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Sorry for the dopey question but....

nelsby

nelsby

nelsby

Associate
Joined
27 Jun 2006
Posts
220
Location
Leicester
HO do I overclock a graphics card?

I have built a pc, overclocked cpu etc but have never tried, mainly as I never felt the need I suppose.

Is it a software thing, I seem to remember reading about Rivatuner or something ages ago?

The card is as per the sig if that makes a difference.

Embarassing question but I'd like some advice before I start breaking things :eek:
 
Yea you can either have it controlled by software like Ntune/Atitool/Rivertuner/EVGA Precision or you can mod the bios to run at a certain speed.
 
Too hot is VERY hot on an 88nn GPU, if I remember correctly they don't even throttle until like 110 degrees C. BUT, if you make a shortcut with rivatuner to switch your card to warp-speed, you can also add a fan profile with it set to 100%. This, while louder, is far more effective than letting the fan throttle up on it's own....for one thing it reduces heatsoak into the PCB and other components. For another, ever second you don't use the GPU it cools RIGHT down, so when you throw load at it, it starts from a cooler temp.


One other thing, if going for a really wild overclock. Make sure you use vsync where possible. I say this because your monitor can obviously only show you 60 frames per second. Given that, you use the overclock to make sure you never dip below that in the "busy" bits of the game, but in the "easier" bits, instead of the GPU staying rammed at 100% doing 240fps, it sticks to 60fps and chills out. It's just a matter of being poplite to it since you're already asking it to go above and beyond the call of duty.
Of course, you need to turn it off for benches.
 
My 8800 GTS 320MB will clock up to 650MHz on the core pretty comfortably if I put the fan up to 100% and temps'll get up to about 80C under heavy load ('bout 75C in GRID). It'll crash in Crysis at about 680MHz, above 700MHz and the PC restarts as soon as I set it. The thing gets pretty noisy but I have some headphones so it's fine. :p
 
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before i switched to the 280 i ran my 8800gts 320 at 631/951 for well over a year and had no problems. That was with rivatuner. As easy as can be to do and does make quite a difference in lots of games:) when i did this it was my first time so to speak as well but after reading this article (http://www.custompc.co.uk/news/98206/overclocking-the-geforce-8800-gts.html) i gave it a bash.
 
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