Underclocking
Underclocking ( English underclocking is) modifying the clock frequency of a microprocessor so that it runs at a lower than clock rate provided by the manufacturer. Underclocking is thus the counterpart to overclocking, which is carried out much more frequently .
A microprocessor is usually underclocked in order to reduce CPU power loss , heat generation or power consumption. Usually this is also done to increase the system stability in very warm computer systems or to get by with a more economical and therefore usually also quieter cooling of the microprocessor. In extreme cases, active cooling can even be completely dispensed with in favor of passive cooling. The service life of the hardware increases due to the lower power loss. When underclocking, however, there is usually a loss of microprocessor performance. On newer notebooks (built after 2000) and new desktop PCs (built after 2005) there is usually an automatic underclocking of the CPU based on the need for computing power in order to minimize power consumption.
In addition to the CPU , the graphics processor on the graphics card and the memory clock of the main memory can also be underclocked.
Just as there are overclocking competitions, there are underclocking competitions with the aim of achieving the lowest possible clock frequency with a specific microprocessor.