Consider cooling your GPU more than your CPU when overclocking.
Consider cooling your GPU more than your CPU when overclocking.
I thought about getting myself a Corsair H100i v2 for my birthday. But I'm weighing whether to boost my Ryzen 5 1600X or my EVGA SC+ 980 Ti. My Ryzen is cooled with a Cryorig H7 at 3.875 Ghz and stays around 60-70°C. In contrast, my 980 Ti isn’t overclocked and usually reaches about 80°C with full fans. My main concern is this: which would provide better performance if I installed the liquid cooler for maximum overclocking—CPU or GPU?
Your GPU likely has more room for improvement. It's already close to the typical maximum clock speed for Ryzen processors, which usually tops out around 4Ghz. The 980TI might boost performance by another 20% if optimized properly. With better cooling solutions, gains could be even higher. Your CPU is strong enough to handle significant improvements beyond what your GPU can currently achieve.
Your GPU likely has more room for improvement. It's already close to the typical maximum clock speed for Ryzen processors, which usually tops out around 4Ghz. The 980TI might boost performance by another 20% if optimized properly. With better cooling solutions, gains could be even higher. Your CPU is strong enough to handle significant improvements beyond what your GPU can currently achieve.
Darkbreeze:
Your GPU seems to have plenty of room to grow. It's already close to the typical average maximum clock speed for Ryzen chips, which usually tops out around 4Ghz. The 980TI might boost performance by another 20% if optimized properly, especially with liquid cooling. You'd likely see even bigger improvements from your CPU as well, since it's strong enough to handle substantial gains beyond what your GPU can currently achieve.
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