Get some thoughts on boosting your GPU's performance through overclocking.
Get some thoughts on boosting your GPU's performance through overclocking.
Hi, I have an MSI GeForce GTX 960 with a 2GB GPU and I'm looking to manually overclock it beyond the OC Mode settings in the MSI app. Can I do that? If so, how much can I increase the frequency? My system specs are i5-4460, Asus H81MD, MSI Gtx 960 2GB, 16GB Kingston HyperX Fury RAM DDR3 at 1866MHz (limited to 1600MHz on the motherboard), and an Aerocool Rave 600W 80+ PSU.
Heyo ojnab
Great to see you're not quite there yet.
First things first, the programs for overclocking. I usually rely on HWmonitor, MSI Afterburner, and Furmark for this.
HWmonitor helps monitor temperatures in your PC.
MSI Afterburner is used during the actual overclocking process.
Furmark is ideal for stress testing the GPU after an OC has been applied.
In MSI Afterburner you can simply push the sliders to their maximum and observe if the card stops functioning properly. This won't damage the hardware, just to keep things calm if you go beyond the GPU's limits.
Begin by gradually increasing the Core clock by around 10-15 MHz and check the results. Try it in Furmark and see if your score improves.
Once you hit the "limit" on the Core clock...
Each card has its own way of overclocking.
Helpful resources and videos include:
- http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/msi...ew,26.html
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUEMS-B1Siw
In the Guru3d article, they achieved +175 on the core clock and +450 on the memory clock, though results may vary depending on your specific overclock.
Hello there!
It's great to see you're taking steps to improve your setup.
For overclocking, I usually rely on HWmonitor, MSI Afterburner, and Furmark.
HWmonitor helps monitor temperatures in your PC.
MSI Afterburner is used for the actual overclocking process.
Furmark is ideal for stress testing the GPU after an OC has been applied.
In MSI Afterburner, you can push the sliders to their limits and observe if the card stops functioning properly. This doesn't damage the hardware, just helps you avoid exceeding safe thresholds.
Begin by gradually increasing the core clock by about 10-15 MHz and check the results. Use Furmark to evaluate whether your performance improves.
Once you hit the core clock limit, try boosting the memory clock. This is often where most gains occur—you might be able to raise it by around 50 MHz, as many cards can handle up to ~300 MHz.
Keep testing in Furmark to confirm any noticeable boosts.
After reaching the memory clock cap, increase the card's voltage to its maximum setting. The hardware should handle this without damage.
You can then revisit the core and memory clocks again to see if further adjustments yield better results.
For temperature management, aim for around 80-85°C at most. I've experienced a max of about 70°C with an MSI 960 4GB model. You can fine-tune fan speeds or create custom curves in MSI Afterburner if needed.
I’ve successfully overclocked my own card with these settings:
Core clock: +115 MHz
Memory clock: +380 MHz
Stay tuned!