Overclock GPU Determination

[stan92]

What things affect the amount of overclocking a certain GPU can do, does psu, cpu, ram motherboard, hdd etc affect it in anyway?

[TheSLSAMG]

Having a good cooler and getting a good chip, something we call hitting the "silicone lottery", which isn't guaranteed.

[stan92]

ok but does psu, cpu, ram motherboard, hdd etc affect it in anyway?

[brownninja97]

Having a good cooler and getting a good chip, something we call hitting the "silicone lottery", which isn't guaranteed.

HOLY SHIT is that Jezza

[TheSLSAMG]

HOLY SHIT is that Jezza

Yep!

[Volbet]

ok but does psu, cpu, ram motherboard, hdd etc affect it in anyway?

If the motherboard have PCI Spread Spectrum enabled it migh limit the overclock, but not much. The only real determinig factor is how you placed in the silicone lottery.

 

Edit: The PSU migh also play a small role. If you have power ripples or "ghost" power that migh limit the overclock aswell

[stan92]

@Volbet explain PCI Spread Spectrum and power ripples / ghost power please

[Volbet]

@Volbet explain PCI Spread Spectrum and power ripples / ghost power please

• PCI Spread Spectrum means that the motherboard adjusts the voltage that the motherboard delivers to the graphics card. It is there to limit EMI (Electromagnetic interference). Usually it's recommend to turn it off when you are overclocking and overvolting, but it doesn't make much difference anymore
• Power ripples occure if your PSU is bad at converting AC power into DC power. It usually shows as a wave on an oscilloscope. This means that the current running through your components are changing rapidly all of the time. This can make overclock unstable and may break your components faster.
• Ghost power is "extra"  power that your PSU can deliver to your components. this means that your components will develope more heat, and that limits overclocking.

[stan92]

Wow far out thanks @Volbet. would my asus p8h61 mx usb3 mobo have pci spread spectrum and my coolermaster xtreme2 725watt psu have ghost and power ripples? Please research it for me

[Volbet]

Wow far out thanks @Volbet. would my asus p8h61 mx usb3 mobo have pci spread spectrum and my coolermaster xtreme2 725watt psu have ghost and power ripples? Please research it for me

I can't find any reviews of your PSU, but I know that CWT is the OEM for the other Extreme2 series, and they make some OK PSUs. This means you don't have to worri about power ripples and ghost power. I don't think your motherboard as PCI spread spectrum,or atleats not an option to turn it on or off. Atleast I can't find it on the bios screenshoots I've seen. 

[stan92]

Ok thanks. is the asrock extreme4-m a good mobo and does it have pci spread spectrum? Also is the tx850 corsair psu good? Also will it have these problems and who makes those psus? Also is their any difference of the tx850 and tx850 v2???

[Volbet]

Ok thanks. is the asrock extreme4-m a good mobo and does it have pci spread spectrum? Also is the tx850 corsair psu good? Also will it have these problems and who makes those psus? Also is their any difference of the tx850 and tx850 v2???

 

The TX850 is a great PSU. I would however not recommend changing your PSU just for this, But if you want a new PSU I recommend lokkign at JohnnyGuru. That is pretty much the go to place for PSU reviews. 

I will not recommend chanhing your motherboard just for PCI Spread Spectrum. To be honest it doesn't do much difference today, unless you are LN2 overclocking. 

[stan92]

Ok thanks, @Volbet what's LN2 Overclocking? And why wouldn't you reccomend upgrading my psu and mobo? My plan is to run a 7970 soon... i don't overclock thingseither..

[mgsstar]

Ok thanks, what's LN2 Overclocking? And why wouldn't you reccomend upgrading my psu and mobo? My plan is to run a 7970 soon... i don't overclock thingseither..

LN2 Overclocking is overclocking that uses Liquid Nitrogen in order to overclock a cpu/gpu. The motherboard that you have currently is good for a single gpu configuration and your psu is more than enough to power a single gpu. You wouldn't need a 850w or even a 725w psu that you have in order to run a 7970. The minimum of running a 7970 is a 550w psu and you have a 725w which is more than enough to run it.

[stan92]

ok but @mgsstar apparently my psu only outputs 600w as its not 80 plus efficient etc and was not expensive/good it only costed me $70 AUD

[Volbet]

Ok thanks, @Volbet what's LN2 Overclocking? And why wouldn't you reccomend upgrading my psu and mobo? My plan is to run a 7970 soon... i don't overclock thingseither..

Pretty much for the reasons @mgsstar explained. You PSU is more than powerfull enoug for a 7970 and your motherboard is suiteable for what you are doing. 

 

Edit: Sorry for the long response time. A man gotta sleep sometimes

 

Edit 2: 600W are still enoug for a 7970. I still think that CWT is the OEM of your PSU, and they make some OK PSUs. They also OEM for Corsair and Thermaltake.

[stan92]

@Volbet thanks, all good brother

[stan92]

@Volbet whats your opinion on "ok but @mgsstar apparently my psu only outputs 600w as its not 80 plus efficient etc and was not expensive/good it only costed me $70 AUD"

[Volbet]

@Volbet whats your opinion on "ok but @mgsstar apparently my psu only outputs 600w as its not 80 plus efficient etc and was not expensive/good it only costed me $70 AUD"

600W are still enoug for a 7970. I still think that CWT is the OEM of your PSU, and they make some OK PSUs. They also OEM for Corsair and Thermaltake.

[stan92]

ok @Volbet so my coolermaster VS a corsair tx 850 v2, whats the quality / maker etc difference.

 

please look for my power supply I want to know what power it can deliver max etc?

[Volbet]

ok @Volbet so my coolermaster VS a corsair tx 850 v2, whats the quality / maker etc difference.

 

please look for my power supply I want to know what power it can deliver max etc?

The TX 850 V2 uses Seasonic as their OEM and usually they are a great OEM. The older TX850 used CWT just as your CoolerMaster Extreme2 725. The output power should be 725W for your PSU. The 80+ branding speaks to how much power it needs to draw from the wall to deliver that power.  

[stan92]

ok thanks @Volbet

[stan92]

so i could run 2 7970's in crossfire on the tx850 v2 correct?

[Volbet]

so i could run 2 7970's in crossfire on the tx850 v2 correct?

I should be enough, yes.But it depends on the rest of you specs

[stan92]

@Volbet im running a Intel Core i5 3570k, nothing will be overclocked, 8gb kingston hyper x blue DDR3 1600mhz ram, asus external dvd drive, mobo is asus p8h61mx usb3, all in corsair 350d, with two 3.5inch HDD's one is a WD Green 2TB and the other is a WD Blue 7200 500GB HDD