The MSI afterburner overclocking fails to function.
The MSI afterburner overclocking fails to function.
I own an MSI GTX 980ti. I have full control over overclocking and voltage adjustments, yet nothing seems to work. The recommended base frequency is around 1250MHz, but when launching games it fluctuates between 912MHz and about 1139MHz regardless of overclock attempts. Even after increasing the voltage, there’s no improvement. I’ve checked my GPU drivers and Afterburner, but nothing changed. I found a suggestion online to enable an unofficial overclock setting, though it only allows exceeding the program’s limits without real gains.
PC-4LIFE :
Download GPU-Z.
In the sensors tab, check if there is a perfcap, and list the perfcap here.
The perfcap is listed as utilization.
i'm not sure but i feel like sometimes the GPU doesn't go up to 100%, it always lays around 40%.
https://gyazo.com/1f2e78a729ce9edd8bcc6dc9f04486a1
I was wrong. for some reason the overclocks now work "over" my limits. but hell thank you i guess.
if it isn't any trouble, i saw some people say that you can safely max out the voltage slider in afterburner. Is this true?
Also just some basics, should i focus on mem clock or core clock?
EDIT
it stopped working again, i tried increasing both the mem and core clock to +175, and it still stayed at 1139, which is the new idle for some reason.
i tried lowering back to the first settings the overclocks worked on, but it didn't help.
this is under load:
https://gyazo.com/bd34fb1dd53a99936f89dc6f4a4b16f0
EDIT 2
https://gyazo.com/f9743b6dcccdd0d44bfa3972dfbb6c78
I started the "bus interface test" on GPUz because it was the closest i have to a benchmark installed. and it went up to 1329mhz, which doesn't make sense considering i haven't overclocked and it says that the boost is 1228mhz. Also the voltage went up a little, and the perfcap went from utilization to VRel. I feel like the clock is random in a way, it doesn't make any sense, sometimes it goes up, sometimes it doesn't, and when it does boost, it goes to what i feel is almost random numbers.
fredrikinzix :
PC-4LIFE :
Download GPU-Z.
In the sensors section, verify if a perfcap exists and note its details here.
It appears as utilization in the list.
I’m uncertain but it seems the GPU sometimes caps at around 40%, even when it should reach 100%.
https://gyazo.com/1f2e78a729ce9edd8bcc6dc9f04486a1
I was mistaken. Apparently, the overclocks now function beyond my limits. Thanks for clarifying.
If everything seems fine, some users suggest you can safely set the voltage slider in afterburner. Is this accurate?
Also, just a quick note: should I prioritize mem clock or core clock?
EDIT
It stopped again; I increased both mem and core clocks to +175, but it remained at 1139, which seems to be the new idle setting.
I lowered back to the original overclocks settings, yet it didn’t improve.
This is under load:
https://gyazo.com/bd34fb1dd53a99936f89dc6f4a4b16f0
EDIT 2
https://gyazo.com/f9743b6dcccdd0d44bfa3972dfbb6c78
I ran the "bus interface test" on GPUz since it was the closest benchmark available. It reached 1329mhz, which doesn’t make sense given I haven’t overclocked and the boost is listed at 1228mhz. The voltage also rose slightly, and the perfcap changed from utilization to VRel. It feels like the clock behavior is inconsistent—sometimes it jumps, sometimes it stays flat, and when it does jump, the numbers seem arbitrary.
Util means it’s not being utilized effectively.
VRel is a typical setting, and it seems you can’t change it much. My card is capped at 98% due to VRel. Adjusting voltage or power usage won’t help.
Pushing the voltage up increases heat and reduces lifespan.
Deciding to do so depends on how long you plan to keep the card running.