These OC adjustments might shorten the lifespan of your Strix 1080.
These OC adjustments might shorten the lifespan of your Strix 1080.
This is the maximum core I've managed. Unigine stops working if I boost it by +10 MHz. I keep the memory clock at +1150; I can push further, but performance drops on Unigine.
I experimented with the fan curve a bit, particularly after my GPU temperature hit 75°C during about 15 minutes of playing Resident Evil 7 in full resolution at 1440p with maximum settings. Will these adjustments affect the card's lifespan? I'm still learning overclocking.
Thanks!
No worries man, nothing at all.
When you over-OC things, you’ll encounter artifacts and crashes, even if the card seems fine. It’s a bit of a detailed explanation about how computers behave, but essentially, as you push further, stability drops and the PC starts guessing. Too many incorrect guesses lead to issues, but not physical damage.
The main risk for real damage comes from heat. You won’t face thermal problems before instability sets in, which you’ve already noticed.
Adjusting your fan curve to be more conservative is perfectly fine. I prefer my GPU spinning at full speed at 80°C rather than only 50% fan speed.
Higher temperatures might shorten our lives. However, these are periods spanning decades. Today's transistors and capacitors are very durable, and they won't just fail—they could also face a future where the sun fades and life ends as we understand it. Electronics are remarkably dependable.
Increased temperature might shorten lifespan, but we're considering days off over decades. Current transistors and capacitors are very durable, and they won’t just fail—they could even face a future where the sun fades and life ends as we know it. Electronics are quite reliable. Should I keep the fan curve unchanged? I’ve heard that boosting fans might harm the card. My goal is to maintain a stable temperature around mid-70s or lower while gaming, ensuring the card lasts at least another year and a half until the next upgrade, without sacrificing performance too much. It’s a tough balance.
nope, wont matter.
max limits are fixed (by Nv) and it will trigger throttling if anything gets to be way off.
temps are the main reason why stuff dies, so try to keep the card below 90C.
your card should not be reaching more than 80 anyway with the strix, unless bad airflow in the case.
but as greens said, stuff will outlast us...
fry178 :
nope, wont matter.
max limits are fixed (by Nv) and it will trigger throttling if anything gets to be way off.
temps are the main reason why stuff dies, so try to keep the card below 90C.
your card should not be reaching more than 80 anyway with the strix, unless bad airflow in the case.
but as greens said, stuff will outlast us...
Cool! Thanks!
No worries man, none at all.
For OCing, you’ll get artifacts and crashes if you go too far, and even when the card starts acting all jacked up – it is still not being damaged. Kind of a long explanation as to how computers work, but basically when you OC things become less stable and the PC ends up guessing. Too many wrong guesses causes problems – but not damage.
Really the only way to cause actual damage is heat. And heat just isn’t going to be an issue for you – you’re going to reach instability before you reach thermal problems, as you have discovered.
Wanting to adjust your fan curve to be a bit more conservative is totally ok. I don’t like to hear my GPU spin up so I have it hit 100% fan speed at 80C. with 50% fan speed at 70c or so. Totally up to you though. A GTX 1080 under full load at 80c is perfectly acceptable.
My card actually did have some thermal issues which I have since resolved, but yours is 100% good to go, not being an EVGA ACX 3 cooler.
I don't want to hear from the fans, so my performance won't run until 40°C, then it will gradually reach 100% at 90°C.
Greens:
No problem at all, nothing to worry about.
When you overclock, you’ll encounter artifacts and crashes if you push too hard. Even when the card behaves unusually – it’s still not getting damaged. This is essentially a detailed breakdown of how computers function; generally speaking, as you increase overclocking, stability drops and the system starts making guesses. Too many incorrect guesses lead to issues, but not physical damage.
The main risk for actual harm comes from heat. You won’t face thermal problems because you’ll reach instability before overheating occurs, which you’ve already noticed.
Adjusting your fan curve to be more conservative is fine. I prefer my GPU spinning at 100% fan speed at 80°C, not at 50% at 70°C. That’s completely up to you.
A GTX 1080 running under full load at 80°C is perfectly fine.
My card did have some thermal issues before they were fixed, but yours is in great shape – especially since it’s not using an EVGA ACX 3 cooler.
Great and seasoned users like you and Fry178 are what make this site so enjoyable. It’s only been four months since I set up my first gaming rig, and I’ve already gained a lot of knowledge.