In an attempt to save power

[eracer2006]

ive set my gpu to 400mhz at idle, then 650 at low and high graphical use.

Im wanting to set it really lower, it stays around 60-68 deg c at 400mhz, my question is whats the lowest I can set it to before i have problems such as windows taking ages to load up, etc ? as ive noticed a slowdown since going from 1280x1024 to 1680x1050 however my hdd needs fragmenting too.

Thanks.

oh and it wouldnt let me bring my vram down from 1000mhz without bringing it down for low and high graphics use aswell, is this normal ?

 

[krisboats]

ive set my gpu to 400mhz at idle, then 650 at low and high graphical use.

Im wanting to set it really lower, it stays around 60-68 deg c at 400mhz, my question is whats the lowest I can set it to before i have problems such as windows taking ages to load up, etc ? as ive noticed a slowdown since going from 1280x1024 to 1680x1050 however my hdd needs fragmenting too.

Thanks.

oh and it wouldnt let me bring my vram down from 1000mhz without bringing it down for low and high graphics use aswell, is this normal ?

Yes

 

[chaparral]

There meant to be problems with setting different 2D & 3D clocks speeds on a 8800gts/gtx

Which is meant to be why nvidia released them with only one speed...

 

[helmutcheese]

They said same for the 6800Ultra but I had seperate 2D and 3D memory speeds, it wont stay set in windows it will revert both 2D and 3D to same each reboot, I had to offset them in cards bios even 1mhz is enough to let you keep the settings in windows each reboot.

I could not get it to work on my Gainward 7900GTX as of way bios was it kept reseting, I aint tried on my 8800Ultra yet as bios looks another half job with 1 seting for 2D and 3D inc Volts.

 

[eracer2006]

mine saves them

 

[Margaret]

I doubt you'll save hardly anything.

 

[Duff-Man]

a) You can't alter the memory clock. The 6800 series had lots of stability problems arising from different 2D and 3D memory clocks, and ever since then memory clocks have been fixed.


b) There is an implicit relationship between voltage and clock speed. By under-clocking the GPU you are effectively over-volting it. Since you don't have direct control of the GPU voltage (and hence can't drop the voltage to compensate), by significantly reducing the GPU clock speed you risk damaging the core. You won't see problems like 'windows taking ages to load', but you do risk damaging your GPU. The power you save by lowering 2D clocks is tiny anyway, so if I were you I really just wouldn't bother.

 

[eracer2006]

oh ok ive set them all linked and to default 600/900 but ocd the mem to 1000 (2000)mhz

 

[willhub]

I underclock my 8800GTS to 150/300 when not playing games.

 

[helmutcheese]

I never did it to save power just to save card being overclocked 24/7, there is no need for core and ram to be through the roof to surf WWW or type up a .DOC.

 

[Lanz]

Lowering the mhz wont really save you much power, you can only save power really by lowering the voltage, which you cant do.

But I think all new GPUS should be built with like a speedstep thing, as everyone goes on about carbon footprints, yet your graphics card could probably save 100W if it went into proper power saving when idle.

 

[helmutcheese]

Only Core volts can be raised and lowered in some bios, need to edit it, but still volts is nothing it only carrys current so 1.4v running a 700mhz core WILL use more power than 1.4v running a 300mhz core.

 

[Duff-Man]

I underclock my 8800GTS to 150/300 when not playing games.

Not really a good idea. See my above post for an explanation.