Is a 200/200 underclock safe for the 5870m?

Whenever I'm not gaming and just surfing the web and what not I under clock my GPU to 200/200.

Is this safe? Can it harm my GPU?

It lowers temps drastically by the way.

 

Not really, as long as it's stable then the lower the better really.

 

yeah as long as it is stable you can use it
but remember if you open video you need higher clocks ... so it may crash

 

Its all up to the card really. I can't go below 200/300 stably, but 200/500 works perfect for me.

Flawless HD playback, 43C temps in hot weather. That's my sweet spot. I could go to 200/300 but I have no issues with the current clocks. So I'm not fixing what isn't broken.

As always, your mileage will vary.
So experiment, and try not to brick your machine. Godspeed.

 

I'm currently using 125/100 as 2D setting. No drawbacks. All desktop stuff (aero e.g) works flawlessly. Just peanuts for this card.
For video there is an extra UVD setting.

 

Well, Right now I'm at 200/200 and watching youtube vids and it's stable so far.

So I'm good?

And what do you mean by "Your milage will worry." BumbleBoner?

 

I meant "vary". Thought process synapses got crossed. My bad.

 

Mine will go to 80/100, others even lower
(Of course, I can get a wicked OC too...)

It all depends on your card.

 

What the?

80/100?

What's your idle temps?

 

hmm maybe i should try to go below 100/150
i have a question about the overlock
so when i have my card overlocked and when i get freeze ingame (becouse of the overclock) is that becouse of the high temperatures i get with that overlock?
personally i think it is becouse after lets say playing 15 minutes it freezes(video driver stopped working) and after 10 second it unfreezes

 

40/85 lol (EDIT: apparently not with these drivers lol 40/90 is my current lowest stable)

but these speeds are so slow windows open/close/move very slowly (stable, but slow)

70/100 is what I normally keep it at

Now if only we could really undervolt...

 

That's the point!
All others can do, only Asus plays their own game.
The cooling is good, but the result would even be better.

I had running 70/90 for awhile. But one day on a cold boot, I get artefacts while coming to windows desktop. So I increased it a bit.

 

Hmm if your up for it (as it is risky so make sure you read up plenty) modify your vbios with RBE so powerplay will do everything for you automatically this is what I and several others have done with much success

Is this why you didnt buy ASUS? lol I remember when I thought I could go .01v on 70/100

 

i've tried right now 70/100 and it is stable for now ...
i think i may be editing the vbios

p.s what is the last clock when you use vbios with radeon bios editor anyway
i've never seen it changing to it
i think it was batery gaming (300/400)

 

Have a JH here too. Should update my sig.
Imo there is a wall in the card. I guess at 0.8-0.85V. Temps on those MSI-5870s drops from stock 0.95V to 0.8V. You can even change it to 0.1V without bricking the card. All tools will show this value, but no more temp drop.

 

Do it

Ya something like that. Battery Saver mode, on Battery power, high performance lol afaik. I have mine set to 275/450 (odd clocks I know but it seemed everything around there ie 250/400 225/450 was unstable/fidgety ect)

Got it

Your referring to the MSI with the "wall in the card" right? Chastity confirmed with Gary (I believe) that the ASUS is hardwired to be at (or between?) 1.15/.95....

Anyways this is getting a little OT so ima stop here lol

 

yeah but like i said that mode never activates(clock 04)
at least i think didn't saw it

p.s flashed baterry mode 70/100
runs good
but 400/1000 for uvd is killing me

EDIT: omg man i am getting the same thing like you on videos the clock is the same
doesn't clocks to 400/1000
what now...but i can watch the videos without crashing????

 

You are Great, Are you on Chast. VBIOS and the latest ATI Video drivers?
I think that is a play on an old disclaimer - " your mileage may vary"
AHH you are probably to young to remember - Bing it !

 

My 5870M is in Battery @ 30/86MHz because i have the 1600*900 Display
With this low settings and my i5 i reach about 4hrs with one used RAM Slot
In AC its at 70/100 but its not enough for dual display. So modify your settings with dualdisplay if u'll often use this..

 

I apologize for being off topic but I can't seem to find a guide on here on how to underclock, like this, for newbs.

Does anyone know of a thread on here?

 

Download ATI Clock tool for 5870m. Change clocks, hit apply.

 

But Clock Tool always will set the voltage to the higher one (1.15V). And this till next reboot (logout?).

 

can the ati clock tool change the voltage?
when i hit apply nothing happens

 

Nope, ATI Clock tool can't change voltages for some reason :S

 

Yes, Clock Tool can't change the voltage directly. But if you change the clock speeds (core/mem), I guess Powerplay is confused and switch to the higher voltage. Look at the gpu gadget.

 

so probably we are running at the highest voltage all the time 1.15
does it really undervolt to 0.95

 

If ur using the Tool yes!
But when u flashed ur vBios and set the clocks lower with 0,95V, it is using the 0,95V, because this is in the vBiosvoltageregister or however ull call that.But it will use a voltage next to 0,95V or 1,15V if u've typed another voltage in the vBios,
Half a year ago or so i tried to use 1,05V for the vBios-entry 00 (Boot) and my laptop wasent booting... It went on, but no signal to the LCD and no booting, because no windowssound after a while. SO DONT CHANGE VOLTAGE IN THE 00-Entry!!!!
But i got another GPU^^ they did not test, whats wrong xD

 

hhh i am not changing anything besides those 2 values
thanks for the info

 

I'd tried 700/[email protected] through vBios, but got a grey or black screen while win logon. POST and bootphase still wasn't a problem.
Reflashed vBIOS in DOS.
Btw.: A MSI 5870m works with this setting.

I just did a test:
While changing clock speeds through Clock Tool inreases the voltage to the higher one (1.15V because hardwired).
eg.
I have set 125/[email protected] for 2D in vBIOS and got 43-47C. The gpu warms up to 47C, the fan starts and cools down to 43C. This silent warmup time (fan cycle) is about 1 min 20 sec.
Now I've changed to 125/100 in Clock Tool (reports 124.99/100 as default). The voltage changes too (1.15V)! Look at the gadget value.
Now the warmup time is faster. Only 45 sec. to startup the fan. This is just because the higher voltage.
I've tested this more than twice.
So, imho underclocking is more worthful with changing the vBIOS, not in Clock Tool.