Overclock....when to do it

Alright, here's a general question...when is the best time to set your overclock speeds? I, for one, just use the "Optimum Settings" option on the nVidia desktop tool.....but should I have the settings set immediately when the system is turned on?

I know the clock settings really depend on relative internal temps...so would it be a better idea to set the clock settings after the notebook has been on for awhile? You know, so it's all warmed up....don't want to pull a hammy =)

 

When I get a new game, I test it out first, see how it runs. If I am getting around 30FPS at the settings I want, then I'll overclock it a bit to get a few more frames. 30FPS is the absolute minimum to play on. If I am playing the game without any problems, then I don't even worry about overclocking.

Some games I have don't require overclocking at all, I just run them on stock. Others, I do a small overclock and get a nice little boost to smoothen things out. And finally for very demanding games such as FEAR and CoD 2, I use my highest OC setting. I have 4 different profiles set up on my machine:

1. Stock
2. Stock + Timings tweaked
3. Moderate OC + Timings
4. High OC + Timings

 

Chaz put it so well. I would add also the possibility of the automatic overclock when in 3d. That can be done from CCC and ATT. Also underclock profile is a good thing to have...

Cheers,

 

I'm not sure what Vid cards you guys use....are they nVidia cards? If so, is there an option in the nvidia desktop that allows you to make different settings? Or are you using a different program altogether to control your clock settings?

This is all good information, my initial question was more related to the "optimal settings" option. If you use this setting immediately after turning the system on, you get a higher clock setting than if you let the system warm up....so I was assuming that waiting for the card to get up to normal operating temps would provide a more conservative clock setting....yes/no?

note: i just read your sigs......ATI cards

 

With Nvidia cards, you would use CoolBits. It opens extra options in the Nvidia settings for overclocking.
http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=815 (site may open a few pop ups, but it is legit.)

 

Question: ...any of you guys watch The Office?

Considering...
I'm not much of a gamer...
I use my high performance 9750 primarily for rendering video effects in both Avid Xpress Pro & Adobe AfterEffects, and for 3D rendering in both Maya & Poser...

Question: Would overclocking my CPU(s) benefit me whatsoever?

 

The office is hilarious....

Also, I've downloaded cool bits, but I'm not able to access the features, where is it located?

 

I also downloaded the coolbits and am having the same problem... where would i find the nVidia desktop tool, and does it read temps?

 

overclocking the gpu for games, will improve fps.
overclocking the cpu for 3d work, will improve rendering times.

overclocking must be done in baby steps. you need to use very small steps before you go into anything big, otherwise you can lock up and not know how far to go back. i would recommend 5-10mhz increments. anything more will be a pain in the butt.

pb,out.

 

CaliDell and Burrito-
Coolbits adds a couple options to the Nvidia menu under the display options. There is also a temp display.
Right click on desktop, click display options.
go to Settings.
Click advanced button.
Click Geforce xxxx tab.
In the little pop-out menu it gives you, look for the "clock frequency settings"
This will let you change core clock freq and memory clock freq.

One thing that many overclockers will tell you is NOT to do this right away on a new machine/video card. Run the card for a week or two, playing games and everything, to "burn it in" and make sure it works ok.
Then mess with the overclocking. And test test test! if you see anything out of the ordinary graphically, clock it down!

And like Chaz has said in other posts, if it already does what you need it to do at stock speeds, you don't need to overclock.
Overclocking will void your warranty, and none of us take any responsibility if you break it.