How to Overclock Your GPU on Linux for Better Performance

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to overclock your NVIDIA or AMD GPU on Linux and optimize your system for better performance.

🚀 Step-by-Step Guide to Overclocking GPU on Linux

🛠️ 1. Check Your GPU and Driver Support

First, identify your GPU and make sure you have the proprietary drivers installed:

lspci | grep -i vga

Then confirm the driver:

nvidia-smi    # For NVIDIA
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"  # For AMD

Ensure you’re using the NVIDIA proprietary driver or AMDGPU-PRO, as open-source drivers typically do not support overclocking.

⚙️ 2. Enable Coolbits for NVIDIA GPUs

NVIDIA requires enabling overclocking manually through the Xorg configuration:

1. Edit or create your Xorg config:

sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-nvidia.conf

2. Add this content:
   

Section "Device"
    Identifier "Nvidia Card"
    Driver "nvidia"
    Option "Coolbits" "28"
EndSection

• 28 enables overclocking, fan control, and PowerMizer settings.

3. Save and reboot:

sudo reboot

🧪 3. Overclock with nvidia-settings

After reboot, open:

nvidia-settings

Navigate to:

• PowerMizer tab to adjust clock speeds
• Thermal Settings for fan control

Make small changes (e.g., +50 MHz for core, +100 MHz for memory), test, and gradually increase while monitoring temperature and stability.

🔥 For AMD GPUs: Use amdgpu and rocm-smi

1. Install rocm-smi or amdgpu-pro tools:

sudo apt install rocm-smi

2. Enable manual control:
   

sudo rocm-smi --setfan 100
sudo rocm-smi --setsclk LEVEL
sudo rocm-smi --setmclk LEVEL

(Replace LEVEL with appropriate performance state values.)

Note: AMD overclocking support is often more limited on Linux than NVIDIA.

🛡️ 4. Monitor GPU Temperatures

Use tools like:

• nvidia-smi (NVIDIA)
• watch -n1 sensors
• glxinfo for OpenGL status
• radeontop or nvtop for live usage graphs

Always keep temperatures under 80°C for laptops and 85°C for desktops for safety.

⚠️ Tips and Warnings

• Don’t apply extreme overclocks.
• Use benchmarking tools (e.g., Unigine Heaven, glmark2) to test stability.
• Use a UPS or stable power source to avoid crashes.

How to Overclock Your GPU on Linux for Better Performance (F.A.Q)