The Galaxy Note 10.1 is a powerful device, there’s no doubt about that. Powered by perhaps the fastest chipset available on smartphones/tablets today – the quad-core Exynos 1.4GHz processor, the Galaxy Note 10.1 can handle anything you can throw at it.

However, there’s always a bit more power that can be squeezed out if you have the will of the development community, and now you can overclock your Galaxy Note 10.1 (3G variant) to 1.6GHz, thanks to an overclock-able kernel released by XDA Forum Member brieuwers. Those who love to see their device pushed to the limits will no doubt love to try the kernel out, and the guide below will help you install the kernel on your Galaxy Note 10.1.

Important! Overclocking a processor can be dangerous and cause instability, so be cautious when overclocking your device. Also, different devices have different limits, so your device might not be able to handle an overclock up to 1.6GHz, while other devices may be stable at the same speed. So if you find 1.6GHz to be unstable, try overclocking to a lower value (for example, to 1.5GHz).

Now, let’s take a look at how you can flash the kernel on your Galaxy Note 10.1 so you can overclock.

Compatibility

This guide below is compatible only and only with the Galaxy Note 10.1 Wi-Fi+3G variant, model number N8000. It’s not compatible with any other device. Check your device model in Settings » About phone.

Warning!

The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know completely what it is. If any damage occurs to your device, we won’t be held liable.

How to Install Overclock Kernel Galaxy Note 10.1

  1. Backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you. This is just in case something goes wrong during the process.
  2. Download and install the drivers for the tablet on the computer.
    Download Drivers
  3. Download the overclock kernel from the source page. The downloaded file will have a .tar/.md5 format.
  4. Download Odin 1.85 from → here.
    Filename: Odin 1.85.zip | Size: 199 KB
  5. Extract the contents of the Odin 1.85.zip file to a folder.
  6. Open Odin — double-click the Odin3 v1.85.exe that you got after extracting the file Odin 1.85.zip.
  7. Disconnect the tablet from the computer (if it’s connected) and turn it off. Then boot into ODIN (download mode) on the tablet by holding down Power and Volume Down buttons (volume down is the button next to the power button) together till you get a Warning!! screen. Here, press Volume Up to continue to enter download mode.
  8. In Odin, click on the PDA button, then select the .tar file obtained in step 3. Important! Do not make any other changes in Odin except selecting the required file in PDA. Leave all other options as they are.
  9. Connect your tablet to PC now with the USB cable. You should get the message “Added!” under Odin’s message box in the bottom left.
    If you don’t get this message, then probably there is a problem with drivers. Make sure you’ve proper drivers installed (check step 2).
  10. Now, hit the Start button in Odin to start flashing the kernel. After the process is complete, the tablet will reboot automatically, and you will get a PASS! message in Odin. You can then disconnect the tablet from the computer.
  11. The overclockable kernel is now installed on your Galaxy Note 10.1. After the tablet turns on, you can overclock the processor using an app such as SetCPU or No-Frills CPU Control or any similar app. Again, be careful and test different overclock frequencies to find the most stable overclock as the highest frequency may not be stable for your tablet.

The kernel is now installed on your Galaxy Note 10.1, which will allow you to overclock the device up to 1.6GHz. Do let us know how it works!