Overclocking an ATI card using ATI Tool

Its my first time overclocking an ATI card and also my first time using ATI Tool so I'm not exactly sure how to use it. I am now using the beta .25b version. While I was using the .24 version and even before I checked "apply settings immediately after moving slider" using .25b my computer kept going black (and occassionaly some other color) after I hit "set clock." It would do this even if I just changed either core or mem speed 1 mhz.

After I checked the "moving slider" settings I've managed a stable 486/486 setting from the default 445/445 setting. I am fine with this for now and haven't tried to push it any farther (I have an Asus w3j and it isn't as high as some others - mastha in the Asus board is set at 510/510).

I'm using the latest omega drivers.

My questions are:

1) Any idea why the comp crashed every time before when I tried to change the settings and why its stable now?

2) Am I supposed to leave it at the black screen for an extended period of time - is it doing something and I just need to give it time? (I gave it well over 10 minutes once) Black screen always = bad right?

3) When you choose find max core/mem settings is the screen supposed to go black? Is this normal? I've read in some places that it may take hours for this process to take place but none of them mentioned that the screen was black while it was doing it.

4) How do the overclocked settings work? Do I need to load up ATI tool everytime for my card to be set at these settings? When I overclocked my old Nvidia the overclocked settings just took effect everytime I turned my computer on (I've also read you don't want to do this using a laptop). Do I choose my profile from the drop down menu and hit "load" for them to go into effect? If so, I have to keep ATI tool minimized and not close it right?

Black screen always = bad right?

Sorry for all the stupid questions but I couldn't find anything resembling a walkthrough or anything like that on the net telling a noob or first time user how to use ATI tool. I'm assuming I just save this profile and choose it when I want to play a game and then hit "load."

 

i believe the black screen is the auto shutoff feature (VPU)
when it goes black which is when i uberclock and go too high i just restart
with atitool you need to load up the profile everytime you want to use it

 

1) Comp crashed possibly from what kidA said above. Also, make sure you do not test max overclocks on a battery, typically there is some kind of power managment scheme that will make the card go crazy. You can also just turn it off, on my computer it is called powerplay.
2) I wouldn't recommend leaving the black screen on for too long. My comp only does that if I overclock to high, everyonce it a while it will fix it self, but usually I just restart it right away. If you are having black screens occur often, turn down your clocks a bit.
3) Can't answer this one, I am using Ray Adam's ATI Tray Tools, different program which does this same thing. I can say that my screen does not go black when I am autodetecting the max clocks.
4) See kidA response. I would reccomend checking out Ray Adam's ATI Tray Tools. It allows you to create different profiles that will load automatically with the execuations of any program. You can also have you clocks load with window at default setting to reduce heat and/or save battery life. Then you can set it so that whenever a 3D application is launched, the card will automatically overclock to your settings for you. I absolutely love this feature of the program. I create unique profiles for evey different game I play whether it is changing the Direct3D setting or simply the clock speeds. I would reccommned overclocking only when you need to though, as the extra burden on the video card is typically not neccesary.

Let us know if you have any more questions. Hope this response helps !

 

Thanks it did help.

Are you speaking of the same ATI tray tools that came with the Omega's? There was a prompt while installing to disable overclocking using tray tools if on an IGP or laptop. I chose "yes" disabling it in tray tools since I was going to use ATI tool anyway. I could always try reinstalling the omegas and using tray tool instead.

Its weird. I had my clocks stable at 486/486 yesterday w/ no artificats or anything (and like I said some other guy on the board has his set at 510/510) and now I am getting the black screen of death every time I try to load that profile now.

And like I said before. Sometimes it would crash if I went one mhz above the default setting.

Anyone know what is going on?

 

I have multiple overclocking profiles - low OC, medium OC, and high OC. Sometimes my computer will crash if I set the high one right away, so what I do to prevent that is load the low or medium one first, then load your high one.

Chaz

 

K thanks for the tip. I'll try that. I did set the 486/486 one after the laptop had been on for a number of hours and I was trying to start this one up right away today so I'll give it a while to warm up .

 

I think the OC program that comes with the drivers is ATI Tools, the icon for it looks like an A with a wrench on it. ATI Tray Tools look like a little 3D cube in your tray. Try what Chaz said too, warming up always helps. And remember that just because someone else got higher clocks on their card doesn't mean you can. On my X300, I have seen people with much higher clock than mine, however, they 3Dmark05 score is not much higher.

 

I'm using ATI Tool and not Tray Tools. Thanks for the clarification but I was on top of that one .

I also didn't expect to get 510/510, whatever Mastha got or anyone else but I didn't expect to be well below everyone else's values (and I'm not so far).

"Warming up" definitly worked. I also made a "halfway" overclock as Chaz suggested. I can use both as we speak so thats cool. I'm just not familiar with ATI cards or laptop cards.

 

I here you, I was in the same spot not too long ago, a lot of great information on overclocking can be found in these forums. Glad things are working out for you!