How to safely overclock your monitor through Nvidia Control Panel

The Nvidia Control Panel offers various options for a user to tweak GPU (graphics processing unit) settings. This includes customizing display options such as monitor refresh rate. While it is not exactly safe to jump to a higher refresh rate, users can attempt to see their monitor's threshold.

Most new-generation monitors can be overclocked beyond their factory settings. However, companies and manufacturers do not recommend this as it may harm the hardware in the long run, while also voiding the product's warranty.

Disclaimer: One must attempt this overclocking task at their own discretion.

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Overclocking monitor through Nvidia Control Panel

Overclocking generally depends on the type of panel and hardware technology used in a monitor. Many monitors are capable of pushing beyond limits as they can reach 100hz+ after overclocking.

However, as mentioned above, pushing your monitor's threshold beyond a specific number can reduce its lifespan and also cause quality issues. Instead, one should be cautious and start with smaller values.

Here's how you can boost your refresh rate slightly through the Nvidia Control Panel:

• Open the Nvidia Control Panel through the system tray on the bottom right of your Windows. Make sure your system is installed with an Nvidia graphics card for this software to work. The Nvidia panel will not work with other GPUs as it is not compatible.
• Go to the 'Change resolution' setting option under the Display section on the left side of the window.
• Once in the section, make sure your PC resolution is on the native display, as it will be written in small parentheses.
• If not, it may not load up the customize option as you may have to reset your resolution from Nvidia Control Panel. However, it only happens in rare cases.
• If you have a multi-monitor setup, you will be given the option to change the display in the same section under Display.
• Once you are on the monitor that you want to overclock, select the customize button right below the resolution section.
• Inside the customize tab, check the box for enable resolution not exposed by display and then click on 'Create Custom Resolution'.
• This tab will help you customize your refresh rate that goes beyond your hardware's advertised refresh rate. However, to safely do this, it is recommended that you increase the refresh rate just a bit above the default value.
• Inside the custom resolution tab, you can find the refresh rate value selector where you can press the up and down arrows to increase or decrease the monitor's refresh rate.
• After the refresh rate is set, press the test button. If your monitor goes to a black screen and re-appears after a few seconds, it means the hardware is not eligible for overclocking the given value. In this case, it is recommended to not push the monitor further.

If it is a 60-75hz display, it is highly recommended to increase the value slightly to avoid damaging the hardware and causing other technical complications. The Nvidia Control Panel does not provide any warning before this action is performed, hence it is recommended to attempt this task carefully.