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Any utility available to underclock video card?

I underclock my Sons PC Video Card. He is pretty hard on the computer and I want it to last as long as possible. With ATIs CCCenter I just moved the bar down for the GPU and Video Memory.

With my Nvidia Card (though I havent used it in a while) you do the same. After installing the Nvidia drivers, right click on the screen and bring up the Nvidia Control Panel. I believe you just move the bar to lower the specs below default values.
 
Do you mean underclock in that decrease the performance of it? Or undervolt so it uses less electricity but retains performance.
 
gamerguy2 said:
I underclock my Sons PC Video Card. He is pretty hard on the computer and I want it to last as long as possible. With ATIs CCCenter I just moved the bar down for the GPU and Video Memory.

With my Nvidia Card (though I havent used it in a while) you do the same. After installing the Nvidia drivers, right click on the screen and bring up the Nvidia Control Panel. I believe you just move the bar to lower the specs below default values.
Click to expand...

I don't follow you. The card is connected to an HP ZR24W monitor and is at its native resolution 1920 x 1200. you want me to lower the resolution?
 
zokudu said:
Do you mean underclock in that decrease the performance of it? Or undervolt so it uses less electricity but retains performance.
Click to expand...

I mainly use it for statistical programs, email, and web. I assume most of this is 2D. I would prefer to turn off any unused features. However, the Gigabyte CD did not come with any utility.
 
You do realize that in 2D the GTX 460 is throttled down to ridiculously low levels, right? As in any more and it would be shut off. Install MSI's Afterburner and take a look at the 2D clocks vs. 3D. That's why its so cool, quiet and power thrifty at idle. Its only using about 15W in 2D.
 
Narmer said:
toyota said:
if you don't need the gpu then sell it and buy a very low power card.
Click to expand...
Nope, not going to sell it. Besides, I will be adding a second monitor in the coming months.
Click to expand...
You also don't need a particularly powerful video card for dual monitor feature; a less expensive and less powerful video card can do that.

Extending it's life isn't very important, since the graphics card will be long obsolete by the time it dies. If it dies any earlier, the video card is defective.

If anything, you want to decrease voltage and frequency to lower power consumption. However, don't pretty much all modern graphics cards already have 2D/3D profiles?
 
Leyawiin said:
You do realize that in 2D the GTX 460 is throttled down to ridiculously low levels, right? As in any more and it would be shut off. Install MSI's Afterburner and take a look at the 2D clocks vs. 3D. That's why its so cool, quiet and power thrifty at idle. Its only using about 15W in 2D.
Click to expand...

I did not know that. Thank you.
 
Narmer said:
I don't follow you. The card is connected to an HP ZR24W monitor and is at its native resolution 1920 x 1200. you want me to lower the resolution?
Click to expand...

No. Just go into the menu from the screen when Windows is loaded
"Arrange icons, refresh, personalize, Nvidia control panel (or whatever it is called ION for the 400 series?)."
 
Last edited:
gamerguy2 said:
With my Nvidia Card (though I havent used it in a while) you do the same. After installing the Nvidia drivers, right click on the screen and bring up the Nvidia Control Panel. I believe you just move the bar to lower the specs below default values.
Click to expand...

It clearly has been quite a while, because the ability to change clock speeds hasn't been in the standard Nvidia video drivers for a long time. An optional tab was enabled by adding a registry key, such as CoolBits, but nowadays utilities such as MSI Afterburner seem to be the preferred method (or failing that, a low-level editor such as RivaTuner).
 
As others have said modern cards down clock themselves when in idle or 2d mode. You can check to see if your card is downclocking properly with Msi afterburner though.
 
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