I have several questions about overclocking the GTX 780.
I have several questions about overclocking the GTX 780.
Hello community!
I’ve finally taken the plunge into overclocking. I’m using an MSI Gtx 780 gaming version with a TF IV cooler. At first, I was surprised to discover that my default clock was 1241mhz (3004 on memory). I began testing my card in Unigine Heaven with DX 11, Ultra quality, Extreme tesselation, while disabling AA 8x and full screen at 2560x1080 resolution. I achieved a solid 43.4 fps/1093 score.
Next, I checked MSI Afterburner and made these adjustments:
Core Voltage +10 (just to add something)
Power limit +101
Temo. limit 85
Core clock +59 (to reach a clean 1300mhz)
mem. clock + 410 (noted from a review)
The latest test gave me 47.9fps/1206 score with a max temperature of 77°C (previously it was 76°C). I didn’t notice any artifacts. In reviews, clocks are often reported as lower, which worries me because I want stability.
I’m wondering:
- What is the purpose of Core Voltage? I’ve never understood it well, but I know it helps with deeper overclocking and stability.
- What does Power limit actually control?
- Should I tweak anything else?
- Should I try to clock even higher, perhaps adjusting memory?
- Are these settings safe?
- Why was my default 1241mhz? It should be closer to 900–1000.
Any suggestions or concerns would be appreciated.
Thanks a lot!
Paul
Everything you need to understand.
Your approach with core voltage is acceptable; you can push it further without severely affecting performance. The power limit clearly restricts the maximum power you can apply. Adjusting it fully (and removing temperature restrictions, which should be near 83°C) is possible by gradually increasing settings (beginning at 50 MHz, then adding 50 until you hit issues like artifacts).
Everything you need to understand about this process.
Your current settings with the core voltage are acceptable; you can even adjust them further without significantly affecting performance. The power limit clearly restricts how much power you can apply to your components. Continuing to push everything to its maximum (and removing the temperature cap, which should be around 83°C) is advisable. The recommended approach is to follow the steps I mentioned earlier—starting from default clocks—and adjust incrementally (beginning with a 50 MHz base, then increasing by 50 MHz if necessary, and so on)—until you notice artifacts or the system stops functioning properly. Repeat this process for the memory as well.
Nothing here is unsafe, and it’s unclear why you began overclocking so aggressively. However, it seems you’ve managed to optimize your setup quite well. You aim to push your clocks further until you encounter: A) artifacts; B) a loss of display functionality; or C) temperatures approaching the 83°C limit (possibly stopping when clocks stabilize around 78°C).
The only aspect not discussed is MSI Kombuster, which is a more demanding stress test. It will definitively confirm whether your card remains stable under pressure. For further clarification on any part, refer to the linked guide.
a key point to remember is that if you instruct the overclock feature to activate during startup but it fails to boot, pressing the control key will override the overclock setting.