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

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

  • Yes

    Votes: 32 18.3%

  • No

    Votes: 134 76.6%

  • Other

    Votes: 9 5.1%
  • Total voters
    175
if it was sold as a good ocer (asus directcu2) and then turns out its voltage locked so u cant then yes.

if you buy a reference and its bad at ocing then no
 
Probably not, though as above, it depends.

If I bought an AMD 7800 / 7900 series card and it didn't overclock reasonably well, I think I would return it since that is one of their main selling points.
 
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Define poor overclocker.
If everyone is getting 1200-1300 and mine will only do 1100 then I would feel it is basically defective even though it is not promised to do anything but the rated speed.

Being like 50MHz behind the best clocker posted here would not be a big deal. It won't be noticed, especially because overclocks have diminishing performance returns the higher they go.

I would expect to be around average.
 
If it was sold as a card that was designed to achieve good overclocks then yes. But if it was just a reference card, then no. But then I rarely overclock.
 
I always thought that it was the transistors switching that used the current and caused the heat. OC will increase current and as power is volts x amps will increase power draw. The voltage increase is only needed to drive the transistors harder and will then increase both V and I so increase power draw even further.
 
SirCanealot said:
Why? Not like overclocking increases heat output.

Now, over-volting on the other hand... :D
Click to expand...

Actually, power consumption is proportional to clockspeed. Voltage is a bigger factor though as power increases in proportion to voltage squared.

If a card couldn't go 2-3% over stock I would be concerned as they do degrade with time, if it is capable of 5%+ over stock speed on stock clocks I don't think you have a good case to send it back.
 
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
Click to expand...

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. :D

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.
 
No I wouldn't. If everyone started doing this then we would see GPU prices rise even more. The cost of this swapping cards constantly is passed onto us customers in higher prices. If you send back a card just because it is not a good clocker you have no right to complain about high you prices.
 
I have never played a game on an oced card. As long as the card does what it said on the box for stock speed Im happy.

Having said that ocing and benchmarks are fun.:D
 
No.

If its 100% stable at stock then its working as advertised.:)

If however any of its advertised claims are factually incorrect then its miss-sold and thus needs to be returned for a full refund. :( However usually the wording is careful to suggest but not definitively state overclocking ability. :mad:
 
OCPete said:
No.

If its 100% stable at stock then its working as advertised.:)

If however any of its advertised claims are factually incorrect then its miss-sold and thus needs to be returned for a full refund. :( However usually the wording is careful to suggest but not definitively state overclocking ability. :mad:
Click to expand...

Exactly this.
 
No.

Why?

Because a card is shipped at X clocks and should be fast enough out of the box. The only need to overclock is when the card is starting to show its age and slow in games otherwise you see no benefit if its from the off.

It would be nice to see a card clock however the older a card is from release the less it will clock usually. This is down to QC slackening off as the fast starting cards are not required to get reviewers buzzing any more.


TLDR...

In short put 2 and 2 together. Buy a card when it launches or simply do not bother and wait until the next is released.

cards get progressively worse the longer you leave it before purchasing.
 
No I wouldnt, if it does what it says on the box and runs at the clocks it says then its a working card, overclocking is pot luck, some get lucky, some dont, you wouldnt return a car if it was advertised to do 130 and you cant make it do 140 would you?
 
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