Is overclocking unlimited?

[OnionRings]

Its only capped by thermals and voltage right? Whats the max voltage you should push into a card, and I don't mean the absolute edge of reality max where if it goes a smidge higher itll frickin explode, I mean a safe max where it can stay there for years safely? And obviously thermals matter, my goal is to stay away from 80c, even though its safe and wont explode I don't want to throttle.

[Guest]

Depends on the CPU I think

[OnionRings]

Just now, deXxterlab97 said:

Depends on the CPU I think

hwat

[OnionRings]

6 minutes ago, deXxterlab97 said:

Depends on the CPU I think

Btw I "hwat"ed you because why would the CPU have any effect on a GPU OC?

[Guest]

1 minute ago, OnionRings said:

Btw I "hwat"ed you because why would the CPU have any effect on a GPU OC?

I meant GPU sorry. different gpu can have different results. even same gpu can get different oc. if you get lucky some can oc further 

[OnionRings]

1 minute ago, deXxterlab97 said:

I meant GPU sorry. different gpu can have different results. even same gpu can get different oc. if you get lucky some can oc further 

That makes more sense! But does that also mean each card has a different " safe " voltage max?

[Lord Nicoll]

9 minutes ago, OnionRings said:

Its only capped by thermals and voltage right? Whats the max voltage you should push into a card, and I don't mean the absolute edge of reality max where if it goes a smidge higher itll frickin explode, I mean a safe max where it can stay there for years safely? And obviously thermals matter, my goal is to stay away from 80c, even though its safe and wont explode I don't want to throttle.

The silicon will be the ultimate limiting factor. Some really good chips will go faster with less voltage and less heat even for the same voltage (they use those chips in Quadro and FirePro cards usually). Safe limits for voltage depends, older 28nm stuff can suffer 1.3 and up to 1.4 if you're brave but the newer 14 and 16 nm stuff should be kept below 1.25v, and thermals, the chips are designed to run hotter as there's more transistors but under 85°C is reasonable for air cooling. 

[BleakMaker]

2 minutes ago, OnionRings said:

That makes more sense! But does that also mean each card has a different " safe " voltage max?

Yep, silicon lottery

[Squish4058]

3 minutes ago, Mark17 said:

Yep, silicon lottery

Depends on nanometer as newer chips would handle better, silicon lottry, voltage quality from psu, How fast your ASIC is degrading, even down to the thermal paste between the chip and chip lid (whose name I forgot)

The only guide you really have is other people with the same cpu and even then silicon lottry makes a substantial difference

[OnionRings]

Ok well its at 1.150 volts now stock only thing I raised was the power limit, it says the max its reach is 1.175 so if 1.25 is max I have some room to work, of course ill probably not go any further right now, its steady at 1400mhz so far at 75c after 30 minutes of heaven, I'm going to keep it going for a bit but I won't push it any further until I get more cooling, I only have 2 case fans and my exhausting potential is super low right now.

[gcubed]

On a motherboard that allows overclocking the BIOS really doesn't care what you set the CPU core voltage to, it will allow just about anything that the PSU can supply. As a result, it is very easy to fry a CPU. You have to know the limits of your CPU before you start monkeying with the voltages.

 

Video cards (well, MODERN video cards) aren't like that. The video card BIOS will not allow you to fry the GPU by cranking up the voltage (unless you flash the card with a custom BIOS). Now that doesn't mean that you can set it to max and not encounter any problems. As with any other component in a computer, more voltage means more current and more current means more heat. Unless you have used up your lifetime allocation of luck in winning the silicon lottery, you will probably thermal throttle at max voltage.

 

(This of course assumes you did not receive a card that got through quality control when it should not have, which does happen on occasion.)

 

[OnionRings]

Why does everyone keep saying CPU? GPU GUYS GPU. G. Graphics card, hence why I posted under graphics card section. You silly gooses you.

[gcubed]

nvm

 

 

[OnionRings]

1 hour ago, gcubed said:

nvm

 

 

Yes Gcubed I saw the second half of your post.