Overclocking Raspberry Pi Pico 2
Hacker News
February 20, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Raspberry Pi enthusiasts are pushing the limits of the Pico 2 with an intriguing experiment in overclocking, using nothing but dry ice for cooling and a bit of voltage tweaking. The goal? To see just how fast the RP2350 chip can go beyond its factory settings. While the original Raspberry Pi Pico runs at over 400MHz with a 1.3V core voltage, the Pico 2’s RP2350 processor offers more flexibility, allowing for higher voltages and potentially faster speeds.
Early experiments revealed that increasing the core voltage significantly impacted both clock speed and temperature. At 1.7V, the chip hit 576MHz without issues, but as voltage climbed further, stability became a concern. By testing with a simple factorial calculation and more rigorous benchmarks, it became clear that higher voltages required careful balancing between performance and thermal limits. The Pico 2’s on-board regulator caps at around 2.2V, beyond which the processor struggles to maintain stable operation.
To tackle heat, the experimenter added a tiny heatsink and a small fan to keep temperatures in check. This setup allowed for further testing, revealing that even with external cooling, there were diminishing returns when pushing voltage beyond 2.0V. The voltage regulator’s limitations meant that higher requests didn’t always translate to actual power delivery, highlighting the need for precise monitoring.
The project also uncovered a handy feature: a test point on the Pico 2 board that lets users measure the core voltage directly. This makes it easier to verify whether the requested voltage is being delivered or if the chip is drawing too much current. The experiment ultimately showed that while higher voltages can boost performance, there’s a practical ceiling determined by both hardware constraints and thermal management.
For tech enthusiasts, this work underscores the potential of the Pico 2 as a highly customizable platform for DIY projects and high-performance tasks. Overclocking experiments not only demonstrate the processor’s capabilities but also highlight the importance of careful voltage control and thermal management in achieving optimal performance. Whether you’re a hobbyist or a professional, these insights offer valuable lessons in pushing hardware to its limits while maintaining stability.
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Originally published on Hacker News on 2/20/2026