Adjust voltage at 270x for OC and overall OC assistance.
Adjust voltage at 270x for OC and overall OC assistance.
I have a R9 270x that is set to be upgraded soon and am eager to try more advanced overclocking techniques. The model is an R9 270x MSI Gaming Mini ITX with a core clock of 1030 and a 1080 OC boost. I've maintained it at 1090 from the start without any problems. Recently, it ran smoothly at 1180 ±10 MHz (exact restart date unclear). I thought increasing the voltage might help stabilize it at a higher speed. I'm wondering what adjustments to make and how much I should go. I'd like to see improvements in benchmarks and games, as the core clock offers more flexibility than the memory. It's been a while since I worked with the memory due to instability concerns. I plan to raise the voltage by around 70 points, but I'll keep it at the default of 1400.
Consider adjusting the increments by .002 volts at intervals. Avoid exceeding a rise of more than .05V beyond the standard setting. Keep in mind that higher voltage leads to greater heat generation; ensure the core stays below 90°C. In my opinion, the memory performance on these R9 2xx cards is sufficient, making overclocking the core less advantageous than boosting the core itself.
Consider adjusting the increments by .002 volts at intervals. Avoid exceeding a rise of more than .05V beyond the standard setting. Keep in mind that higher voltage leads to greater heat generation—make sure the core stays below 90°C. In my opinion, the memory performance on these R9 2xx cards is sufficient already; overclocking the core offers little advantage compared to boosting the core itself.
you should raise the voltage in small steps, about .002 volts each time. Avoid going beyond .05V over the default. Be aware that higher voltage increases heat production—keep the core below 90°C. It seems the memory on these cards is already sufficiently fast, so overclocking the core offers more benefit than the core itself.
t99 :
When adjusting the clock speed it seems really safe. I adjust it, run a game / benchmark and it either works or cpu freezes / restarts at which point everything is fine again. Can adjusting the voltage even within a "safe" amount still possibly cause a bigger problem than a typical restart?
Clock speed adjustments will restart without issue because it doesn't apply that clock until you put a high enough load on it that it needs to boost up to high performance mode, sometimes referred to 3D mode because it is triggered when running a game or other application that's using Direct3D or other 3D Graphics API's. So until you load it up, it will likely hang out around 200-500MHz depending on the specific aftermarket model and the BIOS it's equipped with.
As for voltage, there is a little more danger. You see, it will not reach your set target voltage until it enters high performance mode. However, it will increase rest mode voltage by however many milivolts you are above stock voltage. Let's say you've raised voltage by .003V. Even though its idle voltage will be much lower than the voltage it applies while in high performance mode, it will still be .003V higher than its default idle voltage. This is why I don't recommend going more .05V higher than default, so that you don't strain the MOSFETs while in idle. They need that period in between periods of being in high performance mode so that they can rest and be ready for the next gaming session.
weberdarren97 :
t99 :
When adjusting the clock speed it seems really safe. I adjust it, run a game / benchmark and it either works or cpu freezes / restarts at which point everything is fine again. Can adjusting the voltage even within a "safe" amount still possibly cause a bigger problem than a typical restart?
Clock speed adjustments will restart without issue because it doesn't apply that clock until you put a high enough load on it that it needs to boost up to high performance mode, sometimes referred to 3D mode because it is triggered when running a game or other application that's using Direct3D or other 3D Graphics API's. So until you load it up, it will likely hang out around 200-500MHz depending on the specific aftermarket model and the BIOS it's equipped with.
As for voltage, there is a little more danger. You see, it will not reach your set target voltage until it enters high performance mode. However, it will increase rest mode voltage by however many milivolts you are above stock voltage. Let's say you've raised voltage by .003V. Even though its idle voltage will be much lower than the voltage it applies while in high performance mode, it will still be .003V higher than its default idle voltage. This is why I don't recommend going more .05V higher than default, so that you don't strain the MOSFETs while in idle. They need that period in between periods of being in high performance mode so that they can rest and be ready for the next gaming session.
Couldn't you just move the voltage back when not gaming so the idle voltage is not higher or would it cause some kind of issue by constantly moving the voltage back and forth?
t99 :
weberdarren97 :
t99 :
When adjusting the clock speed it seems really safe. I adjust it, run a game / benchmark and it either works or cpu freezes / restarts at which point everything is fine again. Can adjusting the voltage even within a "safe" amount still possibly cause a bigger problem than a typical restart?
Clock speed adjustments will restart without issue because it doesn't apply that clock until you put a high enough load on it that it needs to boost up to high performance mode, sometimes referred to 3D mode because it is triggered when running a game or other application that's using Direct3D or other 3D Graphics API's. So until you load it up, it will likely hang out around 200-500MHz depending on the specific aftermarket model and the BIOS it's equipped with.
As for voltage, there is a little more danger. You see, it will not reach your set target voltage until it enters high performance mode. However, it will increase rest mode voltage by however many milivolts you are above stock voltage. Let's say you've raised voltage by .003V. Even though its idle voltage will be much lower than the voltage it applies while in high performance mode, it will still be .003V higher than its default idle voltage. This is why I don't recommend going more .05V higher than default, so that you don't strain the MOSFETs while in idle. They need that period in between periods of being in high performance mode so that they can rest and be ready for the next gaming session.
Couldn't you just move the voltage back when not gaming so the idle voltage is not higher or would it cause some kind of issue by constantly moving the voltage back and forth?
Technically you could, but I try not to make more changes than what's necessary. The more changes you make and the more often you make said changes, the greater the chance of confusing the display drivers.