overclocking guide of Nvidia "Kepler/Maxwell" cards for beginners

[FlanK3r]

This simple guide originated as a stimulus for users, who asked  me how OC GTX780. Questions regarding overclocking of graphics are fairly common, but basically the same principles apply. Mainly for similar architecture. And since I am now the owner not only Radeons, but also its first modern Geforce card, so I will try to accommodate this short article. We will focus on the current series of Nvidia's Kepler architecture and Maxwell. The differences between them are in the upper OC  limit of the core and the difference is too little to remember. Especially at lower GPUs models.

 

1)What do we need know before the OC

 

Software for overclocking of graphics card. We will use the "Asus GPU Tweak". Download it here:

GPU Tweak 2.8.2

 

The software that will detect information about the graphics core, bus speed and temperatures like etc. But this can be despite the already mentioned GPU Tweak ... However, GPU-Z [/ u] as a detection tool I recommend (among other things through it you can save the current BIOS for backup case):

http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/2463/techpowerup-gpu-z-v0-8-2/

 

2)First steps in GPU Tweak and how and what we can set

Asus has been used for years tweak soft GPU Tweak utility. Skin can be adjusted according to your own needs, I use the default settings ... The left window covers monitoring and right portions include setting as follows ... The same applies for the setting. On the left set of monitoring - definitely check temperature (GPU temperature), Memory Clock and core (GPU and memory clock), target power and fan speed. The rest settings is at your discretion. Monitoring can also save  to the log file.

 

On the right we see several tabs settings, which can be reached with clicks to icon with sliders "tuning" in the upper left side.

In the "MAIN" we can see a set of skins and what should happen after starting Windows.

 

-update 

 

We will be interested but the second tab "TUNE"

Since I have Matrix card, is it a fully unlocked menu settings. Your card it will be available to a limited extent. However, as I highlighted in yellow, it certainly recommend mark and it should be on most cards.

GPU Boost - that is frequency on which card will work, and its core clock. With sufficient cooling the card will keep this cycle even longer time, or even overcome it.

GPU Voltage - core clock voltage settings, overclocking capabilities of the core increases (boost clock), but also warm and can achieve faster power limit

Memory Clock - frequency of memory chips at graphics card. Usually u can see effective memory clock, ie for example 7000MHz GDDR5 effectively = it is real 1750 MHz.

Higher memory clocks  often cause instability, which was first seen artifacts when playing or falls.

Power Target - (alias Power limit = nothing will slow up or limiting the GPU card in performance, when will have a higher consumption), raising it lets''s moving "with such a voltage core graphics card (GPU Boost + GPU voltage) without causing a drop in performance or local declines shots in the game or benchmark. Feel free to start now, you can safely move on powerlimit maximum limit what you allow your setting.

 

The remaining values in the picture, some blue, are only available for unlocked edition cards. Than you can use example memory voltage and LLC or for the VRM frequency itself.

 

After setting it in GPU Tweak-looks something like this. We see information about the frequency, voltage, power target. My card GTX980 Matrix has a base clock 1342 MHz core, 7010 MHz effective memory-power target is essentially 100% and stock voltage for load is 1.213V. Fans spins at 32% of its maximum.

 

3) Default  results GTX 980 Matrix

Since I have use now at benchtable PC with AMD A10-7850K, the results are not completely tip top. On the other hand, the mainstream processor with GTX980 worked OK, and GTX980 results grow up... I tested for info in 3D Mark11 Extreme settings and tested the game Sniper Elite Xtreme 2 on maximum settings.

 

 

 

 

4) When even though you fear - switching profile Asus

It may still happen that OC  of graphics you have not balls. Asus has here two profiles. One is contrary to light saving profile called Power Saving. Just click on the letter "S" at the bottom of the profiles.

 

A slight overclocking or vice versa called Gamer (the letter G in profiles) - overclocks decently core clock and memory boost

 

There are results of Gamer profile:

 

5)Manual overclocking - How to

When the overclock card, doing it in the smaller steps. First, as I said in another chapter, step up power target slider to the maximum. Start overclocking with unchanged voltage (stock). The core will usually allow about +50-150 MHz on the core, according to the type of the card (GTX600 / 700/900 series) and specific model (DirectCU vs high clocked Matrix) and according to a piece of luck. Memory usually tolerate a little more, try these steps for the first time after 50 MHz efficiently and then lower steps of 5 MHz. Always test stability first in 3D Mark and then stress test such as Furmark (enough for about 10-20 minutes Furmark) or OCCT GPU test.

-stress test OCCT for GPU

 

I got a card to 1382 MHz of Boost clock (in practice can in GPU-Z observe that practical Boost gets long and over 1440 MHz!), And 7440 MHz for the memory efficiently.

 

And results:

 

 

6) OC With voltage increase

For the most of graphics cards will be available regarding the possibility of increasing voltage  just for core. Moreover, it is often the GPU Tweak-final slider and the maximum safe limit for cooling. Exceptions are again Matrix series or special tuners unlocked value to determine. Generally it can be said that in generation of Kepler and Maxwell sufficient to increase voltage by about 0.1 to 0.15V versus nominal core voltage. If you accidentally card with this setting core voltage to the maximum limit+ with higher clocks will be stable and yet the result of the 3D Mark will be lower, you have encountered power target. It will be necessary to reduce the required core voltage. Attention also put on the temperature and try to keep your temperature below 85 C under load.

 

I increase voltage from 1.213V up to 1.256V reasonable maximum / optimum for Maxwell. Frequency of Boost core jumped guaranteed to 1412 MHz,  memory clocks up to 7720 MHz effectively. At GPU-Z you can see that the maximum boost was even in practice at 1474 MHz. This figure suggests that the card is cooled with a large margin.

 

In the game I achieved an improvement of 5.1 FPS at Xtreme setting, it is about 9% more than in the base/stock settings clocks. Mathematically we are at the core of this edition rose by 5% and memory by 10%, we can say that the very performance-jump corresponds. For less cyclical cards such as the GTX series by Strix get greater percentage difference from the default and thus higher jump in games. Article was gradually complementing the approximate value of overclocking families Kepler and Maxwell. Anyway, always proceed in small steps, all carefully and try some of the first 3D Mark and subsequently playing or OCCT test before driving again on the next MHz up .

[Geekazoid]

Don't we already have one of these? I might be thinking of some other thread.

[FlanK3r]

Im not sure...Maybe in long history, but I dont saw it before. (Of course, at Google sure, but OI know people how are lazy find something at Google and learn it :-) )

[Imakuni]

So... what about the part where you explain that you should use Nvidia Inspector, instead of any other OCing tool?

 

You might say that I'm stupid, but I'll tell you this: I've had a good chunk of problems that I couldn't solve with the usual OCing applications, but only 2min with Nvidia inspector did the trick.

[FlanK3r]

Ok, I can try it later, but it will be very similar