Overclocking HD 7870 GPU
Overclocking HD 7870 GPU
I own an AMD Radeon HD 7870 Powercolor pcs+ edition and attempted to overclock it. The default core clock was 925 MHz, boost at 975 MHz, and memory clock at 1500 MHz. I used MSI Afterburner for the overclocking process. Then I increased the GPU core clock to 1200 MHz with a 20% power limit. After running the Unigine Heaven benchmark, the core clock remained at 925 MHz while the memory clock stayed at 1376 MHz. I reset the OC settings in MSI Afterburner, setting the core clock to its boost value, and re-running the benchmark showed consistent results. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Navigate to settings in MSI Afterburner,
select Compability Properties,
check all options,
in the Enable low-Level hardware access interface section,
choose kernel mode,
and at Unlock voltage control,
pick Third Party,
at the bottom,
AMD Compability properties,
tick it,
Extend official overclocking limits
(Keep in mind you won’t be able to OC that much),
also tick
Reset display...
Proceed to AMD control panel, unsure which tab to use since I’m on the Nvidia side, reset the default of the AMD control panel so you don’t get in a fight between AMD and MSI Afterburner.
Safe voltage for 7870 is 1.25V~,
recommended temperature under 85*C~.
Before attempting any overclock, run a standard test in Unigine Valley or a similar benchmark like Furmark to check your baseline temps—such as running Furmark for about an hour to find your max temp, for example mine stays at 65*C without adjusting any fan curves.
Once you’ve overclocked (since I can’t control the voltage), the situation remains unchanged because the cooler is already too powerful for this GPU.
After a successful overclock, perform a stability test on Unigine Valley (one run for benchmarking), and if it doesn’t crash, continue until you reach the limit—usually drivers will crash or freeze the program. Then revert the overclock to 25MHz and retry.
Once you’ve found your maximum overclock for the core with a voltage bump (if you’re comfortable doing so), proceed to memory, and repeat the stability test, increasing the overclock as long as the PC stays stable before adjusting the memory clock slightly.
Hope this helps. This is based on my experience.
If you need a video tutorial, here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUEMS-B1Siw&t=57s
Go to settings in MSI Afterburner, at Compability Properties tick all options, Under Enable low-Level hardware access interface select kernel mode And at Unlock voltage control select Third Party At bottom AMD Compability properties Tick Extend official overclocking limits (Bear in mind that you cannot OC that much.) Tick also Reset display... Go to AMD control panel, not sure which tab since I'm on Nvidia side, reset default the AMD control panel so you don't make Fighting between AMD and MSI Afterburner. Safe voltage for 7870 is 1.25V~ Safe recommended temp under 85*C~ Before doing any overclock at all, run a default Run in unigine valley or similar benchmark like furmark to see your baseline temperatures, for instance running a Furmark for around 1H to see your max temp, for instance mine would be 65*C without touching any fan curve or anything Else. After overclocking (since I cannot control voltage) is the same since the cooler is way overpowered for this GPU. After doing an overclock you do a stability test on Unigine Valley (one run for benchmark) and see if it crashes, if it doesn't you keep doing overclock until you hit wall (usually drivers crash or freeze the program). Then you revert back the overclock for 25MHz and do again. After you establish max overclock for core with voltage bump (this is if you are willing to do) then you go for memory, same goes for stability test, overclock as far as you can without freezing PC, then you revert back memory clock a bit. Hope this helps, this is from my experience. IF you need a video tutorial, here it is -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUEMS-B1Siw&t=57s I tried everything you said above and the core clock and the memory clock are still the same. Should I uninstall the drivers and install them again if this is the problem?
Executed GPU-Z benchmark to check core clock during operation; observed changes in performance.
During the GPU-Z run benchmark, the core clock fluctuates depending on the running state. Initially, it displayed a default and current core clock at 975 MHz, while the memory clock was 1500 MHz. After completing the benchmark, the core clock dropped to 925 MHz, and the memory clock stabilized at 1500 MHz starting from around 1370 MHz. It seems the GPU requires additional power if it isn't already boosted to its maximum clock speed.
Benchmark results often turn out incorrect. Software such as GPUZ Aida and Msi AF provide accurate data, just like AMD Overdrive, but avoid using them since you're connected to an MSI system.