Provide guidance on additional overclocking steps.
Provide guidance on additional overclocking steps.
Hi All.. I just increased my GTX 950m 4GB overclock by 60MHz for both core and memory, and I noticed a small improvement in game performance. It's a laptop with a 6700HQ processor, 8GB DDR3 RAM, GPU as expected, and a 1TB HDD. I also experienced less stuttering in games that previously caused issues. Now, during big games, my GPU reaches 65-71°C and CPU temperature stays around 70°C. Should I keep this setup or consider further overclocking? They mention it's possible to reach 950m at 960m, but is that safe? What are the recommended safe temperatures for CPU and GPU in this setup? Thanks.
I'm not sure you'll have significantly more space to work with. I wouldn't expect the GPU temperature to exceed 80°C for long periods. Regarding the CPU, it probably shares the heatsink with the GPU. The heatpipe typically connects either the CPU or GPU to the other and then to the heatsink with the fan. Heat from the GPU is being passed to the CPU through this path. It would be wise to check the CPU's idle temperature without the GPU running, then perform a stress test with the GPU off. You should notice the CPU usage reaching 100% while the GPU remains idle, but the temperature won't rise as much compared to when the CPU is active and the GPU is running. The heat problem will be...
Because your laptop is a portable device, it's not advised to push further. 71C is a suitable temperature, but since all parts are so close together, increased heat might begin to impact other components.
Thank you for your quick response!
The GPU temperature rose by about 3-4 degrees, while the CPU remained unchanged. Should I still be cautious? The CPU's maximum temperature is 105, and the GPU's is around the "STOP THE GAME" level of 85-90. I also have a triple fan cooling pad, which might help.
Laptops have a specific thermal design. Overclocking often pushes GPU/CPU performance beyond this limit. You might manage to widen the thermal boundaries with a cooling pad that enhances airflow into your laptop’s intake, and placing it in a cool environment. It’s also important to routinely clear out dust from the heatsink parts. This process is more challenging on laptops since disassembly isn’t easy, but you can still use compressed air to force dust out through the exhaust and intake openings. Be careful not to spin the fan too hard by keeping the bursts brief. Continuously check your temperatures during gameplay. Different games can stress the GPU differently, so some may cause intense heat. I recommend using tools like Afterburner with an OSD overlay (available via the companion RTSS app) to monitor GPU temps, fan speed, and usage in real time. Note that not every GPU supports Afterburner perfectly, but most do work well.
Thanks for the response. The information is clear. I own several top-tier games such as BO3, ACS, COH 2, Fallout 4, Starwars Battlefront and more. They perform well at 71c on my GPU and around 71-74c on the CPU. Another query came up: why does my CPU temperature stay around 71 even when the load is between 25-30 and it never rises further? Given my cool room and good cooling pad, can I gradually increase the clock speeds? Also, with a multi-GPU setup, will power usage change when I’m not using the 950m or during gaming/app usage on the second GPU?
Well, I'm not sure you'll have significantly more space for experimentation. Personally, I wouldn't expect the GPU to exceed 80°C for long periods. Regarding the CPU temperature, it's likely sharing the heatsink with the GPU. Typically, the heatpipe connects either the CPU or GPU to the other and then to the heatsink with the fan. This means some heat from the GPU is being transferred to the CPU through the heatpipe. It would be wise to check the idle CPU temperature when the GPU isn't running, then perform a CPU stress test while keeping the GPU idle. You should notice that CPU usage reaches 100% without a substantial temperature increase compared to when the GPU is active, but with higher CPU load, temperatures rise more. Heat becomes a bigger concern when both components are heavily used together, as they both contribute heat to the same path. In this scenario, your GPU will likely run much hotter—not because it's being used more, but because it doesn't have exclusive access to the laptop's thermal system.
When your iGPU is active, the 950m should be turned off to prevent heat generation. Overclocking won't make a difference under this setup. This approach aligns with NVIDIA's Optimus technology.
Rooki3_N00b shares their experience with a stable 73c at 55mhz core and 65mhz memory clock. They mention a higher setting of 130 hitting 82 and damaging their hands when handling the laptop. They ask about benchmarking results and request feedback on the overclock's impact. They also caution about potential risks when both CPU and GPU are under similar stress.