PSA: You can now overclock your laptop monitor [intel/intel+optimus]

Intel has finally released drivers that unlock custom refresh rates.

In this past, attempting to add custom resolutions/refresh rates on intel or switchable graphics in Windows was met with a " maximum bandwidth exceeded" error (via intel's control panel) or silent failure (via ToastyX's CRU). This wasn't your fault - it was intel's broken drivers.

As of 2017 this problem is finally fixed. See the directions below. (only took them 6 years...)


Why overclock your monitor?

Spoiler: Click me to open/close

Overclocking your display to run at a higher refresh rate is safe, easy (as you will see below), and higher refresh rate displays are almost always preferred by people who have used them. This is why:

• Higher refresh rates reduce input lag
  • Going from 60hz to 90hz reduces the frame reading delay by 31% (16ms -> 11ms).
  • In fact, increasing the display refresh rate is one of the best ways to reduce input lag (citation).
• It increases smoothness of motion
  • Try switching your laptop panel between 30hz and 60hz (which is the default refresh rate on most laptops). The same idea applies when you move beyond 60hz.
    
  • Improvements are most noticeable during movement. Examples include turning the camera in games, moving the mouse around on the desktop, scrolling through web pages, and - surprisingly - videos & film. It will not be noticeable for static content (eg, a still picture).
• It improves task performance & user comfort
  • Study #1 - "frame rate has a greater influence than resolution on human performance in all four tasks"
    
  • Study #2 - "frame rate has a larger impact on performance than frame resolution"
  • Study #3 - "in all conditions... there was a preference for higher frame rates, regardless of content"
• Example Videos
  • 60hz vs 120hz [link] - demo of the latency & smoothness benefits, exaggerated.
  • Refresh rate demo [link] - basic concepts about high refresh rates
  • 60hz vs 120hz [link] - real world example, note how the lower refresh rate monitor lags behind in displaying the cursor position on the desktop while skipping half the frames. Also note how far behind the 60hz monitor is in games when the camera is moved rapidly (around 1:20).

Even modest increases beyond 60hz will yield tangible improvements in smoothness. 65hz for example gives your eyes an additional 5 frames/second of visual data, for a total of 300 additional frames per minute (equal to watching a native-res film for 10 seconds). The best way to understand this effect is to try it.

Fortunately, most users who have reported their results so far have been able to reach 80hz+, but results will vary. A list of results is further down this post.

Are there any risks to overclocking? (TL;DR: no.)

Spoiler: Click me to open/close

• Physical damage to the monitor is nearly impossible (unless you have a CRT or [theoretically] push the monitor so far that its scaler overheats [if it even has one]).
  • There are no reliable reports of a modern monitor failing from overclocking on the entire internet.
  • Overclocking may result in some temporary black screening/artifacting - but this is reversible by reducing the overclock.
  • Adjusting monitor timings is just as safe as adjusting the refresh rate.
  • People have been overclocking monitors for nearly 20 years.
    
  • You can always reset bad settings.
• There is a possibility of slightly altered gamma/colors while your monitor is overclocked.
  • This affects only certain panels noticeably. Workarounds include calibrating the display for the new refresh rate (with colorimeter), adjusting colors in the graphics control panel, or reducing the refresh rate for color-accurate work.
• There is no risk of damage to the integrated GPU.
  • Clocks, voltages, thermals don't change. The iGPU can continue to idle as normal with no change in power consumption. (screenshot - from a 60 to 100hz overclocked display. HD530 graphics).
    
  • The display power use may increase but this is hard to measure.
  • Occasionally, bad drivers (like 4889, 4944 from early 2018) combined with monitor overclocks can crash/freeze the computer (video_scheduler_internal_error or driver_power_state_failure). If you suspect this, just revert to 60hz or roll back the drivers.
• If you watch videos which don't match the refresh rate (eg playing back 24fps movie on a non-24/48/72hz display), know that picture quality will be minimally affected
  • Read about this here: [link 1], dmitriRender [link 2], SVP project [link 3], published study [link 4].
  • 60hz users already experience frame rate conversion.
  • Consider the fact that the '24fps cinema experience' some people love is in fact 24fps film being modified for playback at non-24hz rates. Few people actually prefer 24fps footage once they see it since it's not smooth enough, especially for fast movement. End result? Film interpolated to beyond 24hz looks better than film at native 24hz. High framerate film is even better to begin with. Nothing to worry about if film playback is one of your concerns.
• This guide is fairly simple and it is simple to reset your settings if something does not work. As always, proceed at your own risk. See the Results section later in this post.

Drivers to install ( REQUIRED)

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The list below contains every intel CPU integrated graphics driver released from December 2016 to April 2017 that enables EDID overrides (custom resolution/refresh rates).
You should install the appropriate driver for your CPU below, or from the intel website ( identify my CPU).

This list is no longer being updated. Please visit the intel website to get updated drivers. Anything released after the first half of 2017 should work, but you may want to try one from this list if you are unsure. In most cases intel deleted these older drivers from their website so you will have to find mirrors elsewhere.

• If you are running a Haswell CPU on Windows 7/8.1, this driver unlocks EDID overrides (custom resolutions/refresh rates):
  • https://downloadcenter.intel.com/do...river-for-Windows-7-8-1-15-36-?product=81498#
    • Version 15.36.33.4578 (20.???)
• If you are running a Haswell CPU on Windows 10 OR Broadwell CPU on Windows 7/8.11/10 OR Braswell/Cherry Trail CPU on Windows 7/8.11/10, any of these drivers will unlock EDID overrides:
  • https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26504/Graphics-Intel-Graphics-Driver-for-Windows-15-40-
    • Version 15.40.32.64.4568 (20.19.15.4568) - Old but tested
  • https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26623/Intel-Graphics-Test-Driver?v=t
    • Version: 15.40.xx.4624 (20.???) - Beta, not tested but should work
  • https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26682/Intel-Graphics-Driver-for-Windows-15-40-
    • Version: 15.40.34.4624 (20.???) - Release driver, not tested but should work
• If you are running a Skylake CPU on Windows 7/8.1/10, or a Kaby lake CPU on Windows 10, either of these drivers will unlock EDID overrides:
  • https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26604/Intel-Graphics-Driver-Beta-15-45-#
    • Version 15.45.4614 (21.20.16.4614) - BETA, tested
  • https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26669/Intel-Graphics-Driver-for-Windows-15-45-
    • Version 15.45.4627 (21.20.16.4627) - Release driver, should work but not tested.
• If you are running ivy bridge (or bay trail) or older, sorry: intel doesn't care and has ended support. Your best option is to try these workarounds which have not been independently confirmed.
  • This post by jaug1337 describes a method to launch intel's custom resolution tool on driver version 4653, which is the last version available for ivy bridge generation graphics. This method does not work on Windows 8.1 because the 'custommodeapp.exe' is incompatible with the OS and will refuse to open.
    
  • This video on Youtube: Pk0i2XJZQ7w uses some tricks to show custom refresh rates in the user interface, but it's unclear whether this method actually overclocks the display or just changes the numbers on the screen.
    
  • On some drivers, you may still be able to overclock external monitors via CRU (source), not tested though.

To overclock your internal monitor,

1. Install the appropriate driver above
   • If the .exe doesn't work, download the .zip and install via device manager --> 'properties' on the intel GPU --> 'driver' tab --> 'Update driver...' --> 'Browse my computer...' --> 'Let me pick...' --> 'Have Disk...' --> Browse to the new downloaded driver's 'Graphics' folder and select the .inf file. Click OK/next to install.
2. Download ToastyX's Custom resolution utility (CRU) (the built-in intel tool will tell you 'maximum bandwidth exceeded' if you try to use it on an internal display)
   • https://www.monitortests.com/forum/Thread-Custom-Resolution-Utility-CRU
3. Use CRU to add a custom refresh rate
   • Start with reasonable refresh rates (step 1, step 2, step 3) (EDIT: More detailed instructions: step 1, step 2, step 3)
     • [!] Leave the default setting as option #1 in CRU. Windows will select that first option listed when it boots, so you want to be sure it works. (If you have trouble, plug in an external monitor)
       
     • The refresh rate & timings you choose determine your pixel clock. If this pixel clock exceeds the limit of your display interface, your setting wont show up in Windows after a reboot. (see notes below)
   • Reboot your computer and the new refresh rate will show up as long as it's below the pixel clock limit of your display interface.
     • [!] Apply your refresh rate from intel's driver control panel instead of Windows, since the intel panel has an escape route ("hit OK or settings will revert in 10 seconds...")
     • Some panels will skip frames when overclocked if they can't handle the input
       • Use this tool & a slow-mo or long-exposure camera to test for dropped frames: https://github.com/shurcooL/RefreshRateMultitool (Download the .zip, run the '6 x 10 grid.bat', and type in 'I agree' to launch the test)
         
       • OR use the online version: http://www.testufo.com/#test=frameskipping&horiz=12&vert=5
4. Continue increasing the refresh rate and testing for glitches and frameskipping until you reach a stable overclock.
   • Note that you can change monitor timing presets or even make manual adjustments to timings. Doing this can help with stability. (See 'Notes on Pixel clock/timings' below)
     • When you 'add new' configurations to CRU, the timing values shown are defaults chosen by CRU - not the defaults of your display. Be sure to change those timings.
       
     • If you are stuck and want to push for a higher overclock, consider copying and using your laptop screen's default timings (grab them from the default entry in the list), or try switching the timings to the "LCD-Reduced" preset that CRU provides.
     • If your display overclock is not stable (screen glitching, etc) be sure to rule out whether it was caused by too high a refresh rate, or by timings you accidentally changed earlier.
   • Again, be sure to not exceed the pixel clock of your display interface or your custom settings wont show up after a reboot.
   • Helpful tip
     • If you have adjusted monitor timings during your overclocking, please note that your modified timings may not necessarily be stable. If you continue to use those timings while decreasing the refresh rate, previously stable refresh rates may start to appear unstable. To avoid this, make notes of the settings you have tried. If you need to wipe the changes applied by CRU and restore the default refresh rate/timings for your display, delete all of the configurations within CRU and reboot, or run 'reset.exe'. Example: [link]

To overclock an external monitor (via HDMI, DVI, etc...)

• Install the appropriate driver above and add the resolution/refresh rate using intel's built-in control panel
  • CRU only works for internal displays while the intel driver's built in overclocking tool is the only thing that will work for external panels.
• If you get a 'maximum bandwidth exceeded' error, your requested pixel clock was too high.
  • A list of display protocols & their pixel clock limits is below.
  • To lower the pixel clock, use the CVT-Reduced timing presets, make your own custom timings, or reduce the refresh rate.
• You can also use intel's tool to add true custom resolutions
  • For example if you have a 4K display and connect over HDMI 1.4 instead of HDMI 2.0, your resolutions will be limited by default to 4K @ 30hz or 1440p @ 60hz. However, with these drivers you can add 1584p60 and get a resolution boost over 1440p60.
• Don't forget to check for artifacts and dropped frames.
  • Windows can behave weirdly when multiple monitors are active - to get your frameskipping checking tools to work properly, close your laptop lid to temporarily disable the laptop display.

Notes on pixel clock/timings

• Your new refresh rate will not show up if it exceeds pixel clock limitations.
  • eDP (embedded displayport) laptop panels support a maximum of 240MHz or 120MHz, depending on the version of eDP and number of pins. Unfortunately, there is no way to see in Windows what version of eDP your laptop is using.
  • LVDS (a pre-2013 laptop display protocol which has been replaced by eDP) may support a maximum of 112MHz, but this has not been tested. (citation)
  • Displayport 1.0 & 1.1 supports a max of 360MHz (8 bit color) or 380MHz (6 bit color).
    
  • HDMI 1.3 & 1.4 supports a maximum of 340MHz. (citation)
  • HDMI 1.0 supports a maximum of 165MHz.
    
  • There is no way to avoid these limits, a pixel clock patcher does not exist for the intel graphics driver.
    
  • The only way to decrease pixel clock requirements is to decrease display timings or to lower the refresh rate. (See this image from above for info about manually adjusting timings)
• A lower pixel clock may enable you to overclock higher
  • For example, if you choose 'LCD reduced' in CRU then the timings will be automatically adjusted to reduce the pixel clock requirement for a given refresh rate. If settings were previously not showing up due to a too-high pixel clock, then choosing reduced timings may at least allow you to try a faster overclock.
• Incorrect timings can hinder your overclocks
  • On my dell laptop, CRU's 'LCD reduced' timings resulted in consistent artifacting.
    • For other users, choosing 'LCD reduced' timings improved overclockability
  • I was able to hit 100hz easily using the default timings that CRU provides, but tweaks based on my laptop panel's default timings (which were different from CRU's defaults) allowed me to reach 104hz while remaining under the eDP 240MHz pixel clock limit.
  • To manually find stable timings, just play around with all the timing values. For me decreasing the vertical "front porch, sync width, & back porch" values seemed increased stability, but results will vary wildly.
  • To not waste time, I recommend finding the highest stable overclock without manual timing adjustments first, then trying manual adjustments to squeeze out the extra hz if you're so inclined.

Testing for dropped frames with a camera:
Use either tool linked above. The process will look like the images below. Remember to take multiple photos to be sure that your overclock passes



Results

Spoiler: Click me to open/close

Note: The complete absence of frameskipping and artifacting could not be verified for all of these reports.

External Monitors

• Success: External upstar 4K 28" monitor (M280A1) over HDMI 1.4 (340MHz) works at 1440p70hz (from 1440p60hz). 1584p60hz also worked.
  • Note: overriding external monitors is the one case where CRU is ignored but intel's built-in custom resolution tool does work.

• Fail: External HP 21" 1080p monitor (HP 22es HWP331c) accepts inputs above 60hz but prints "unsupported, going to sleep in xxx seconds..." on the image (**** you HP).
• Fail: External BenQ 24" 1440p monitor (BNQ801B) accepts inputs above 60hz but frameskips.
• Success: External ASUS VW266H 25" 1200p 60Hz -> 71Hz. (Maleko48)

Laptop Internal Displays

• Success: Dell inspiron 7559's 1080p 60hz panel (LGD04B9, eDP, win 7) works at 104hz with some timing adjustments to stay under the 240MHz pixel clock limit.
  • 103hz worked at the panel's default timings but 104hz needed lots of adjustments (screenshot, screenshot)
• Success: HP Pavillion x360 13" with i5-7200U's 1080p 60hz panel (LGD052D, eDP, win 10) works at 96hz without any timing adjustments.
• Fail: Dell venue 11 pro 7140's 1080p 60hz panel (SDC4C48, win 8.1) frameskips above 60hz and also artifacts over 75hz
  
  
• Success: Alienware 17R2 17.3" Haswell, 1080p LGD0459 or 173WF4? 60hz -> 95hz (Intel forums: teammate) (I'm not including any other reports from the intel forums since there's a lot of confusion and people didn't report their laptops or driver versions)
• Success: P170SM-A 17.3" Haswell?, 1080p ChiMei N173HG3? 60hz -> 90hz (Eindru [2])
• Fail: MSI GE40-2OC 14" Haswell, 900p ???Panel "The system seems to over-write any resolution I plug in." (TheReciever)
• Success: Dell 7559 15.6" Skylake, 1080p LGD04B9 60hz -> 100hz (Atom Ant)
• Success: Asus K451LN 14" Haswell, 768p AUO323C eDP (120MHz limit) 60hz -> 98hz LCD Standard (pipyakas)
• Success: Acer G9-591-? 15.6" Skylake, 1080p ???Panel 60hz -> 67hz (HITTI)
• Success: Asus GL753VE 17.3" Kabylake, 1080p LG-LP173WF4_SPF3 eDP (240MHz limit) 60hz -> 103hz Default timings (Kohara Kun)
• Semi-Success: Clevo W320SS 13.3" Haswell, 1080p ChiMei CMN1343 60hz -> 62hz Unknown Timings "horizontal black lines across display [above 62hz]" (Ionising_Radiation)
• Semi-Success: MSI GL62M 7RD 15.6" Kabylake, ???p CNM15D2 60hz -> 63hz (Elruflon22)
• Success: Acer V7 482pg 14" Haswell, 1080p AUO B140HAN01.1?? 60hz -> 74hz (PLLovervoltage)
• Success: Asus Rog G750JZ 17.3" Haswell, 1080p ???Panel, 60hz -> 90hz (amn3sia)
• Success: MSI GE62 2QD Apache Pro 15.6" Haswell, 1080p ???Panel, 60hz -> 96hz (Fran Fernandez)
• Success: MSI GE70 2PE Apache Pro 17.3" Haswell, 1080p ???Panel, 60hz -> 90hz (TheWorldsEnd)
• Success: Asus N550JK 15.6" Haswell, 1080p ???Panel, 60hz -> 83hz (DatteRo)
• Semi-Success: Clevo P650HP6 15.6" Kabylake, 1080p? LGD046F, 60hz -> 63hz (Sptz)
• Success: Alienware AW 17R4 17.3" Kabylake, 1080p? ???Panel, 60hz -> 100hz (Liky)
• Semi-Success: HP Pavillion ab031tx 15.6" Broadwell, 1080p CMN15C4 TN, 60hz ->62hz [not completely stable] (Prateek Verma)
• Fail: Dell Inspiron 7567 15.6" Kabylake, 1080p CMN15D2, 60hz X (LeonardoMSP)
• Success: Asus S451LB (A451LB) 14" Haswell, 768p AUO323C, 60hz -> 90hz [Driver 4624] (Rizma Jody Festiawan)
• Success: External LG 22MP58VQ 22" 1080p monitor, 60hz -> 75hz (Rizma Jody Festiawan)
• Fail: Gigabyte Aero 14 14" Sky/Kabylake, 1440p LGD049A ( LP140QH1-SPF1), 60hz X (iambalaji)
• Semi-Success: Gigabyte Aero 15 15.6" Kabylake, 1080p CMN15C7, 60hz -> 62hz (CedricFP)
• Success: Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-593G-772Y 15.6" Kabylake, 1080p ???Panel, 60hz -> 70hz. (maxsze)
• Semi-Success: MSI GE62 6QF Apache Pro 15.6" Skylake, 1080p ???Panel, 60hz -> 63hz (zzBacon)
• Success: Clevo P170SM 17.3" Haswell, 1080p Chi Mei 173HGE-L11, 60hz -> 95hz [100hz with artifacting] (ExMM)
• Success: MSI GE62 2QD-276US Apache Pro 15.6" Broadwell, 1080p Samsung SDC324C, 60hz -> 100hz [screenshot] (TheRealJohnp)
• Success: Asus ROG GL552 15.6" Skylake, 1080p ???Panel, 60hz -> 100hz (Gagan@1234)
• Success: MSI GE72 6QD Apache Pro 17.3" Skylake, 1080p Chi Mei CMN1735, 60hz -> 85hz [native timings], 90hz [LCD reduced] (TheRealJohnp)
• Semi-Success: Unknown Brand, Unknown model, LGD046F/LP156WF6, 60hz -> 64hz (TheRealJohnp)
• Success: Dell Inspiron 7567 15.6" Kabylake, Aftermarket 1080p AUO41ED, 60hz -> 110hz [manual timings] (nfouvb9wf)
• Success: Dell Inspiron 7560 15.6" Kabylake, 1080p BOE06B4, 60hz -> 75hz (ConnorLS)
• Success: Dell Inspiron 7567 15.6" Kabylake, 1080p AUO63ED (B156HAN03.8) (IPS, not TN), 60Hz -> 110Hz [manual timings] or 108Hz [reduced LCD timings] (TheRealJohnp)
• Semi-Success: Dell Inspiron 7567 15.6" Kabylake, 1080p LGD053F (IPS, not as good as AUO63ED), 60Hz -> 75Hz (Zedramus)
• Success: MSI GE72 6QD Apache Pro 17.3" Skylake, 1080p Chi Mei CMN1735, 60Hz -> 108Hz [LCD reduced timings] (Barca2014)
• Success: Dell Inspiron 7567 15.6" Kabylake, 1080p AUO38ED (B156HAN03.8 IPS), 60Hz -> 90Hz [manual timings] (ohmstance)
• Success: Dell Inspiron XXX 15.6" xxx-lake, Samsung LTN156HL06-C01 PLS (aftermarket), 60Hz -> 85Hz (ohmstance)
• Success: Acer Aspire R3 11.6" Braswell N3700, 768p AUO105C (120MHz pixel clock limit), 60Hz -> 70Hz [LCD reduced timings] (Rengiux)
• Success: MSI GS70 6QE Stealth Pro (17.3", 1080p, Skylake), 1080p CMN N173HGE-E11 (140MHz pixel clock limit), 60Hz -> 100Hz [monitor stock timings], 105Hz [manual]. (n1CeKiy)
• Success: Alienware 15 R1 (15.6", 1080p, ??), ??? Panel, 60Hz -> 90Hz (judal57)
• Semi-Success: Gigabyte aero 15 v7 (15.6", 1080p, Skylake), CMN 15D7, 60Hz -> 63.05Hz [LCD standard timings, anything beyond 63Hz artifacts regardless of timings] (margroloc)
• Success: Acer Nitro 5 (15.6", 1080p, ??), AN515-51 60Hz -> 100Hz [with artifacting] (akeigo)
• Semi-Success: Alienware 17 R3 (17", 1080p, Skylake) Samsung LTN173HL01-202, 60Hz -> 65Hz [artifacts at 70] (abdullah_mag)
• Success: Dell Inspiron 15 7567 (15", 1080p, Kabylake) BOE06CB [30pin eDP] 60Hz -> 80Hz [Custom timings, color loss above 200MHz pixclk] (magnussen)
• Success: Dell Inspiron 15 7559 (15", 1080p, Skylake) LGD04B9 [note: dell uses various panels] 60Hz -> 90-100Hz [stability is not clear?] (tahaea1)
• Semi-Success: Dell Inspiron 15 7577 (15", 2160p 4K, Kabylake) AUO20EB - F2TW2_B156ZAN 59/60Hz -> 62Hz [LCD-Standard timings] (Maleko48)
• Success: Alienware 17 R3 (17", 1080p, Skylake) LGD0459 60Hz -> 95Hz [display default timings] (ma0u)
• Success: Surface Laptop 2017 i5 4GB (13.5", 2256x1504, Kabylake) MEI96A2 - VVX14T092N00 60Hz -> 75 Hz [LCD reduced timings, stable] (nr-thunder)
• Success: Gigabyte aero 15x v8 (15.6", 1080p, coffee lake) AUO82ED 144Hz -> 156Hz [custom timings] (margroloc)
• Success: Dell Inspiron 7567 (15", 1080p, Kabylake) AUO63ED 60Hz -> 90Hz (imrazor)
  
• Success: ??? (??, ??, ??) CMN15CA 60Hz -> 80Hz (Orgil)
  
• Success: HP Envy 17t (17", 1080p, 8th-Gen) AUO IPS? 60Hz -> 72Hz (whiterose)
  
• Semi-Success: Dell XPS 15 9550 (15", 4K 2160p, Skylake) SHP143E 60Hz -> 64Hz (SkyArrow)
  
• Success: Xiaomi Mi Notebook pro (15", 1080p, Coffee lake) BOE NV156FHM-N61 (BOE0747) 60Hz -> 74Hz [standard resolution] (Che0063)
  
• Success: Alienware 13 R3 (13", 1080p, Kabylake) CMN1371 60Hz -> 94Hz [default timings copied into custom, 240MHz pixclk limit] (plummms)
  
• Success: MSI GE60 2PE Apache Pro (15", 1080p, Haswell) Samsung SDC324C 60Hz -> 80-96Hz [LCD Standard/native] (Ing_Imperator)
  
• Fail: Acer Nitro 5 (15", 1080p, Kabylake) BOE NV156FHM-N42 V8.0 60Hz -> 70Hz X (Ing_Imperator)
  
• Success: Acer Nitro 5 (15", 1080p, Kabylake) Replacement screen Samsung LTN156HL06-C01 60Hz -> 96Hz [with faint lines] (Ing_Imperator)
  
• Semi-Success: Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X3L (13", 1080p, Broadwell) Samsung LTN133HL01-801 60Hz -> 70Hz [LCD native] (Ing_Imperator)
  
• Semi-Success: Acer Swift 5 (14", 1080p, Kabylake) AUO??? 60Hz -> 65Hz [LCD native](Ing_Imperator)
  
• Reserved

Note that your monitor overclocks will also work in games.


Overall this is amazing news for anyone running displays off the intel GPU, which includes optimus & AMD switchable graphics users. If you've ever wanted a higher refresh rate on your laptop (or intel based desktop without discrete GPU), here you go - and it's free.

• If you try this, please post your results. Since overclocking monitors on the intel GPU was not possible until recently, the data is limited. If you can, please post your results (even if not impressive) to help the community.
  • Optional: to find the model number of your monitor, look in CRU (screenshot)
    • OR download HWINFO free (link) and go to the 'Monitor' section (screenshot)
• If you have any questions or info to add, please do post them. That's what the forum is for

FAQ/Troubleshooting

Spoiler: Click me to open/close

• CRU/Intel control panel doesn't work
  • Be sure you're using driver version "xxx.xxx.4568" or newer. (Exception: version 4590 is known not to work.). If in doubt, refer to the list of tested drivers at the beginning of this post.
    
  • Make sure your setting's pixel clock (combo of resolution/refresh rate/timings, which you can check in CRU) isn't above the display interface limit. If your driver is correct but your custom settings aren't showing up in windows, this is why.
  • Reboot the computer after changing settings in CRU, you wont see your new settings without rebooting.
  • Ivy bridge & older are not supported via this method.
• Can I enter a resolution higher than my monitor's native refresh rate to have more "space"/downsample
  • No. CRU is not intended for this purpose. Intel's graphics driver can downscale but this functionality is not available to the user.
• My laptop has either an AMD APU or a nvidia GPU + G-Sync display, how can I do this?
  • Your displays run off the radeon/geforce GPU and those drivers include built in tools for monitor overclocking. Just use those included tools. (CRU thread).
• I have a laptop with an intel CPU that either has switchable graphics or no discrete graphics at all, how can I do this?
  • Your displays are running off the intel GPU, so follow the directions above.
• How can I test my monitor OC for stability?
  • 1. Look for any glitches. Sometimes only specific combinations of colors in certain areas of the display will cause glitching. The pattern of artifacting can vary from random lines to areas of faded color.
    
  • 2. Check for frameskipping. Use RefreshRateMultitool: download the .zip, run the '6 by 10 grid.bat' file inside and follow the directions. Take multiple pictures of the tool running and check for any skipped frames. Skipped frames add judder to the image so you may want to reduce your overclock until the skipping is gone. *(the only case where frameskipping is acceptable is if you managed an OC that is a multiple of 60hz [eg 120hz] but that drops half the frames. In that case you would have an effective 60hz display but with half the input lag [each update is 8ms instead of 16ms] which would be useful for twitchy games. This is more of a hypothetical possibility rather than something that actually happens.)
• Why is my overclock so low?
  • Luck of the draw. Since display overclocking on intel GPUs was not possible until now, there is little data on which laptop displays overclock well. Please post your results to help the community if you can.
• My display overclock is stable but my mouse cursor looks like it's skipping frames! Help!
  • This is known as mouse microstuttering: the USB Polling rate of your mouse (often 125hz) is not a multiple of your display refresh rate, so one in every x display refreshes results in the mouse cursor being in the same position twice. It's normal. See this image (link) for an example. Some gaming mouse drivers let you raise the polling rate, which helps reduce this effect.
• Is it worth leaving the display overclocked if I can only get +2hz, +3hz, etc..?
  • If you can notice the difference in smoothness and input lag, sure. It's possible to leave the desktop at 60hz but play games at 62/63/etc hz if you prefer.
• How are the timings, refresh rate, and pixel clock related to each other?
  • refresh rate = pixelclock / (horizontal timings total * vertical timings total). CRU rounds the pixel clock to two decimals first, then calculates the refresh rate. Differences in hardware can cause small variations in reported pixel clock/refresh rate so don't worry if tools report slightly different numbers.
• I overclocked my 1080p monitor to 90hz, but I play games at 720p. Will I have to add the 720p 90hz mode?
  • No, you should see 720p90hz automatically in your games. (Windows assumes any lower resolution than your highest-resolution & refresh-rate combo will also support that higher refresh rate)
• How do I change my refresh rate?
  • Open the intel graphics control panel -> nagivate to display -> choose your display --> choose your new refresh rate --> hit apply. If you can't see anything then the intel driver will revert to your old settings after 10 seconds.
• Why does my refresh rate reset to 59/60hz after rebooting?
  • Try applying your custom refresh rate setting from the native windows dialogue boxes instead of the intel driver. You may have to try a couple times to get the setting to stick through reboots.
• Will my panel degrade over time?
  • Very unlikely. It's difficult to find reliable reports about monitors failing. Anecdotally, my 60hz --> 104hz overclock has been stable for over half a year now.
• The intel drivers wont install!
  • Make sure you are installing the correct drivers.
    • For example, newer intel graphics drivers do not support Haswell/skylake on Windows 7 so you have to use older versions (see the list above)
      
    • For example, 64 bit drivers will not install on a 32 bit (x86-32) OS, and vice versa.
  • Try installing the drivers via the 'device manager' method.
    • Please make sure you are following the directions from the top part of this post very carefully. The device manager has options for 'search for driver software in xxx location -> [browse]' and 'have disk -> [browse]'. Those options are not the same thing.
• Someone with the same laptop as me got XXX result, does that guarantee the same for me?
  • No - this depends on the display panel used. Many laptop manufacturers have multiple sources for displays, so it's possible that two otherwise identical laptops have different panels. You can check this using CRU or hwinfo (see above). Note that some panels may have 'short' and 'long' names that do not match.
• After following the directions, my screen goes blank for a second every time it starts up! Is this bad?
  • No. Some OSes (Windows 7) boot with the default refresh rate but once you load into Windows the system switches over to your last setting (the custom refresh rate). This causes the flickering - similar to manually changing the refresh rate.
• Is there a brand of screen manufacturer that makes the most overclockable displays?
  • No. Brand is not a good indicator of overclockability - it varies with panel, not manufacturer.
• Some guy overclocked his display by a lot! Can I just copy his settings?
  • No. This is not likely to work unless you have similar panels.
• I tried adding a custom refresh rate but it won't show up. How do I know what my display's pixel clock limit is?
  • There is no software that tells you what display protocol being used. You can try googling the panel name and hope to find a spec sheet that tells you the display protocol used (eDP, LVDS etc) or the pixel clock limit. The other way is to 'guess and check' using CRU and rebooting.
• I have a gaming laptop with gsync enabled or optimus disabled. How can I do this?
  • No. Some laptops disable nvidia optimus and run the displays off the dedicated GPU. In this case, use the nvidia driver's built in tool (CRU will still work though)
• Can I replace my laptop screen with one that is known to overclock?
  • Yes, provided the display is compatible with your laptop (size, cables). Sometimes, windows brightness controls don't work with replacement screens so it is best to verify with other users if possible.
• My computer is crashing constantly after I overclocked the monitor!
  • BSODs like video_driver_scheduler_error, driver_power_state_failure, and others can be caused by bad monitor overclocks. Just decrease the overclock or revert back to 60hz.
• I Still Have A Problem!
  • Please include hardware (CPUs, GPUs), OS, intel driver version, and what exactly the issue is - help may not be useful if your information is not clear
• Can I get a higher refresh rate at a lower resolution?
  • Reports on the intel forums and my own testing shows suggests the intel driver is not allowing this. (Anecdote: 1080p105hz on my laptop works with 99% stability but adding and trying 720p105hz resulted in a completely black screen.) However, there is a report of this concept working: [link], and another example (but not with intel graphics) [link]
• Reserved

Disclaimer: I initially reported my results here: NBR Forum Link. For more info, visit: CRU Forum Link, Intel Forum Link

 

Thanks! This worked on the ChiMei panel in my P170SM-A. Feels/looks like a whole new machine. Now to get something more powerful then my 970m in the future.

 

Does not work with Msi GE40-2OC

The system seems to over-write any resolution I plug in.

 

Gave this a try on my Acer Nitro BE.

Seems I can only get 59p or 60p, no other mode are displayed in the intel control panel

After a bit more playing round, I could get higher settings to show, but anything much higher than 65p would give a blank screen. A restart would also just default back to 59p anyways

 

15.6" screens usually have only OC'd to 64hz/65hz maximum, so your experience is typical.

17.3" - 18.4" are the realm that have some make / models that will OC around 70-120hz even though they spec / release at 60hz.

 

Thanks for the explanation. I guess its really not worth the time for such a small OC

 

I've got a Samsung 15.6" PLS panel that does 103Hz overclocked. It's spec at 60Hz. I got mine for $30 shipped on eBay and it's perfect.

 

Just wanted to report that I got my hands on a brand new from the box HP 13" pavillion x360 (i5-7200U) to set up for a friend and the 1080p touch display was very happy to be overclocked to 96hz.
No fuss at all, verified no frameskipping or artifacting, didn't have to adjust the timings at all.

The overclock is actually limited by the 240MHz pixel clock limit. If there was some way to remove that 240MHz pixel clock limit I have no doubt this panel could be pushed further. (it seems kaby lake has the same 240MHz pixel clock limit as skylake. I could also try higher OCs by dropping some of the timings but my friend wouldn't know how to drop the refresh rate back down if any artifacting does happen, so I'm just leaving it at 96hz)

This was done using the beta driver for sky/kaby lake mentioned in my first post. The driver "wasn't validated for this computer" so I had to install via device manager -> update driver -> Browse my computer... -> Let me pick from a list of drivers on my computer... -> Have Disk, and point the installer to the " igdlh64.inf " file in the "Graphics" folder of the install package. I feel like that step would trip some novice users.

Just for clarity this panel in the pavillion x360 is a 1080p 13" IPS guy that runs at 60hz natively, model LGD052D
The panel that overclocked to 103hz with timing adjustments in my original post is a 1080p 15" IPS 60hz panel from the dell inspiron 7559, model LGD04B9
Will update the original post with this info when I get a chance

 

Haswell CPU on Windows 10? There is nothing?

 

Updated the thread, haswell & broadwell are supported.
I knew there was a beta driver released for them but as mentioned earlier I lost the link. Then I realized I already downloaded it on my broadwell core m tablet but never installed it. Confirmed this driver does work and unlocks custom refresh rates.

Version is: 15.40.32.64.4568
https://downloadmirror.intel.com/26504/eng/win64_154032.4568.zip
Hopefully that link works. If it doesn't let me know and I can upload my copy.

Intel also released an updated version of that driver which I also added to the main thread.

Here's the supported list - this means haswell/broadwell/skylake/kaby lake are all supported.

Platform / Operating System(s):
5th Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) processor family (codename Broadwell)
Microsoft Windows* 7-64
Microsoft Windows* 8-64
Microsoft Windows* 8.1-64
Microsoft Windows* 10-64

4th Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) processor family (codename Haswell)
Microsoft Windows* 10-64

Braswell Processor Family
Microsoft Windows* 7-64
Microsoft Windows* 8.1-64
Microsoft Windows* 10-64
(Braswell support is very surprising, maybe someone can test that)

 

So awesome! I have the same Dell with LGD04B9 panel and the 100Hz trick works. Windows 7 and driver version 15.45.4627 (21.20.16.4627). I think it makes some difference and I don't see drops in 3DMark 11 points. Games are also running at 100Hz without problem;

 

Just installed the new 4624 driver and I was able to overclock my ASUS K451LN 1366x768 60hz panel (AUO323C, eDP, win 10) to 98hz with the LCD standard profile. Verified no frameskipping or artifacting. The monitor actually maxxed out at 119.99mhz pixel clock(?!)

The problem is that every single driver after 4424 breaks tons of games for me, they just stop recogizing resolutions rather than the native one, and some games just wont work properly anymore. This isnt fixed in the newest driver, which is a shame now I have to choose between more games to play properly or smoother ui

Edit: okay so now with a complete driver purge from ddu, and without touching the intel control panel in any way/shape/form, I can get both high refreshrate and custom resolution running together, and the funny part is the lower the resolution, the higher the refreshrate
I dont know if interpolating 60fps to 265hz actually feels better or not, but who knows, Im the only person that play dark souls 3 at 800x450 I guess

 

So a friend from another site directed me to this link page.

Highest i can get is 66Hz on this laptop.

Acer predator g9 591. 15"

Anything higher goes to black screen and returns after the 15 second thing.

Guess 6hz is better than nothing...

 

I would take the 6Hz over nothing Did you try to use reduced timings option in CRU? Also manually tweaking them usually allows for a few extra Hz.

 

I dunno how to do any of that stuff.

 

Thanks for reporting this, seems that panel is a very good overclocker. Added your results and others to first post.

Thanks for reporting, I really have no idea how eDP works. It seems impossible to tell what eDP version a laptop is using except maybe by looking up the panel and hoping for a datasheet? Updated the main thread with your info.

I rearranged and rewrote the main post with better information about how to set everything up.
Short version below

http://s7.postimg.org/hyw0q7p8b/step_2.png

All you want to do is choose 'Automatic LCD Reduced' from the drop down box. This changes all the numbers in the middle of the screen (aka the timing values) so you end up with a lower 'pixel clock'. Both the changed timing values and lower pixel clock can potentially help with stability - so after you change the timing preset to 'LCD Reduced' then try entering a slightly higher refresh rate down at the bottom of the box, click OK and confirm the changes in the CRU app, reboot your computer, and test it.

By manually tweaking Talon means changing the timing numbers in the middle (like vertical/horizontal back porch, etc) by yourself, rather than using the 'LCD Reduced' preset and see if that helps you get better stability. Manually tweaking those values means literally picking one at random and reducing it by 1 or a few and retesting... No science or reason to it at all. At least that's what I did to go from 100 to 104hz. Here's another screenshot for you, which is also in the main thread: http://s7.postimg.org/lc9ba1p4r/manual_timings_info.png

Manually tweaking the timings instead of picking a preset might help you (it helped me get from 103hz to 104hz). You could try tweaking the 'LCD Reduced' preset timings for example, or tweak the timings that the laptop panel came with (which is what worked for me) - all up to you.

 

"'Automatic LCD Reduced'" got me to 67Hz from 66Hz.
Thanks!

I wont mess with the manual settings as I have no idea what I would be actually doing even though explained.

 

Been a long time lurker on this website but had just registered to report in.
ASUS GL753VE - LG Panel LP173WF4_SPF3 - 17.3 inch 1080p IPS
Just tried and got stable 95hz overclock, will be testing to get better results though.

EDIT:
Alright, 103 seems stable (104 won't show up in control panel), this is with default timings, no extra adjustments needed yet, but this is right at the 238mhz pixel clock, so this is at the limit of my monitor (although I have a feeling it can go higher if this weren't the limit)

 

My CMN1343 panel is lousy. Anything above 62 Hz and I get horizontal black lines across the display.

 

Alright... A heads up:
I've overclocked many desktop monitors now, but this is probably also applicable to laptop (since the 1st laptop display I OC'd, the GL753, also has this issue).

if you're doing color critical work, overclocking normally screws up your gamma curve (usually increasing the gamma, making image darker), messing up your calibration. This can also be a major deal breaker in gaming where it makes your image darker, harder to see. This behavior is not consistent between monitors, so your mileage may vary.

You could either revert back to your original refresh rate when doing color related work, for gaming it's probably okay for most of the time (unless you want everything to be perfect like me), or recalibrate using the new refresh rate (which is what I did).

 

Had my MSI GL62M 7RD's monitor (CNM15D2) at 63hz for now (with Automatic - LCD Reduced). Started getting artifacts at 65hz and above but I think I just need to tweak it a bit more.

Will there even be a difference in game with 63hz?

 

Thanks, didn't consider that. Added to main thread.

Instead of using CRU's LCD-Reduced or default timings, have you tried using the default timings that came with your laptop?
In my case LCD-Reduced timings always resulted in artifacting but my laptop panel's default timings got me to 103hz without any other adjustments.

63hz is not a massive difference but you might still notice, probably most clearly when moving the mouse around quickly.
It might seem disappointing but if I were you I'd still take that overclock instead of 60hz since the 5% boost in frames displayed/second is better than nothing. If you want, you can use 60hz on the desktop but choose 63hz in the settings of games.

 

I've been able to get up to 74hz on my Acer V7 482pg at 1080p. So now I was trying to adjust refresh rates for resolution at 720p but I get this screen if i set it to 75hz(works normally at 74hz). Computer and screen to left side is working but instead of filling the screen, the screen repeats to fill the right and bottom side. Anybody know a solution?

 

Might be an odd question, but would this work on laptops with desktop CPUs(i.e. Clevo P750dm2)?

 

It's easier on non-Optimus laptops. Just create custom resolution in Nvidia Control Panel.

 

Thanks for that info mate. Appreciate it.

 

This 100Hz probably not the maximum, but I'm happy with it and not interested to squeeze out few more Hz .

 

I've just noticed that I can see the waves of display refreshes on my panel when I set the background to solid black and brightness at minimum, and it does seems to only appear when I push the panel near its limit. I dont know if it's bad for the panel in the long term though
I do have a question: how did the manufaturers decide which refresh rate to be a standard? I mean, everything from 60hz to 144hz, 240hz etc... why not any other arbitrary number?

 

The values are multiples of movie frame rates, either 24 or 30 fps. The former because Todd-AO lost the war and film stock became 24 by default and the latter due to the US's electricity grid running at 60 Hz. Hence also the same European movie runs 4% shorter; 24 stock sped up to reach 25 fps, which is double the grid's 50 Hz, whereas the US version will have an interpolated frame so the theatrical original has the same run time as the copy for TV/DVD.

Basically; historical reasons.

 

Laptop: Asus Rog G750JZ (Optimus)

Drivers: 20.19.15.4568

Stock refresh rate: 60 Hz

New refresh rate: 90-95Hz

Settings:
-http://prntscr.com/f2dlqz (90Hz)
-http://prntscr.com/f2dlvy (95Hz)
-http://prntscr.com/f2dm2a (101Hz)

Notes:
The 90Hz one works excellent without any obvious artifacts or issues. The 95Hz one works fine as well but has occasional flickering. The 101Hz works but has heavy artifacts.

Side note: I have to apply it every time as it resets and it also messes up my gamma so I have to set that as well.

Question: Can anyone say whether or not the flickering is bad for the health of monitor and what could I do to achieve more than 95Hz? Cheers.

 

From what I have read adjusting monitor clocks has no harmful effects. Flickering is just a side effect of unstable clocks. I'm stable at 74hz plugged-in but I also experience flickering when on battery.


I was hoping if someone could help me understand the parameters better. I don't like mindlessly changing numbers and so far any changes to 74hz I am always stable and any changes to 75hz I am never stable... so unfortunately I have no sense of which direction I should be heading.. if anybody has the knowledge of answering my questions I would be grateful TT or if they could point me in the right direction(forum/thread) if it has already been answered but this is all I've been able to gather.

1. I seem to be limited to a max pixel clock of 175MHz. I was wondering if anybody knows where this number might be coming from. The eDP max pixel clock is 240Mhz. I have an optimus laptop but already installed op intel driver and patched nvidia limit.

2. I understand sync width was originally used as a sync signal for old analog tvs. Is this still relevant with today's vsync? From what I'm understanding total blanking (front+back+sync) period is more important because it gives time for pixel GtG transitions. Does that mean it doesn't matter if its for example..
20 front 20 back 20 sync
or
60 front 0 back 0 sync
?

3. For blur reduction featured monitors(aka. lightboost,ulmb, bbr), it is recommended to increase vertical total to help with blur reduction. A higher vertical total creates a larger blanking interval giving more time for pixel GtG transitions and create less blur. Is this still relevant for non-blur reducing monitors we find on laptops? Would reducing blanking period to decrease bandwidth(in order to increase refresh rate) introduce blur since it gives less GtG transition time or is the difference not significant enough?

6. Anybody know where I could go for more information on the electronics of gpu to monitor data transfer? ( I may be using the wrong search times cause I seem only to find sites explaining standards and basic stuff like IPS vs TN vs VA etc.)

 

right click desktop -> open intel graphics control menu

then for screen refresh rate choose your new setting and hit apply. to test for stability read the main post for the link to the refresh rate multitool app (to check for frameskipping), and for artifacting just look at the screen. if you see funny lines or something you know its unstable

 

Hi dude, I'm using a MSI GE62 2QD Apache Pro with a 60 hz monitor, and I have been able to oc it to 96 hz with 0 problems. Thanks for your help!

 

I don't have any idea what the timing values do, believe me I've searched a lot for that info. It seems some people out there know what this all means but I haven't been able to find an easy to understand explanation of it all. That's why my recommendation is to just mess around with the timing values and see what sticks - very time consuming and admittedly it might yield nothing for some people (it got me from 103hz to 104hz. [105hz was doable but inserted a purple horizontal line on the bottom of my screen nearly every time my laptop woke from sleep so I had enough and dropped to 104])

Glad it worked for you! Best part is it costs nothing to download these tools and try it out, I'm glad that after years of complaining intel finally fixed this part of their drivers.

 

Thanks for the guide, worked like a charm on MSI GE70 2PE Apache Pro up to 90 fps, but for some reason "Release" Intel driver gives me a terrible tearing even without any overclocking. No problems on 4568 version though. Now if only I could actually run games on this framerate :')

 

Could get my Asus N550JK screen up to 83 Hrz. Thank you!

 

Has anybody else experienced this weird issue? I've found with cru settings enabled videos keep intermittently freezing. The audio keeps playing but the video keeps freezing. It took me a while to realize it was cru cause I initially assumed it was a bad chrome update. Even happens when windows refresh setting is set to just 60hz.

 

Has anyone overclocked an LGD046F panel? (Came with my Clevo P650HP6)

I can't seem to get it over 63hz. Not sure if there's any other options within CRU I can change (timings etc) to see if I can push it further? I literally have no idea what those options actually do.

 

Its probably because it is a 15.6 inch screen. From what I have read the 17 inch screens just naturally overclock higher.

I am still running this now on a fresh install of Win10, and still at 90hz. Best free mod yet.

 

I overclocked my AW 17R4 to 100 Hz at default settigns, with the latest non beta driver, I think 103 is possible as well but when I restart the laptop it switches to 59 Hz by itself (yes a 59hz option in intel control panel appeared by itself).
Also when you increase the refresh rate of the monitor does the brightness decreases ?

 

Thanks for your report.
104hz sticks for me through a reboot, maybe this is a case of intel's drivers doing something weird. Try selecting 100hz from Windows instead of the intel control panel and then rebooting?

It's possible that upping the refresh rate will change colors/brightness but my panel is not affected, and I think most aren't. It's only a problem if you notice it.

 

Thanks for your reply also. Now the refresh rate is staying after restarts I even increased it to 103hz. Those timings though, if someone can explain them in detail how they affect the display and how should they be changed with the increase in refresh rate will be very helpful. Currently I just use the default for my display so at 103hz I am at 238khz pixel clock which is the limiting factor to go higher (after 240khz resolutions stop to appear)
So if I reduce some of the timings the clock drops but what effect this makes to the screen ? Also that sync polarity the default for me is +- with ++ works too. I found this explanations
http://www.qnx.com/developers/docs/660/index.jsp?topic=/com.qnx.doc.screen.wfdcfg/topic/manual/cwfdcfg_timing.html
it is for raster scanning displays though aka CRT monitors.

 

How you do that? I'm so lost on how to do it on my laptop. I got same laptop with an gtx 970m.

 

No it simply depends on what screen you're using. The 15.6" PLS displays overclock like champs ~100Hz. The IPS LG overclock like crap on the 15.6" screens. TN 15.6" also seem to overclock fine.

 

I have a question I hope can get answered. This may be dumb to ask but I have a bay trail -M generation processor which I think is 3rd generation processor; is it unsafe to install one of the newer drivers like 15.40 or 15.45 etc. on it just to get a higher refresh rate on my monitor?

Thanks in Advance.

 

I have a hp pavilion ab031tx notebook. it comes with a 15.6inch 60hz CMN15C4 (TN) panel. I tried to increase the refresh rate with default clock, but even at 65hz artifacting occurs. I cant go anymore up than 62hz. does anyone know any custom settings by which I can increase it further?

 

Read the first post lol

I'm not so sure that's a reliable statement to make. My 15.6" IPS LG does 103hz ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

You can try but I'm pretty sure it wont work. Bay trail uses ivy bridge gen graphics and driver support was always even worse. I've never been able to update the graphics driver on my bay trail t100 tablet so not going to try with this.

It sounds to me like your panel doesn't like to be overclocked. Maybe try reduced timings in CRU and see if it helps? Or adjust some of the timing values randomly and see if it improves, otherwise 62hz may be all you can get. Don't forget to check for frameskipping too.

 

It gives instant artifacting with reduced timing in CRU even at 60hz. No frameskipping seen at 62 hz though. But, i noticed that 62 hz is not completely stable, it runs fine but when i wake up my laptop from sleep sometimes shuttering occur for 1-2 seconds.

 

Any chance this will work on an old Alienware M17xR3 3D panel with a 2720QM and a 680M? I'm already running at 120Hz but it would be interesting to see if it can hit the 144Hz mark on a laptop display. Any ideas?


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