Legit Reviews

Ha Ha, I feel like a newb (tho ive had plenty of experience of OC'ing graphics cards (even a go5200 )). I was wondering if there are any tricks ive missed, short of voltmodding (tho a pencil one is tempting at some point) to help me overclock my card.

Most of the review sites that overclocked this card were getting 600MHz+ on the core, my coolbits put it around 550 i think, anything i tried above 562 would artifact in atitool. Does this mean that I just have a poor card, or is there something I have to do?

If you havent read my sig or P180 Project log then its worth mentioning that this card is watercooled.The card doesnt go over 34oC at load, though there is a niggling thoight that the thermal paste might not be on the whole core, anyone think that could be a possiblity?

I was trying to find the max with a combo of rivatuner for setting the clocks (only changing 3dmode only) and atitool for artifact scanning when I noticed that as im cranking up the core, 1-2MHz at a time that Ive hit over 570 artifact free. Do I have to continue like this to achive the legendary 600 core? or what? Im currently testing each frequency for ~5min each. *Note* I just hit 573 and anything above this fails rivatuners 'internal driver testing', why is this?

Dan

600MHz core? That's nothing...

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/384/11/

we hit 615MHz on air and I hit 645MHz on water and never did find the max.

No voltage increase was needed to hit 645MHz. If it fails testing it means something didn't like running at that speed... you might have a 'dog' that can only do 645MHz.

Yeah I know you guys got 645+, I'd be happy with just 600 right now! I tested the coolbits optimal (528, 796) and that killed my rig on 3dmark (no errors in ati tool though )

Is there a posibility that the thermal adhesive isnt covering the core properly and limiting my clocks?

Dan

If it was a heat issue you should notice the temperatures... plus you can always yank the heat spreader and re-apply the thermal compound.

Hey. New here.
With Riva, you've got to go into the Power User tab, go down to the overclocking\global tab, expand it, double click on Disable Clock Test and put a 1 in the column to the right. Now you won't have to test it each time. Riva stops you from getting your gf to artifact. I tried using nView, but it wouldn't let me go past 5 hundred something on the core.
I did in depth oc'ing to mine. Here's my log for CSS. DDR3 14ns ram overclocked in access of 900 with small artifacting though my core is considerable. Check it out.

-----7900GS stock (450/1.32, 660) CSS------
181.40 fps
(470 / 1.34, 671)
184.30fps
(502 / 1.4, 700)
190.20 fps
(526 / 711) 15% increase in fan = 1.5fps
195.12 fps
(546 / 1.50)<<<--------o
200.19 fps |
(546 / 1.52) |
...decreasing optimal |

19fps gain -----

--------------------------------------------------------------------
CSS M A X SETTINGS 4aa, 16af, no vsync , quality settings nview

124 @ 450 1.34 stock

145.37 @ 545 1.52

143 @ 547 1.52

145.60 @ 560 1.52

148 @ 550 1.6 24 more fps

nview high qual. (most important right here)

112.09 stock 450 / 1.32

133.17 @ 553 1.6
135.32 @ 560 1.6 <------------------23.20fps increase over stock
135.41 @ 553 1.62
136.20 @ 576 1.6 @ 62c peak
136.70 @ 572 1.6 @ 62c peak
136.28 @ 572 1.62 @ 62c peak
134.89 @ 553 1.647 / 823.50
132.30 @ 560 1.55
142.09 561 1.8 -heavy artifacting!
141.77 585 1.7 -hitching!
140.00 576 1.663 -low artifacting. <------28fps increase over stock
nview high perf.

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Later on I found I could clock the core down to about 540 - 550 and increase the memory to 1.8ghz/900mhz stable @ 141fps. Very much a balancing act.