How to Overclock a Raspberry Pi 5: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ben
Ben
@benjislab

Overclocking your Raspberry Pi 5 can unlock extra performance for CPU‑ and GPU‑intensive tasks. However, pushing your Pi beyond its default limits requires proper cooling, a stable power supply, and cautious tuning of settings. In this guide, we'll explain the basics of overclocking, walk you through the process step by step, and offer some important tips to keep your system safe.

Disclaimer: Overclocking can void your warranty—especially if you enable options like force_turbo=1—and may reduce your board's lifespan if done improperly. Always proceed at your own risk and be sure to back up your system first.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

  • Cooling Solution: An adequate heatsink and an active cooling fan (e.g., the official Raspberry Pi Active Cooler or third‑party options like the Argon THRML) to keep temperatures in check.
  • Power Supply: The official Raspberry Pi 5 power supply (5V 5A) to ensure sufficient and stable power.
  • Backup: A backup of your current system image.
  • Basic Terminal Knowledge: Familiarity with Linux command‑line editors (e.g., nano) and terminal commands.

Understanding Overclocking

The Raspberry Pi 5's default settings are chosen to balance performance and thermals. However, you can increase the CPU and GPU frequencies by editing the /boot/firmware/config.txt file. Two main parameters used for overclocking are:

  • arm_freq: The CPU clock speed (in MHz). The default is 2400 MHz.
  • gpu_freq: The GPU clock speed (in MHz). The default is around 910 MHz.
  • over_voltage_delta: This parameter adjusts the operating voltage (in µV) incrementally. For example, over_voltage_delta=50000 adds about 0.05V. Use this only if stability issues occur.
  • force_turbo: Forcing the CPU/GPU to run at maximum speeds bypasses thermal and voltage scaling and voids your warranty. It's best avoided unless you have an advanced cooling solution.

Because every Pi is unique (often called the "silicon lottery"), results will vary and gradual tuning is key.

Step-by-Step Overclocking Guide

1. Prepare Your Raspberry Pi

  • Cooling: Attach a proper heatsink and fan.
  • Power: Connect the official 5V 5A power supply.
  • Backup: Backup your SD card to avoid data loss.

2. Edit the Config.txt File

Open the configuration file in your preferred text editor:

sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

3. Add Your Overclock Settings

Scroll to the end of the file and add your new overclock parameters. For example, to overclock the CPU to 3000 MHz and the GPU to 1000 MHz with a slight voltage boost:

# Overclock Raspberry Pi 5
arm_freq=3000
gpu_freq=1000
over_voltage_delta=50000

Tip: Increase values gradually (e.g., in 100–200 MHz steps) and test for stability between each increment.

4. Save and Reboot

Press CTRL + X, then Y, and ENTER to save your changes. Reboot your Pi with:

sudo reboot

5. Verify the New Clock Speeds

After rebooting, verify that the settings have taken effect using:

# Check the CPU clock speed
vcgencmd measure_clock arm

# Check the GPU clock speed
vcgencmd measure_clock core

The outputs should reflect the frequencies you set (for example, around 3000000000 Hz for a 3000 MHz CPU).

6. Stress Test Your Pi

To ensure stability, stress test your system:

  1. Install stress-ng:
sudo apt install stress-ng
  1. Run a stress test for 5 minutes:
stress-ng --cpu 4 --timeout 300s
  1. Monitor the temperature:
vcgencmd measure_temp

Keep the temperature below 80°C to avoid thermal throttling or damage.

Tips for Successful Overclocking

  • Go Slow: Increase clock speeds in small increments and test thoroughly.
  • Monitor Temperatures: Regularly check the temperature during stress tests.
  • Voltage Caution: Only adjust over_voltage_delta if you experience instability. Too high a voltage can overheat your Pi.
  • Avoid force_turbo: Unless you have extraordinary cooling, avoid using force_turbo=1 as it bypasses safety checks.
  • Be Ready to Revert: If the Pi becomes unstable or fails to boot, remove the SD card and edit the config.txt on another computer to revert changes.

Conclusion

Overclocking your Raspberry Pi 5 can deliver a modest performance boost for demanding tasks, but the benefits may be marginal for everyday use. The key is to balance performance gains against the risks of increased heat and potential instability. With careful tuning and proper cooling, you can safely push your Raspberry Pi 5 a bit further than the default settings.

Happy overclocking!