GTX 970 crashes when overclocking—should I increase the voltage?
GTX 970 crashes when overclocking—should I increase the voltage?
After nearly a year of researching OCing my card, I finally took the plunge. I own an MSI GTX 970 4G and have been heavily playing ARK Survival Evolved recently. Previously, I never considered OCing because I could almost run all my other games at maximum FPS, but after doing it, I noticed a significant improvement—ARK now runs about 10 FPS faster, which is incredible since it breaks the usual lag of 30-40 FPS.
The problem I'm facing is that I frequently encounter a grey screen in ARK, which leads to the video driver crashing. The game itself doesn’t show any negative effects on my card, only these crashes. I tested Heaven and Firestrike for about 45 minutes each, and both performed perfectly without any artifacts.
My most recent attempt at OCing resulted in a crash after roughly an hour, but with a Core Clock of +190 and Memory Clock of +350 on Afterburner. It seems my card runs around 1438 MHz core speed and 3900 MHz memory speed. Initially, I increased both slightly and crashed within 10 minutes. I’m wondering whether lowering them to 180/300 would be safer or if a voltage boost would help, since I haven’t changed the voltage.
I’d really like to reach 1450-1500 MHz on the GPU, aiming for around 3500 memory speed, as I believe this would significantly improve my gameplay. However, I’m a bit unsure about voltage adjustments and am concerned that the grey screen issue might still be linked to memory performance.
I’ve never let the card exceed 65°C, and the Power Limit appears to cap around 87 or 88. Thanks.
Before applying voltage, the power ceiling is typically increased. The percentage varies based on the card and the BIOS it uses. For example, the MSI 970 has a board power limit of 200.0 W with a limit of 220.0 W and an adjusted range of -50% to +10%. You can find more details here: https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/1635...096-141009. Similarly, the MSI GTX 970 has a board limit of 151.2 W and a limit of 160.3 W with an adjusted range of -34% to +6%. Adjusting the slider isn't necessary; it automatically boosts the percentage if required. I verified this with my 980ti, which still achieved the extra 10% even at 100% slider.
back then we had identical cards
you can push the voltage up to the limit, it just means you can only add a very small amount—like 87mV or less from memory
i used a modified BIOS to boost the voltage after installing a water-cooled rig, which let me reach 1600MHz
I used to have the same card, but you can max out the voltage without issues—it just adds a small amount, like 87mv or so. I tried a modded bios to boost it after cooling my rig, which let me get 1600mhz. Cool, I’m planning to try maxing it out and see if it helps. Do voltage increases usually resolve these crashes?
Dude, you might have just landed on the lucky side of 'luck of the draw.' Some cars are really good at overclocking, while others aren't if you can even try. You mention wanting to push the GPU to 1450-1500 MHz, which is definitely something many people would aim for. Just keep in mind that what you get is limited by the card's specifications from when it was made.
Junkeymonkey :
maybe you just hit the lucky side of 'luck of the draw' after all. Some rigs really handle overclocking well, while others struggle if you can't even manage a small tweak. You're thinking about pushing it and seeing what happens—could be a good way to learn faster.
You mentioned wanting to hit 1450-1500 MHz on the GPU. That's definitely something many people try. The main thing is that your chances are limited by what the manufacturer specified for the card.
You're right about reading these things. I don't see a big problem in testing a bit more voltage, especially since some folks say higher voltage can actually improve stability during overclocking. It's hard to know for sure until you try it yourself.
I've seen in GPU-Z that the Pre-Cap reason is VREL, which relates to voltage. That might mean the system needs a bit more power. If crashes do happen, I'll go back to the original settings.
Tehuti :
junkeymonkey :
you might have just landed on the bad side of the 'luck of the draw' after all. Some machines are excellent overclockers, while others barely manage if at all. you mentioned you're planning to push it to max and see what happens—maybe that’ll cause a crash sooner.
i’m thinking about getting the GPU to run around 1450-1500 MHz. sure, many people would do the same. the thing is, what you’re guaranteed is based on the clock speed set during manufacturing.
you're right, i keep checking these things. it seems like increasing voltage could be a good idea since it’s often said that more voltage brings better stability when overclocking. but until i test it, i’m not sure. in gpu-z i see a PrefCap reason for VREL linked to voltage, which might mean the system needs more power. if crashes do happen, i’ll go back to the original specs.
before jumping into voltage, the power limit usually gets bumped up. 110%
Before applying voltage, the power ceiling is typically increased. This depends on the card model and the BIOS it employs. For example, with the MSI 970, the board power limit is set to 200.0 W with a maximum of 220.0 W, offering an adjusted range of -50% to +10%. You can find more details here: https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/1635...096-141009. Similarly, for the MSI GTX 970, the settings are 151.2 W with a limit of 160.3 W and an adjusted range of -34% to +6%. Adjusting the slider automatically boosts performance if needed, as demonstrated in my tests with the 980ti. The math confirms that increasing the voltage slightly can raise the limit, though it remains constrained by the BIOS specifications. Modifying the BIOS is an option but comes with risks and requires further research. Good luck!
Tehuti shared their experience with the same card, noting that maxing out voltage isn't an issue—it only slightly increases it. They mention using a modded BIOS to boost voltage after water cooling, achieving 1600MHz. They suggest trying to see if a voltage increase resolves crashes and warn that sometimes the card may not overclock well enough.
as they say it's a lot of luck in the draw, don't worry too much since I rarely land on the right side of that, and I usually get the better hand [as far as a high 24/7 stable under everything I run to the limit without something causing a crash or failure]. Luckily, I receive decent cards from the start, especially in the out-of-box stock boost, but I also have some weaker ones that barely meet the required minimum.