Why some believe overclocking a GPU isn't worth it for new generation GPUs.
Why some believe overclocking a GPU isn't worth it for new generation GPUs.
The comparison figures might actually be improved, but the real performance in-game could differ.
Some points to consider:
Modern GPUs tend to reach their maximum capacity regardless.
Any adjustments you make are more like suggestions to the GPU's firmware.
Even with increased clock speed, the actual benefit is limited.
For instance, if a card boosts from 2000 MHz to 2100MHz through tweaks, that's only a 5% improvement.
Even if this equated to better performance, it wouldn't be noticeable. If you're already at 120 FPS, you won't see a change at 127 FPS.
Gpu Boost 3.0 on Nvidia graphics cards has been the main challenge for manual overclocking.
It's built into the card's architecture—removing it isn't feasible.
The majority of the overclocking effort is already handled by the hardware, leaving little room to improve further without extreme measures like using LN2 or modifying the system.
Each card features multiple boost curves affected by temperature and power usage. Maintaining optimal cooling helps achieve the best results and reduces the chance of hitting power limits.
Overclocking against these factors can be tricky.
Dynamic nature of Gpu Boost shows its stability when clock speeds remain consistent across different conditions.
I can't confirm this for AMD Radeon models, but it seems similar is happening there.
You might want to consider these factors: your monitor's refresh rate limits at 120hz and the game's frame rate at 121fps make it less effective. Prioritizing cooling is important, as Nvidia 30xx cards reduce clock speeds around 65C. Keeping the card below 70°C can improve stability and frame rate. Some users report better performance from under-clocking. I can't comment on AMD cards since I don't own one.
The overclocking margin for my 3080 is limited. It only provides a small boost that doesn’t significantly affect gameplay, but it increases noticeable heat and fan noise. I stopped trying to overclock and instead performed some undervolting to reduce those issues.
Graphics card manufacturers hide their chips. The higher-quality chips with extra overclocking space will be used in factory-optimized versions that will cost more. You might get even better performance, though it’s unlikely. And... would you notice a real difference while playing games?
AMD cards are slightly better in comparison to the 'overclocking on rails' you've got with NVIDIA's GPU Boost.
However, cards from both camps are normally overclocked by AIBs - some mildly, some aggressively. There's usually little room for anything more on the provided coolers. Unless you're willing to tear apart your very expensive GPU to add an aftermarket cooler, the potential performance gain isn't enough to justify the extra cost for the cooler, the extra heat, the very real possibility that you can't overclock it more anyway, and the potential to damage or limit the life of your GPU.
Yeah, but after having done a little gpu liquid cooling, IMO, doing liquid cooling on that part is far more effective than giving the cpu the liquid cooling treatment first. It looks backwards now.
It is more convenient - can't argue against that.
Oh well...