factory clock vs base clock GPU nvidia performance settings
factory clock vs base clock GPU nvidia performance settings
Core Clock is 1072MHz but the factory shipped frequencies are 549 MHz, which makes me a bit confused. I changed it to custom and set all the way up in the NVida device settings. I've been running my card at 1098 MHz for over a year with no issues. Is this considered overclocking?
I've never used Nvidia's Device Settings for overclocking, but that seems to be what you're doing. It makes sense to keep the factory settings and just download other programs to OC.
MSI Afterburner: https://gaming.msi.com/features/afterburner
GPUz: https://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/
Valley Benchmark: https://unigine.com/products/benchmarks/valley/
It's very straightforward. Launch Afterburner and set the power limit to maximum. You can either gradually increase the clock speed or immediately raise the mV to its peak. Either method will keep pushing the core clock until it becomes unstable—you'll reach a point where you can't add more mV or it gets too hot. I usually stay around 70 under load. Once you hit a ceiling, lower the clock and voltage...
There are various types of clocks available, including stock clocks, manufacturer clocks (typically higher), and boost clocks (such as turbo, gaming, or OC modes). For instance, if a card is released by Nvidia/AMD at 1000Mhz, Asus might offer a version with a base clock of 1040Mhz and a boost to 1100Mhz under load. From this example, I don't see a clock speed of 1072Mhz. The 650ti's base clock from Nvidia is 928Mhz, so the BOOST version could have a manufacturer base clock of 1072Mhz and a boost to 1098Mhz.
There are stock clocks, manufacturer clocks (generally higher), and boost clocks (turbo, gaming, OC "modes"). For instance, a card might start at 1000Mhz, Asus could set it to 1040Mhz with a boost to 1100Mhz under load. From this example, I don't see a clock speed of 1072Mhz. The 650ti's base clock from Nvidia is 928Mhz, so the boost version might have a manufacturer base of 1072Mhz and a boost to 1098Mhz.
I've never used Nvidia's Device Settings for overclocking, but it seems that's what you're doing. I would keep the factory settings and then download other programs to OC.
MSI Afterburner: https://gaming.msi.com/features/afterburner
GPUz: https://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/
Valley Benchmark: https://unigine.com/products/benchmarks/valley/
It's very straightforward. Open Afterburner and set the power limit to maximum. You can either gradually increase the clock speed or immediately raise the mV to its highest setting. Either approach will keep pushing the core clock until it becomes unstable, at which point you'll hit a limit—either too much heat or inability to add more voltage. At that point, lower the clock and voltage slightly and let the benchmark run for a while to verify stability.
GPUz is useful for confirming your overclock is functioning properly.
Valley helps test GPU stress, monitoring temperature changes and observing improvements in stability and performance.