Poll: Would you return a card if it was a poor overclocker?

[Twirlywoos]

Poll options:
Yes
No
Other - Explain

Could a mod please make this into a Poll?

 

[Twirlywoos]

This is what someone replied when I suggested that overclocking is nothing but willy waving.

The word stock clocks doesn't apply anymore, what you see advertised is not what your cards run at

I just want to enjoy my games as that is all that matters to me at the end of the day. I have a back log of games I want to finish and Borderlands 2 is out this week too.

I understand it is enthusiast teritory and takes higher presedence to some people but for me it is just something try out when I get the time and is also educational.

If people are returning their cards because the silicone lottery didn't work out for them then I don't know if they are being foolish or simply don't understand what that term means.

I know it can be a bit upsetting not getting a card overclock higher than others but then that's always a gamble. If you want the best performing card and a stock 670 isn't good enough then maybe you should have considered a GTX680/90?

I always buy a card on the basis of the stock clocks and how quiet it is, gaining high overclocks is just a bonus and always will be for me.

I've learnt that the hard way after I returned my 7950. But you do have a good point about returning a card if it is voltage unlocked. Would you return it also if it was a poor cooler? I know terms like "poor" "cool" and "quiet" are all subjective and you can never realise the noise a card makes until you install it and try it out, but it seems people would continue returning a card regardless of the cost until they get a golden sample or one that they are happy with.

 

[Twirlywoos]

Interesting results. Which leads me to believe you have a 13% chance of picking up a poor overclocker from B Grade stock, other issues such as coil whine may weren't factored in as I don't know whether those cards are sent back to the manufacturer or is also placed into B Grade.

 

[Twirlywoos]

How is this morally?

I just got a Gigabyte 670gtx Windforce 3X, expecting to be able to get some overclocks like I read in the 670gtx threads..

I've got my GPU offset at +83mhz, any higher and I get the display driver has stopped responding late on the Unigine Heaven benchmark..

Memory offset +185mhz (so far), but had a crash at 200mhz.

Would you call this normal? How likely is it to get a 670 that overclocks well? Is mine average or one of the under average ones?

Would you or have you DSR'ed a GPU and try another if you had this result?

Cheers my friends!
David

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18442959&highlight=startername_majnu

 

[Twirlywoos]

If people send it back under DSR then they don't get reimbursed their postage costs anyway. OCUK slap it on B Grade stock, someone with more experience in overclocking then manages to get a decent overclock for a fraction of the price with full manufacturer warranty.

Those who are sensible and know it's a silicon lottery will keep the card.

 

[Twirlywoos]

I'm not sure if you thinks it's OK to DSR or not from your post but I assume you think it's OK depending on the circumstances, if so I agree. If the "advertised specs" state "record-breaking overclocking" and costs £100 premium and it doesn't OC well it is OK to DSR.

For example, if you bought a Matrix Platinum 7970 and it maxed out at 1170 stable in Crysis 2. Given the blurb in the following link "direct from ASUS", would you find a tiny 70 MHz OC acceptable?

http://www.asus.com/ROG/MATRIXHD7970P3GD5/

I can understand it being morally wrong to DSR when it comes to reference designs, or even custom cooled non premium edition cards. IMHO it is not morally wrong when it comes to premium priced special OC edition cards that can't OC for crap.

In that circumstance it's fine because the advertisement was misleading. Although it is subjective to what an incredible overclock, record-breaking overclock is, it doesn't help if it is not quantified.