Beyond3D Forum

Carl B · 26-Aug-2005, 06:58

I RivaTuned my 6800LE recently and was fortunate enough to get all pipes unlocked with no artifacts. Well, I'm running inside an Antec Aria and I've actually unplugged the cards fan; have a quiet slot cooler blowing on it instead and it's stayed strong under load in this condition. Well anyway, the PSU fan speed varies with power draw - and I just like a cooler environment anyway - so I set up the cards 2D profile to be a core speed of 150 MHz, a full 50% of it's stock. Clearly the goal being to achieve a cooler environment when not gaming, which is most of the time.

Is there any risk associated with this? I read somewhere that there might be, but the premise seems completely alien to me. As it stands now my desktop video output seems completely stable. Still, better safe than sorry...

Sxotty · 26-Aug-2005, 13:30

I do not know about that, but when I had a 800pro/PE card (it was flashed) then I tried underclocking the 2d for the same reason with some tuner I forget which. In any case it ended up giving me weird artifacts unless I ran it at default x800 PE speeds, weird eh?

Carl B · 26-Aug-2005, 16:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sxotty

I do not know about that, but when I had a 800pro/PE card (it was flashed) then I tried underclocking the 2d for the same reason with some tuner I forget which. In any case it ended up giving me weird artifacts unless I ran it at default x800 PE speeds, weird eh?

Yeah, that is weird. Oh well I guess my card doesn't seem[ to be suffering due to the underclock, so I'll just assume it's fine. Afterall all things being equal, cooler is better.

swaaye · 26-Aug-2005, 17:55

I don't think there's a risk of damage, just malfunction. My 9700 really doesn't like going below 200MHz on either core or RAM. It would freeze up or get some corruption.

Tokelil · 26-Aug-2005, 18:04

Yer same as above. (Radeon 9800P) If I go below 300 MHz on the RAM I sometimes get artifacts or lockups... Can't imagine it would damage anything though.

Sxotty · 26-Aug-2005, 20:19

Why is that though? It seems weird to me that it would happen. Perhaps something doesn't get changed right and it is in the process of writing to memory when it tries to read or something like that.

RejZoR · 29-Aug-2005, 12:03

Too high underclocking may give same results as too high overclocking (artifacts or pattern similar to one with failed pipelines opened). Especially on cards that can't properly control voltage on frequency changes (or they don't at all)...

Mendel · 29-Aug-2005, 12:40

I had a problem with the cooler of my 6800 GT recently so I tried underclocking it for a while before getting a new cooler (arctic cooler 5 rev2)

So anyways, the card was stable and cool when running the core at 125MHz. But if I tried to go below that, the card would not even render the desktop. Luckily the clocking tool was able to automatically change the clocks back to previous safe settings.

Guden Oden · 29-Aug-2005, 15:20

My old 9800Pro happily underclocked on the core to just below 100MHz and around 230mem I believe. My current NV6800 allows underclocking by using NV's own control panel just fine, but I've had nothing but hassle using it.

For starters, the core doesn't actually get any cooler by downclocking. It just runs at a lower performance level. Also, 3D detection in NV's drivers is completely fucked up, particulary for windowed apps, or when you switch between fullscreen and back to desktop, so suddenly you go from 420MHz core speed (in my case) down to 200 or whatever that is set as the 2D speed, even in 3D mode. Really makes hell of a difference FPS-wise, that's for sure!

*Edit: In other words, on the 6800 series, I am unconvinced that underclocking actually has any benefits on power consumption etc, and it may well introduce performance problems when enabled. Thus, it seems rather pointless I have to say.

swaaye · 29-Aug-2005, 16:36

I've always sort of wondered about the usefulness of downclocking if you can't undervolt as well. I just don't think there's going to be a tangible benefit without both.

Carl B · 29-Aug-2005, 17:00

Well, I've been underclocking my 6800 in 2D continuously since starting this thread, and at 150 MHz it's stable. It also provides me with a core temperature drop of ~15 C, so I know something along the lines I intended is taking place. I believe power consumption relative to frequency is a linear function (at a given voltage), so it should be using about 50% the power in 2D if true.

26-Aug-2005, 06:58	#1
Carl B Friends call me xbd Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,309	GPU underclocking: any risk? I RivaTuned my 6800LE recently and was fortunate enough to get all pipes unlocked with no artifacts. Well, I'm running inside an Antec Aria and I've actually unplugged the cards fan; have a quiet slot cooler blowing on it instead and it's stayed strong under load in this condition. Well anyway, the PSU fan speed varies with power draw - and I just like a cooler environment anyway - so I set up the cards 2D profile to be a core speed of 150 MHz, a full 50% of it's stock. Clearly the goal being to achieve a cooler environment when not gaming, which is most of the time. Is there any risk associated with this? I read somewhere that there might be, but the premise seems completely alien to me. As it stands now my desktop video output seems completely stable. Still, better safe than sorry... __________________ Somebody set up us the bomb.

26-Aug-2005, 13:30	#2
Sxotty Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Under a Crushing Burden Posts: 4,297	I do not know about that, but when I had a 800pro/PE card (it was flashed) then I tried underclocking the 2d for the same reason with some tuner I forget which. In any case it ended up giving me weird artifacts unless I ran it at default x800 PE speeds, weird eh? __________________ You bought horse armor didn't you?

26-Aug-2005, 20:19	#6
Sxotty Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Under a Crushing Burden Posts: 4,297	Why is that though? It seems weird to me that it would happen. Perhaps something doesn't get changed right and it is in the process of writing to memory when it tries to read or something like that. __________________ You bought horse armor didn't you?

29-Aug-2005, 12:03	#7
RejZoR Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Europe\Slovenia\Ljubljana Posts: 300	Too high underclocking may give same results as too high overclocking (artifacts or pattern similar to one with failed pipelines opened). Especially on cards that can't properly control voltage on frequency changes (or they don't at all)... __________________ Intel Core i7 920 \| 6 GB RAM \| ASUS Rampage II Gene \| Sapphire HD6870 Toxic \| WD Caviar Black 2TB \| Auzentech Forte \| Altec Lansing MX5021 2.1

29-Aug-2005, 15:20	#9
Guden Oden Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 6,201	My old 9800Pro happily underclocked on the core to just below 100MHz and around 230mem I believe. My current NV6800 allows underclocking by using NV's own control panel just fine, but I've had nothing but hassle using it. For starters, the core doesn't actually get any cooler by downclocking. It just runs at a lower performance level. Also, 3D detection in NV's drivers is completely fucked up, particulary for windowed apps, or when you switch between fullscreen and back to desktop, so suddenly you go from 420MHz core speed (in my case) down to 200 or whatever that is set as the 2D speed, even in 3D mode. Really makes hell of a difference FPS-wise, that's for sure! Edit: In other words, on the 6800 series, I am unconvinced that underclocking actually has any benefits on power consumption etc, and it may well introduce performance problems when enabled. Thus, it seems rather pointless I have to say. __________________ Top one reason why capital punishment is immoral and wrong: You can release an innocently convicted man from jail, but you cannot release an innocently convicted man from death*.

26-Aug-2005, 17:55	#4
swaaye Entirely Suboptimal Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: WI, USA Posts: 6,867	I don't think there's a risk of damage, just malfunction. My 9700 really doesn't like going below 200MHz on either core or RAM. It would freeze up or get some corruption.

26-Aug-2005, 18:04	#5
Tokelil Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 329	Yer same as above. (Radeon 9800P) If I go below 300 MHz on the RAM I sometimes get artifacts or lockups... Can't imagine it would damage anything though.

29-Aug-2005, 12:40	#8
Mendel Mr. Upgrade Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Finland Posts: 1,335	I had a problem with the cooler of my 6800 GT recently so I tried underclocking it for a while before getting a new cooler (arctic cooler 5 rev2) So anyways, the card was stable and cool when running the core at 125MHz. But if I tried to go below that, the card would not even render the desktop. Luckily the clocking tool was able to automatically change the clocks back to previous safe settings.

29-Aug-2005, 16:36	#10
swaaye Entirely Suboptimal Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: WI, USA Posts: 6,867	I've always sort of wondered about the usefulness of downclocking if you can't undervolt as well. I just don't think there's going to be a tangible benefit without both.

29-Aug-2005, 17:00	#11
Carl B Friends call me xbd Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,309	Well, I've been underclocking my 6800 in 2D continuously since starting this thread, and at 150 MHz it's stable. It also provides me with a core temperature drop of ~15 C, so I know something along the lines I intended is taking place. I believe power consumption relative to frequency is a linear function (at a given voltage), so it should be using about 50% the power in 2D if true. __________________ Somebody set up us the bomb. Last edited by Carl B; 29-Aug-2005 at 17:22.

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