Explain what power limit means.
Explain what power limit means.
Is it similar to voltage or is it about the amount of power the card can draw? I've heard many different things. I also learned that if I raise it by 10% from normal and overclock it to use 110% power, my card will fail about 10% faster. Is this accurate? Also, I'm able to get +150 on core and +300 on memory on my GTX 960 without changing the power limit or voltage, and I'm wondering how much more I can push it with a 110% power limit.
A straightforward response, you were misled. What restrictions exist on power? It's the highest power the card can use, measured in watts, on average. If your chips can run faster without higher voltage, you generally don't have to worry about this limit.
The question is whether it relates to voltage or the amount of power the card can consume. There have been many discussions about this. I also learned that increasing it by 10% and overclocking to use 110% power could cause the card to fail faster, around 10%. Is that accurate? What’s not true? On my GTX 960, I’ve managed +150 on core and +300 on memory without adjusting power limits or voltage, and I’m wondering how much more I can push it with a 110% limit.
In my view, overclocking makes sense only when using older hardware with new games. If you just bought a brand new GTX 9-series card, I wouldn’t risk pushing it until you’re facing real limits. Would that give you 15 extra frames at the expense of stability and lifespan? It’s not like suddenly unlocking VR features—just leave it alone.
If you want more performance, increase your budget instead of buying a Honda Civic and installing a racecar engine. That would ruin everything. Once games start pushing your card to its limits, consider overclocking carefully. That way, when it fails, you’ll have next-gen options.
Regarding the '110 power - 90 lifespan' claim, it’s not precise. There are many variables at play, so think of it as an exponential trend. Possibly 110% corresponds to about 90%, 120% to around 60%, and 125% to roughly 50%.
Upgrading to a water-cooled system might help, but you’ll still be limited by your CPU, motherboard, and RAM speed.
To sum up, stick with your budget card until you can afford the GTX 1080—it’s outpricing its competitors. That card won’t need overclocking for years. If you don’t see the results you expect, your CPU might be the main issue. I’ve seen a friend with a GTX980 and HTC Vive; with an i7 doing the heavy lifting instead of his older i5, he nearly doubled his VR frame rates.