What are the limits of overclocking (GPU)?

What is the limit to overclocking a GPU? I'm getting the Nvidia 8600m gt in an inspiron notebook, and I'm wondering if it's possible to overclock the GPU to exceed the speed of a standard DDR3 8600 gt (inspiron has DDR2 )

Question 2 is more general... how far can a GPU be overclocked? Why can't I overclock my GPU to 300% of it's speed? What if heat was NOT a factor?

 

From what I've seen, it's not uncommon for inspiron 1520 owners to be able to overclock their GPU to the point where it will beat a standard DDR3-8600GT.

 

well... there are obvious limitation in over clocking.

1. how much the hardware can handle regardless of the heat it generates
2. how far a laptop can go with the excess heat its generating

it is like any other thing with hardware (CPU etc,)... there are no specific limits for each GPU model. you just have figure out the best setting for you depending on the circumstances.

 

Voltage intake is another factor. And I have overclocked my 8600M GT to around 4500 3DMark06.

 

To be more general and addressing both questions:
1) The limit is when you burn it, it becomes useless. (I know, stupid answer but it is the true limit).

2) Now, if heat is not a factor, then
2-a) the next bottleneck would be the communication speed with the other equipment (RAM, CPU).
2-b) there is also the physical factor: both GPU's core and memory have a physical size, and even with perfect heat dissipation there is a speed limit to which the GPU will not be able to overcome.

 

If and when you overclock your gpu, i doubt it will be the heat that will be the problem. Often times when you set the clock or memory frequencies to high, you will begin to see artifacts and will degrade your overall picture quality, and in some cases your computer will simply crash. I would recomend using ati tools which has a test for artifacts, then slowly increase the clocks by about 5-10 mhz until you find something that works, but i wouldn't push it to far. Also check and see what other people who use your note book have there clocks set at, it might save you a lot of time trying to figure it out on your own.

 

yeah a good way to test it is to play a high def video (1080p) and if it runs choppy and has weird stuff in it, close it immediately and lower the clock/memory speed.

I have an 8600M GS DDR2 and I've gone to 700/500. HUGE perfomance increase!

 

I've actually been wondering how far the 8600M GS can go?

I NEVER thought it would have gone to 700 MHz core and 500 MHz memory.

Anyone think I can go for 750 MHz core???

 

How on earth did you achieve those speed??? I'm jealous, I start artifacting/locking up at only 650/430....

 

LOL iunno, 700 MHz runs absolutely great! and the temps are like, 70~80 when running cod4 at ALL MAX settings except resolution!

I SERIOuSLY wanna go up to 750 MHz!!!

Anyone think I should?

If I do, will my laptop turn into a pumpkin???

 

An7matt3r: Artifacting is typically the result of too much heat.

unknowntt: I thought the 8600m GS had stock speeds of 600MHz core and 700MHz Memory anyhow? The 8600m GT can run core from 475 to 600 usually, so I don't find it surprising that the GT can run at 700MHz

 

htwingnut....

...

I don't know if I mentioned it, but I use DDR2 memory, instead of GDDR3, which means that my memory speed won't go past 500 without crashing...

a lot of GPUs are underclocked by the manufacturer, so my stock was 500/400, and now i'm at 700/500, not bad, a 200 MHz increase for the core clock.

Anywho, anyone think I should go for 750 MHz core?

 

BTW, I'm using an 8600M GS, not a GT.

 

id say go for it^^
but thats just me

i was wodnering do overcloking viod the warrenty of what ever laptop you have in particular the alienware M9750

 

Yes, overclocking voids the warranty, but they'll NEVER know

 

unless it gets a fualt and has to returned

 

wha? what do you mean?

How could they ever find out that you overclocked it?

 

well if you overclock it and their becomes a fault in the system and you have to return surely the manufacturers would be able to tell if its been overcloked.

i have never overcloked anything so i dot really know anything about it, if they cant tell if its been overclocked whats the point in saying that it voids the warrenty if they cant tell if its been overclocked.

 

well iunno, I dont' think they'd ever be able to tell...but I'm sure others will correct me.

And it voids the warranty under a TECHNICALITY saying that the clock speeds went over what they originally had it at, therefore causing more heat etc etc. It's like if you drop your laptop and the hard drive screws up, for example. You can claim it under warranty as long as they don't know you dropped it. It's only a technicality.

 

i guess im not sure if i will overclock my laptop when i get it due to fear that i will break it as i have never overclocked anything before^^ better to be safe then sorry^^

 

lol, what have you got?

trust me I was in the same boat as you, I oced my 8600M GS core clock from 500 MHz to 700 MHz, and my memory from 400 to 500, and like I said, HUGE performance increase, my windows experience index went up to like 5.0 or sth, from 4.5.

Trust me it's worth it, and if you don't go insane (500 MHz to 1.2 GHz lmao) then not much will happen.

Just be sure to monitor your tempuratures and make sure you go up like 10 MHz at a time and test it to see if it crashes or not. Worst case, you go up a little to high and it crashes and clocks back down, then just restart. usually riva tuner gives you available clock speeds based on what your GPU is capable of handling.

do some more research and i'm sure you'll be overclocking like a pro

 

at the moment NOTHING, my computer contracted the Blue Plauge (blue screened EVERY TIME I TURNED IT ON) so i have nothing til i get my laptop^^ i would get a desktop but im going to uni and would rather have a laptop

but i may research it to see how i can overclock it (getting M7950 i hopeif the dont cancel it before april-may)

 

LOL yeah one of my notebooks did that, EVERYTIME I turned on it gave me a blue screen. EVERY TIME, i can ONLY get into the bios and I cannot do anything else. no recovery disks, no nothing.

sent it in to HP for repair/replacement. they're taking FOREVER.

well if you're thinking of getting something new, I'm no graphics pro, but I've heard that the 7950 GTX or w/e is the best one out there? better than the 8800M Ultra? I don't know I probably got the GTX mixed up, might be GTXSXXTDXXT or something stupid lol.

Either way, if you wanna spend money and NOT overclock, get a laptop with an 8800 GTS, dual 8700M GTs, or dual geforce go 7950 GTXDSSTXXTSSED (lol, w/e it's called) SLI.

It depends how much you wanna spend, if you wanna overclock, etc etc. I game sometimes and like I said, my 8600M GS does great overclocked!

 

I'm wondering if to overclock or not, what have you seen in the increase of FPS in the games you've played?

Thanks.

 

There's a limit on the memory of a GPU, it doesn't matter if the memory chip on the GPU is running at -100c there's just that limit of the chip where going above a certain frequency causes loss of stored memory, and instability to the point where the hardware will fail, freeze, BSOD etc.

 

unknown555525 exactly.

So far, I've gotten mine up to 715 MHz core and 500 MHz memory, and if I go anything higher than that, it freezes on me and NOTHING will respond, so I'm forced to shutdown manually. I don't wanna screw it up, so I'm leaving my core at 700 and memory at 500.

I wish I could go higher lol, but I'm satisfied I suppose!

 

hey guys,...... we all know overclocking is an easy way of gaining performance and its fun... but keep in mind that over clocking generates more heat and thats physics... even though most laptops keep up with the extra heat and lets you finish games, over a period of time extra heat reduce the life span of hardware... i guess a little overclocking wouldn't hurt much give that your laptop's cooling system handle heat well... but extreme overclocking will definitely hurt your hardware over a period of time.

 

I know physics (I'm majoring in it) and yes it will hurt the hardware, but as long as this laptop lasts me 2~3 years, I'm happy!