MSI 2Gb OC 660ti shows unusual voltage control issues in Afterburner.
MSI 2Gb OC 660ti shows unusual voltage control issues in Afterburner.
I'm still getting the hang of overclocking, so keep that in mind. I believe I understand the basics well, but I'm sure there are aspects I don't know.
On my MSI 2Gb OC 660TI, I've managed to reach +130 mhz on the core clock and +650 mhz on memory without adjusting the voltage at all. This gives me a solid 15-20% boost in framerates compared to the stock version, without overheating too much. Of course, my next attempt was to slightly increase the voltage in hopes of pushing performance even higher on core and/or memory.
However, it's taken some time to figure this out because this behavior is quite unpredictable. Anything I can change with voltage control doesn't seem to make a noticeable difference. At the default setting, it stays at .987 V during normal operation and rises to 1.175V under load—without even unlocking voltage control! Adding voltage control only increases it by up to 100mV, which only raises the normal value to about 1.087, far below the default load voltage of 1.175V. Under load, it remains at 1.175V regardless of what I do. Even using "force constant voltage" doesn't alter this.
Now I'm not really interested in web browsing or similar tasks running at higher voltages if they won't improve performance when under load. Raising the voltage wouldn't be worth it, especially since it might risk damaging the card without the usual speed gains. Also, why can't I control the voltage while under load?
So, am I interpreting this correctly, or is there a way for me to actually influence my voltage during load conditions?
Actually, I discovered myself that the 660ti is restricted by nVidia at 1.175 V as its upper limit. It seems MSI chose to push the card to that maximum when under load, which looks quite odd. Well, I suppose I can't go any higher without overclocking further. It's managed to last three and a half years at that voltage, so it should be okay!
Actually, found out myself that the 660ti is locked by nVidia at 1.175 V as maximum. So I guess MSI decided to boost the card under load to that maximum, which seems a very strange move. Oh well. I guess there is no way I'm overclocking any further. It's survived 3.5 years on that voltage, I guess it's fine!