Gaming temps in overclocking..what is safe?

So I decided to do BIOS-level GPU overclocking now, since any software/driver-level OC wouldn't work with my card.

Pre-OC, I had temps running during gaming at about ~75C for both CPU cores and about 70-73C for the GPU itself.

Right now, I'm running the GPU at 690/1450/570 (default 580/1450/400 core/shader/mem) and the system is running at about 82C for the CPU cores and about 78C for the GPU.

What do you guys think? is this still a safe range? I'm kinda worried about the memory chips, and although it hasn't artifacted yet (and I'm still bit by bit OCing it, alternating between core and mem at first) I'm worried that the memory chips might get bust or something.

Any insights anyone?

 

I would find out what that memory is rated for and not go much or at all above it...

But Core and Shaders can go until either artifacts or locks your system.

Your temperatures are fine, cool by some standards.

 

Don't know, Panda. 80+ on the CPU is kind of dicey. GPU is good, though.

Have you tried undervolting your CPU, Kisetsu?

 

Are those load temps, or idle temps? I personally wouldn't go above 85C for either the GPU or CPU, especially not the CPU. I try to stay under 80 for the CPU. Max allowable temps generally are around 95C for both CPU and GPU, although you should look it up for your specific components because it can vary.

 

@crash those are load temps.

@Forge, I have my CPU undervolted, and it can't go any lower than 1.0375v. I'm actually considering getting rid of the half-multiplier altogether to get the processor running at just 1.000v, so I'm actually weighing if that half multiplier would do me any good at all lol. (~2.79GHz vs 2.66GHz)

@Panda and everyone else, you mean I could OC the memory up and up until it bakes itself?? I thought OCing the memory too much would make it artifact? How do you find what the chips are rated at?

 

if its hitting over 90c thats bad. i try to hit around 85c max overclocking

 

UPDATE: I did try running it at 2.66GHz, consulted RMClock and CPU-z, and had the processor at 1.000v at 10x multiplier. (Kinda shocked how big a jump (0.0375v) was needed to increase speed a mere 133mhz lol)

I have yet to fire up a game with the new voltage, but 3DMark already shows about 3C lesser than how I used to have it at its full speed.

@joshthor, it actually hit about 93C once, I think I left Chrome running (while it was making my processor run at full speed, perhaps a beta version bug or something) and fired up Borderlands. Scared the crap out of me, and since then I use Rivatuner + Everest to monitor temps while I game hahaha.

 

good lord lol

in simple english the cpus are rating to at least 105 degrees therefor dont break 95 or it will throttle

Nvidia cards tend to run cooler then ati, i have had my old 3870's at 95 degrees doesnt do any harm as again they are rated at 100 +

people saying 80 degrees are being over cautious, when you spend as much time overclocking as we do in the Aw forums you get stones of steel

 

I wouldn't bother overclocking the memory, it has hardly any performance increase over core and shader overclocking, plus, the memory hasn't got a temp gauge, and it most likely the first thing to break.

 

Take a look at the Asus forum - this would be nothing to the G51 and G71 owners.

 

(And the Alienware people wanna brag. I laugh in their face!)

 

LOL. Because you have a lot of GPU spoiled due to OCing on Memory Clock.
However, I find harmless if you don't OC Memory Clock so much.
My Memory Clock from 400 to 470 for a long period without any problem at all.
Core Clock did increase performance but Shader Clock will only increase performance very very little. Memory Clock is the most significant.
My Shader Clock from 950 to 1415. LOL. No problem also. Core Clock from 475 to 615.
My 9500M GS DDR2 idle at 56-58C and max load at 75C.
Stock 3Dmark06 = 38XX
OCed 3Dmark96 = 48XX

 

^ Truth. I wish my stock temps were that low...

 

I have the memory oc'ed at 590 now--190MHz over the stock ones..

Wouldn't it artifact if I oc it too much? Like, it will just go kaput?

EDIT: Found out how to get the memory ratings..but I don't have my thermal paste with me, so I might check this out tomorrow evening when I get back to school. But I could still use the artifacting as guides when ocing the memory, right?

 

Keep the memory low... 500 Mhz at most... you don't want to burn it out... and one more thing.. have you tried using NVDIA system tools to OC? I can do so although BIOS is locked by HP...

 

Remember that the temp readings from the GPU is actually only the processor, the memory has no temp reader. So be careful when increasing the memory clock, you don't want to make them fail.

 

Oh yea, didn't see his CPU... but if his CPU fries, his GPU should still be fine

 

I haven't spoiled alot of GPU's, i spoiled one, which was the 9500M GS, which i went crazy on and overclocked too much, then learned from the mistake, my 9600M GT is fine, i removed the custom fans which i added, and haven't had a problem with it since, no artifacts no dodgy blocks, no nothing.

i keep it at stock clocks now...

Whenever i have overclocked, the most performance gain i've got is from the Core clocks, memory did a very minimal difference. while core, did alot.

 

What I noticed is that when I OC the memory, temps go up, maybe because the memory heats up and then affects the core itself? After all it's attached to the same heatsink.

I can't OC it using NVIDIA System Tools, sean. It kinda locks up on me either upon install, or when I launch it (sometimes even after I restart).

I'll abstain from overclocking the memory for now, so I'll just concentrate on the others. I'll try to OC it when I get to see the memory ratings.

 

Did you try using the NVDIA System tools 6.03? If your using Ntune i wouldn't be suprised.. system tools works unlike ntune...

 

Nah, gave up driver level.

okay, time for an update!

UPDATE: I flashed the wrong vbios when I restarted (had several ROMs on my flashdisk, just in case) and put in the one with 610MHz memory on it. So it artifacted. after a minute on ATi artifact tool, it showed pretty yellow dots and soon my screen filled up with abnormalities lol. So I flashed it back to the stable 590's (was too lazy and scared to still try 600MHz) and it works just fine. I also read up that most new GPU's benefit from the default ratio of core:shader, and mine was 580/1450 which is 1:2.5, so I tried to oc the shader to catch up with the core which was currently 690MHz. 3DMark scores went up from 2216 up to 2398 (and rising, since I haven't stopped yet, and since no software level oc would work at all ) Plus I put in a fresh application of the thermal paste, and temps went down at most 4C. So..

Anyway, thanks for all the help guys. Much appreciated. /thread

 

drop the memory... 590 is a little high... last thing you should OC...