[GUIDE] Basics on Overclocking GPU’s.
Note that this is a mere overview on overclocking your video card. This guide does not go over the more advanced techniques or the terminology. Everything stated can be found anywhere around the web, but reworded to make it sound easier…I think.
A list of Programs you will need:
Instructions:
- Download Rivatuner.
- Download either modified drivers or the WHQL drivers.
- Under ‘Driver Settings‘, click the arrow next to ‘Customize’.
- Under the ‘Overclocking‘ tab, check ‘Enable driver-level hardware overclocking‘ if it isn’t already.
- In the drop down menu, choose ‘performance 3D‘.
- Here is where it gets a bit difficult. Under ‘Core Clock‘, move your slider to the right a bit. It is recommended by many that you move it in increments of three. In my case, I have a eVGA 320MB 8800GTS. I have set mine to 648, which is supposedly the cap.
- Under ‘Memory Clock‘, do the same as the Core clock.
- You may want to adjust your fan settings accordingly.
- The last step is strenuous and tedious. You must run a benchmark software (refer to the above list) and look for "artifacts".
Artifacts are those weird pixels in places you normally wouldn’t expect it to be. They are unusually colored and usually make you want to scratch yourself. If artifacts are detected, you will have to adjust your core and memory clocks and decrement their respective values.
That is, when they are found, you will decrease, for example, a value of 600 core and 1000 memory would be, say, 585 and 985 respectively. When you receive artifacts, you know your GPU is overworking and, well, overheating. Also, take note of random crashes, that is another good sign to lower your clocks.
NOTE: Do this at your own risk. I provided a short excerpt from my previous ventures in OCing a video card. I haven’t ever killed my own computer, but my computer is totally different from yours, so take caution.
