As most of us are already aware, our phones, just like computers, have an in built CPU which processes information. Most phones today come with dual or quad core CPUs, while some still come with single core ones. And, these CPUs are restricted to work up to a certain frequency, which is advised by the manufacturer of the chipset (for eg., Qualcomm, Mediatek) and implemented by the OEM (for eg., Samsung, HTC) via software.
In some scenarios, your phone might feel underpowered, i.e., you might feel the need for a more powerful CPU. You cannot replace the CPU on your phone. However, what you can do is, you can increase this upper limit so that you get most out of your phone.
What OEMs do is that, in order to be on the safe side, they typically underclock the CPU by a margin anywhere between 5-15%, so that minimal heat is generated, which means minimal damage to the hardware.
However, in many cases, it might be OK to overclock the CPU by a certain extent. By how much, really depends on you and your style of usage, but anything more than 10% is not recommended.
There are certain pre-requisites before your can go ahead with controlling and over/underclocking your phones CPU. These include:
- Device should be rooted.
- Most stock kernels do not allow for overclocking. You need either a custom ROM, or a custom kernel.
CyanogenMod is one popular aftermarket firmware which many times supports overclocking. If not, you can check your device’s thread on XDA, and most probably you’ll find what you’re looking for.
Once you’re sure of your device meeting the above mentioned requirements, you can go ahead with the following to control your phone’s CPU frequency.
Steps to control your phone’s CPU frequency:
- If you’ve installed a custom ROM, be sure to give it one or two reboots before you start tinkering.
- Open Play Store and download any CPU control app. There are many which are available for free, one among which is Trickster MOD.
- Now, depending upon your kernel, the app will show various menus. We’re interested in the ‘Kernel Generals’ tab, which shows on more or less any rooted device.
- If your kernel has support for overclocking, you can touch the menu to the right of ‘max’ and set the CPU’s maximum frequency to the desired limit.
- If you want to save battery, you can underclock, and if you want performance, you can overclock.
Please keep in mind, overclocking can cause permanent damage to your device. Make sure you use caution during the process.
Disclaimer: We will not be responsible for any damage if caused to your device in case anything goes wrong. Rooting your device might void your warranty, discretion advised.
