ATI Graphics Buyer's Guide Spring 2006, Part 1

Gainward Golden Sample BLISS 6800 GS PCX - Overclocking And Heat

You can forget about overclocking this card any further, as the Gainward Golden Sample has already been pushed close to its clock speed limit. While the default speed of a GeForce 6800 GS is specified at 435/1000 MHz (GPU/memory), Gainward guarantees the card will run at its increased clock speed of 485/1300 MHz. It would be unwise to risk the warranty just to squeeze out a few more MHz. For those that don't need the performance boost, the default clock speeds are just a click away, thanks to an option in the ExperTool.

The flat one-slot cooler keeps the chip's temperature under control. In 2D mode, the temperature lay at around 45°C, rising to 64°C under 3D load. These measurements were taken with the "Dynamic Speed" option selected in the ExperTool. Selecting the "Fixed Speed" option allows manual adjustments; in other words, the user can choose to run the fans at a slower speed, decreasing the noise level at the cost of an increase in heat.