System instability following OC/UV?
System instability following OC/UV?
So a few weeks ago I began experimenting with overclocking and undervolting because I wanted to see if I could run the 5080 at 280W with near-stock performance. I started with a voltage of 925mV at 2800MHz and added a +2000MHz memory boost, which worked well. However, I noticed stutters in games, so I reduced the memory settings. As time passed and the issues persisted, I went back to stock and adjusted the voltage. Eventually, after a long gaming session, I closed Helldivers II only to see a black screen with a green strike across the top. I restored it to stock, but whenever I moved the cursor the screen would jitter. I restarted the system and it resolved.
Now, after a week on stock, games consistently stutter when CPU usage exceeds 43%. At that point, both graphics card usage and power consumption drop significantly. The worse it gets, the more it happens—even when I recreate the issue multiple times. My RAM, GPU, and CPU clocks all fluctuated, and VRAM usage varied without affecting the drops.
The instability isn’t limited to games. During idle browsing, my screen would hang, brightness changed, and I saw green patterns beneath the app icons. This only occurred once.
I’ve since adjusted the voltage, checked for cable issues, updated the BIOS, and tested my CPU (7950X3D), RAM (64GB Patriot venom cl30/6000mt/s) with OCCT. I also ran 3D adaptive and VRAM stability tests, which passed both individually and together.
What confuses me even more is that when running Heaven, OCCT, Steel Nomad, and Fun Mark the card hits 1.055V, 330-360W, and 2850MHz stock—everything remains stable. Am I going crazy? Everything seems fine, yet my system is so unstable. Could I use some help? This is beyond my understanding!
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
my CPU (7950X3D), RAM (64gb patriot venom cl30/6000mt/s)
Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time.
As for the DDU part, what drivers have you worked with thus far?
Hello, thank you for your prompt reply!
Here are the details in the requested format:
CPU: 9 7950x3d
CPU cooler: Thermalright aqua elite V3 ARGB
Motherboard: MSI MAG B850M mortar
Ram: patrio venom 64gigs of cl30 6000mt/s
SSD/HDD: crucial T500 2tb
GPU: msi gaming x trio OC 5080
PSU: SF1000
Chassis: ap201 ASU’s prime
OS: windows 11 24H2
Monitor: Alienware AW2725DF
The power supply is within 2-3 months of its age, and I have the most recent A44 BIOS.
Regarding drivers and the DDU, I believe I have installed every driver since 570.00, updating them whenever possible just to ensure stability!
One step ahead of you. Temperatures are generally fine. My GPU has been reaching 74 degrees, which was unusual a month ago but not rare. My CPU reaches 78 degrees only during grounded 2. When GPU usage decreases, it drops to around 72-75.
Whenever I install a new driver, I either use Revo uninstaller and restart or DDU in safe mode, the latter is always used for GPU updates. I’ve done this twice and the problem has persisted through both the latest and previous updates, though I haven’t noticed any harsh screen flickering with the new version.
I’m unsure how to locate or install older driver versions.
I don’t understand where to locate or install older driver versions.
Check the product details on www.nvidia.com.
After viewing the latest driver update, you’ll see a menu called View More Versions with an arrow to access additional options.
Thank you! I’ll check the stability of this install since it hasn’t been thoroughly tested yet, and if it doesn’t perform well I’ll downgrade to 577.00.
Do you believe this could be a driver issue?