New to overclocking, can someone answer a few questions for me?

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Flopus

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Jan 12, 2013
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this is my computer: http://tinyurl.com/csumgor
I upgraded my computer's PSU to a coolermaster 525W and upgraded my GPU to a Zotac Geforce GTX 660.

Im trying to overclock my new GPU with MSI Afterburner but im a total noob at this, i also tried to look up "how to's" but didnt find any specific answers to my questions:
Is it bad to increase the GPU's fan speed to its max, 74%? because i wanna cool the graphics card as much as i can.
Which is more important and/or safer to overclock, core clock or memory clock?
How much more, on average, fps would i gain?
Also is there anything important i should know before i start overclocking? because i really dont wanna cause any problems to my new graphics card
thanks in advance :D
 
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Cons29

Splendid
Feb 10, 2010
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you'll need to know the max voltage of the components, whether it is ram, gpu, or cpu.

and note that it is easier to mess up the GPU when oc'ing, compared to cpu :)
so be very careful. be patient, dont just jump to the number that you want, test and retest
 
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envy14tpe

envy14tpe

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Mar 3, 2012
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First off, you need to increase in increments slowly and test your system. I use MSI Afterburner for my MSI 660ti.

I wouldn't touch the Core Voltage, but you can bump up your Power Limit. I increased mine to 114%.
Next you can increase your Core Clock by 10MHz. Then run MSI Kombuster or 3DMark11 for 10 minutes. (I prefer 3DMark11) If there aren't any problems such as freezing or graphic errors then your good. Next step is to increase the Core Clock by another 5Mhz. Run a stress test again. If it works continue until it fails then back up to the prior Core Clock. Write the value down and set your Core Clock back to +0. Now increase your Memory Clock, start with 1000MHz, run the stress test, if it passes increase another 50MHz (at +150MHz) and stress test again. Do so until you reach your upper limit. Then input your Core Clock value from before and your Memory Clock that is stable and run 3DMark11 again. If it passes then you should be good. If it doesn't then dial them back a little. Also, you want to try games out too. If your GPU fails in games then the settings are too high. Good luck.

In the end, I stopped at Core Clock: +30% Memory Clock: +225. I do wish I could get core clock higher but stability and healthy GPU is important.
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

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May 11, 2012
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This is a fairly good guide on how to overclock your graphics card. The hardware is old, but its still the same method and programs involved.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA_l5-HDel4

Its not bad per se to run your GPU fan fast, but it will be loud. I suggest setting up a fan profile so the speed changes depending on how hot its running.

I find that Furmark isnt a good way to test for stability, I have run overclocks that crash 3D Mark 11 and games instantly, without issue in Furmark. I only use it as a worst case scenario when it comes to temperatures. I use 3D Mark 11 to test for stability as it mimics a game and has the benefit of pumping out a score at the end.

I typically move in 25Mhz increments. Usually bump the core by 25Mhz twice, then the memory clock by 25Mhz, with a 3DMark 11 benchmark run between each bump in clock speed. Do that until it 3DMark 11 starts crashing or your getting artifacts (strange lines, colours, missing textures).
From there, you can increase the voltage to make it stable and continue, or back off the overclock to your last stable setting and just leave it at that.

A bump in the core clock leads to more performance than the memory clock. No idea what this is based on, but have heard that +1Mhz on the core is worth +4Mhz on the memory.

EDIT: Just max out your power limit slider, all that does is allow the card to draw more power before it starts to throttle its performance.
 
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