firmware allows higher, but >3.0 GHz remains "extreme" territory.
Silicon lottery: Your chip's maximum is predetermined — no amount of cooling or voltage will change it significantly.
8GB model consideration: Reportedly, some 8GB models with Micron RAM may show reduced performance when overclocked due to SDRAM behavior differences. Update your firmware/EEPROM first — many SDRAM timing issues have been addressed in recent updates.

Sources: GitHub — raspberrypi/firmware Issue #1854, Jeff Geerling — Raspberry Pi boosts Pi 5 performance with SDRAM tuning

Setting Realistic Expectations

2.6 GHz: Almost all chips can achieve this
2.8 GHz: Most chips with adequate cooling
3.0 GHz: Many chips, but not guaranteed
3.0+ GHz: Requires silicon lottery win and excellent cooling

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18. Best Practices Summary

Always use active cooling — Passive cooling is insufficient for overclocking
Use the official 27W power supply — Under-voltage causes instability and throttling
Increment frequency in small steps — 50 MHz per iteration
Test stability at each step — Use Pi-Under-Pressure
Quick tests first (3m) — Save time during initial tuning
Extended tests for final validation (1h+) — Confirm long-term stability
Monitor throttling — Any throttling = unstable overclock
Keep temperatures below 80°C — Ideally below 75°C under load
Green report = stable — Only a green PASSED report means success
Document your settings — Keep track of what works

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19. Advanced: Beyond 3.0 GHz

Older Raspberry Pi firmware had a hard limit at 3.0 GHz. Newer firmware versions have relaxed this limit, allowing higher frequencies without custom patches. However, achieving frequencies above 3.0 GHz remains an "extreme" scenario:

3.14 GHz — Achieved by Jeff Geerling
3.5 GHz — Achieved by Martin Rowan with dual Peltier cooling

Important warnings:

Risk of permanent hardware damage is significantly higher
Requires extreme cooling solutions (tower coolers, Peltier, liquid cooling)
Most chips cannot achieve these frequencies regardless of cooling
This is not recommended for daily use or 24/7 operation

This guide focuses on safe, practical overclocking. For extreme overclocking information, see:

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20. FAQ and Troubleshooting

Q: My Pi won't boot after overclocking. What do I do?

A: Remove the microSD card, insert it into another computer, and edit /boot/firmware/config.txt. Comment out your overclock settings by adding # at the beginning of each line. Reinsert and boot.

Q: How do I know if my overclock is stable?

A: Run Pi-Under-Pressure for at least 1 hour. If the final report shows GREEN with PASSED and zero errors in all categories, your overclock is stable. Any errors, crashes, or throttling events mean it's not stable.

Q: What's the maximum safe temperature?

A: Keep temperatures below 80°C under load for long-term reliability. The Pi will start throttling at 80°C and aggressively throttle at 85°C.

Q: My fan is too loud. Can I adjust it?

A: Yes, modify the fan curve in /boot/firmware/config.txt using dtparam=fan_tempX= and dtparam=fan_tempX_speed= parameters. See the Fan Speed Configuration section.

Q: How do I know what type of RAM is in my device?

A: There's an unofficial method to check your RAM manufacturer via console command:

Code:

vcgencmd otp_dump | awk -F: '/^30:/{h=tolower($2); v=substr(h,length(h)-3,1); print (v=="0"?"Samsung":v=="1"||v=="b"?"Micron":v=="2"?"Hynix":"Unknown")}'

Note: This is an unofficial method based on data collected from forums and GitHub. There's no guarantee of its accuracy.

Q: Should I use over_voltage or over_voltage_delta?

A: Use over_voltage_delta. It preserves DVFS functionality, allowing the system to reduce voltage when idle, saving power and reducing heat.

Q: How long should I run stability tests?

A: Use 3-minute tests for quick validation while tuning. Once you've found a stable-looking configuration, run a 1-hour test. For maximum confidence, run overnight (8+ hours).

Q: Why do I get throttling even with good cooling?

A: Check your power supply. Throttling can be caused by under-voltage (weak power supply) not just temperature. Use

Code:

vcgencmd pmic_read_adc

to verify voltage and ensure you're using the official 27W power supply.

Q: Can I overclock with passive cooling?

A: Not recommended. While you might achieve a small overclock, sustained operation under load will likely cause thermal throttling, negating the performance gains and potentially causing instability.

Q: Why are my GeekBench scores lower than others at the same frequency?

A: Several factors affect scores: silicon quality (lottery), RAM type, cooling efficiency, background processes, and operating system.

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21. Reference Links

Official Documentation

Jeff Geerling's Articles

Tom's Hardware

Community Resources

Raspberry Pi Forums

GitHub Resources

Extreme Overclocking

Martin Rowan — Pi 5 Overclocking to Beat Geekbench Record

YouTube Resources

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Conclusion

Overclocking your Raspberry Pi 5 can unlock significant additional performance when done correctly. The key is a methodical approach:

Increment slowly — 50 MHz steps
Test thoroughly — Use Pi-Under-Pressure at each step
Monitor everything — Temperature, throttling, errors
Validate completely — Extended tests before daily use

Remember that every chip is different. Your maximum stable frequency depends on silicon lottery, but with patience and proper testing, you can find the optimal balance between performance and stability for your specific unit.

Happy overclocking!

Statistics: Posted by cmd0s — Tue Dec 30, 2025 8:14 pm

Other projects • YAOG - Yet Another Overclocking Guide - for Rpi 5

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