How to Prevent Automatic Overclocking of an AMD Processor
If you’re downloading AMD components on your desktop PC, take the time to make sure your CPU isn’t unintentionally overclocked. A bug in a recent AMD graphics card driver update automatically triggers the “Auto Overclock” option on AMD processors, even if users don’t explicitly enable it themselves.
AMD has confirmed the bug in a statement to Tom’s Hardware , but no official fix has yet been released, although many AMD users are experiencing the issue . This puts anyone with an AMD CPU and GPU at risk of unwanted overclocking. (Note that this only applies to users with an AMD CPU and GPU. Installs with an Intel CPU and AMD GPU or an AMD CPU and Nvidia GPU are not at risk.)
Why automatic overclocking is a risk
Some users choose to overclock their processors to squeeze out more processing power. While overclocking can make your computer faster, it can also cause your processor to overheat if done incorrectly, which can permanently damage your processor and other components. Usually, users have to access and edit their PC’s BIOS settings in order to change their processor’s clock speed, but AMD’s auto-overclocking feature allows you to do this right from your Windows desktop. While this is more convenient for those who are overclockers and prevents potential BIOS settings from breaking, the solution seems to have backfired.
Some users are also concerned that unwanted overclocking will affect their processor’s warranty. AMD is voiding the warranty on overclocked processors, which makes the addition of an automatic overclocking option even weirder. To be fair, it’s hard to prove that the processor has been overclocked unless the user admits it, but we’re still hoping the company will make an exception to its terms of service in this case.
While we’re not too worried about your AMD processor’s warranty, you still need to make sure it doesn’t overclock if you don’t want to.
How to fix the error
The safest option is to avoid resource-intensive tasks such as gaming, live streaming, or video editing until AMD releases a patch that fixes the bug. However, some users also install third party software called Radeon Software Slimmer in order to get around this problem. This is an open source application that removes unnecessary features and other unwanted bells and whistles from AMD drivers, including the auto overclocking feature. Software installation instructions are available on the GitHub page linked above, but beware: AMD hasn’t officially endorsed this as a solution, so proceed at your own risk.