MSI R9 290X - did I win the silicon lottery?

[Morgan MLGman]

So after extensive testing I got to conclusion that I can actually downvolt my R9 290X pretty heavily.

When at stock (1030mhz) clock, I can get it to -100mV (maximum allowed by MSI Afterburner) when I get into a game and get no crashes at all. But this setting made it crash at desktop sometimes so I abandoned it.

Then I tried to set it to -75mV (3/4rd of what is allowed), worked like a charm. I decided to push my luck even more and got it to 1090mhz stable with the same -75mV voltage. (1100 worked but was artefacting occasionally so it was also abandoned).

I kept the -75mV, 1090mhz core my permanent overclock.

How is it possible? Never heard of a card that could to that.

As far as overclocking goes, I seem to hit a spot when it's at 1150 core clock / 1450 memory clock with only +44mV added. Didn't try to push it further, don't feel like adding more voltage.

What's your take on it? Is it normal or is it rare? Any opinions appreciated.

GPU-Z reports ASIC score of 79,7% if anyone wondered.

[PlayStation 2]

Hell yeah you did

290Xs aren't the greatest downvolters or overclockers for that matter

[thekeemo]

Is there lightning in the model name?

[skimmilk5]

Pushing more voltage through your GPU may not be good. You may have run into heat related issues? In GPUs that I've overclocked, if I push too much voltage through the GPU, it becomes far too unstable to run, and I could keep my clock speed and just bring the voltage down to get the system stable...

[Kinda Bottlenecked]

Push it to 100mv or higher. If you can get more than 1200mhz, I'd say you won.

[Interfectorem]

My brother's Asus R9 290 can do 1190 MHz on the core and 1445 MHz on the Memory with +100 mV. Use that as reference.

[Morgan MLGman]

Is there lightning in the model name?

No, it's the regular MSI Gaming one with the Twin Frozr IV cooler.

 

 

Pushing more voltage through your GPU may not be good. You may have run into heat related issues? In GPUs that I've overclocked, if I push too much voltage through the GPU, it becomes far too unstable to run, and I could keep my clock speed and just bring the voltage down to get the system stable...

Hmm, I seem to have resolved my heat issues and the card runs at 79 degrees max with average gameplay temp around 75 degrees (tested in The Witcher 3)

[Wingfan]

Is there lightning in the model name?

[Morgan MLGman]

Push it to 100mv or higher. If you can get more than 1200mhz, I'd say you won.

I can do that only if I watercool, the TwinFrozr IV is not sufficient for that most likely

[Raudi_]

Is there lightning in the model name?

Highly doubt it if it was a lightning model it would have up to +200mV for the core as a voltage offset increase.

[Morgan MLGman]

Highly doubt it if it was a lightning model it would have up to +200mV for the core as a voltage offset increase.

Yup, it's not. Max offset is +100mV or -100mV. +60mhz -75mV seems like a pretty damn good score though

[Wingfan]

heres my 290x

 

[Morgan MLGman]

heres my 290x

I can understand that the Lightning version would overclock way better, it's entire existance purpose is to overclock

[Wingfan]

I can understand that the Lightning version would overclock way better, it's entire existance purpose is to overclock

and you gotta love the temp lol

[Morgan MLGman]

and you gotta love the temp lol

In Valley the temp reported by the benchmark is something like 1923912541952 degrees Celsius for me so I wouldn't say it's reliable You got a pretty damn good overclock though, what's the ASIC score of your card? (I know it doesn't mean much, just curious)

[Wingfan]

 You got a pretty damn good overclock though, what's the ASIC score of your card? (I know it doesn't mean much, just curious)

Im not sure, i had a screen shot but cant find it

[Wingfan]

I can understand that the Lightning version would overclock way better, it's entire existance purpose is to overclock

Even so, i would think you should be able to get over 1100? 

[Morgan MLGman]

Im not sure, i had a screen shot but cant find it

Oh, okay. Downloading GPU-Z and checking it should take you around a minute or two though

[Kinda Bottlenecked]

I can do that only if I watercool, the TwinFrozr IV is not sufficient for that most likely

 

Short runs should be fine. Max fan speed, side panel off and fan pointed towards the card. Of course, temps were very high when I took my 390x above 100mv. About 79*C 

[Morgan MLGman]

Even so, i would think you should be able to get over 1100? 

I can get 1150/1450 with +44mV, tested

[Morgan MLGman]

Short runs should be fine. Max fan speed, side panel off and fan pointed towards the card. Of course, temps were very high when I took my 390x above 100mv. About 79*C 

I'll test it when I get home in around 20 hours then, cause all in all, why not? ^^

[Kinda Bottlenecked]

I'll test it when I get home in around 20 hours then, cause all in all, why not? ^^

 

Just be sure to to increase voltage bit by bit. Also I'd use heaven to overclock. 

[Wingfan]

I can get 1150/1450 with +44mV, tested

Thats more like it I wouldnt say you won any lottery tho, looks to be about average?

[Morgan MLGman]

Thats more like it I wouldnt say you won any lottery tho, looks to be about average?

Huh, from what I researched (before getting a 290X) some people wouldn't even get to 1100 with adding voltage, some wouldn't even achieve 1400 on memory, so I assumed it's above average. Also, to downvolt a card by -75mV and overclock it on the core by 60mhz seemed pretty good, never heard of people doing that

[Wingfan]

Huh, from what I researched (before getting a 290X) some people wouldn't even get to 1100 with adding voltage, some wouldn't even achieve 1400 on memory, so I assumed it's above average. Also, to downclock a card by -75mV and overclock it on the core by 60mhz seemed pretty good, never heard of people doing that

Dont -75mV and push it more, what can you get to?