GPU throttling @ 70c.
GPU throttling @ 70c.
Before beginning, here’s what your setup looks like:
MSI Z390-A Pro
Corsair Vengeance LPX 2400mhz (currently at 2800mhz)
i5-9600k @ 4.5ghz with a thermaltake tower cooler (fits a 120mm, stays under 58c)
Gigabyte 1660 OC Edition
Antec HCG 650w 80+ Gold
The issue is trying to overclock the GPU. Right now I have +90mhz on the core and +75 on the memory. At 65c I lose about 15mhz, and at 70c it drops by 30mhz. I’m using MSI afterburner for the overclock. Fans, Core Voltage, and Power Limit are all set to 100%. The default stock temp limit is 83c, but I increased it to 90c. Since the overclock, the GPU temperature reached 71c (usually not above 68c). Under heavy load, core voltage reaches 1031mv and stays that way; at idle it’s around 731mv – not sure if that’s normal.
Could the VRM be getting hot and affecting core clockdown? How should I test this?
I’m new to overclocking, so any tips would be great.
The fans are already set to 100%.
And I don't think it's a problem on the core temp. @ 60c, I get the full +90mhz on the core, but as soon as I get up to 65c, the core starts to down clock, even if it is only slight, I would still like to pin point why. As far as I understand, Afterburner only reads the core temp of the GPU so my theory is something else is either hitting a power/heat limit or both.
Nvidia's cards operate with 15mhz increments.
Since the 10 series, the GPU Boost algorithm introduces multiple temperature thresholds, whereas power management only has a single threshold.
Ignoring power limits, even small temperature differences can affect performance on certain overclocking scenarios.
The cooler the card runs, the more favorable it is.
Software clock settings are flexible suggestions; the card may still reduce its speed if it feels too hot or underpowered.
The optimal approach involves:
A) Setting the power limit slider to its maximum in the software.
B) Maintaining a low temperature.
C) Identifying and fine-tuning the ideal frequency settings, balancing performance with minimal power and thermal constraints.
A strong overclock demands careful adjustment because the card's response varies between games—benchmarks and stress tests don't fully capture this variability.
Simply adjusting the first two points should suffice.
The 90mhz setting was adjusted via OC scan in Afterburner, but further tweaking revealed the card can boost up to 2055mhz. I can monitor when it throttles back. Around 52c it drops to 2040mhz, at 58c to 2025mhz, 60c to 2010mhz, and 70c to 1995mhz. Core voltage decreases with temperature increases, so at 2055mhz it reads 1.05v and drops to 1.031v before settling at 2040mhz until temp rises again. In short, this seems normal behavior. Should I lower the clock speed to 1995mhz and test for better cooling?
Great, thank you for your help. As noted, I'm completely new to this, so your guidance is really appreciated.