Underclocking

Zondrax · March 8, 2013

Hello!

I'm new to overclocking/underclocking so I would like to ask a question.

Is it the same thing to underclock a GC as underclocking a CPU? I know that when you underclock a CPU you don't lose performance (only if you underclock it way below what the GHz needs). So can I underclock my GC to reduce the heat and still keep the same performance?

I have a GTX 660 Ti

i7 3770k 3.9Ghz (don't know if you need CPU, but hey here it is!)

ASUS Sabertooth Z77

12GB RAM

iTonyy · March 8, 2013

I think you are confusing underclocking with undervolting. Underclock is where you purposely turn down the speed of the processor to extend the life span and reduce heat on it. By doing this, you can get to a point where it is possible to run the cpu without actually having a fan cooling it. This eliminates the mechanical noise of the fan to create a true silent pc. However by turning down the clock speed you are also reducing the potential performance the cpu can deliver.

Undervolting on the other hand is really more of an optimization to determine at what minimum voltage your cpu or gpu can be stable at a certain clock speed. Through trial and error you can find the minimum necessary voltage and this way the heat would be reduced as well due to less voltage being applied while still keeping the same performance as you did before

Maverik5124 · March 8, 2013

Yes the GPU frequency is directly related with the framerate.

Also when you underclock your CPU you might not notice the performance missing because the game doesn't require as much performance, but you can't underclock anything without it getting slower.