Does anyone underclock their video card when not playing games?

[cyberknight]

Seeing how you can easily adjust your Video card speeds with ATI Tool, does anyone underclock their card when they're not gaming or doing anything graphically intense with it?

Will there be any benefits like lower case temps or longetivity of the card?

 

[Fern]

I don't know about the other's, but my answer is "no".

I even leave my stuff OC'd 24/7.

Haven't personally tested, but my understanding is that when your card is not gaming, or doing other graphically intense stuff, it isn't drawing as much power, or making as much heat. In other words, if your looking at 2D stuff on your desktop, the 3D chips in the vid card aren't really drawing power/making heat.

Anyway, this time of year, I'm not worried about case temps Rather I OC more to take advantage of the cold weather and resultant lower temps.

Fern

 

[cyberknight]

also, the changes I make on ATI Tool don't seem to stay. If I reboot or turn off my computer, ATI Tool brings my video card speeds back to stock. Is there a way to permanently change this so I don't needa do open ATI Tool to overclock again?

 

[Fern]

Well, I don't use ATI Tool. I imagines that there's something to check so the change sticks.

May wanna look at the Rage 3D Tweak. I use it to OC my gfx card, and the settings "stick".

Fern

 

[nitromullet]

Not sure how it is for ATi cards, but I know that nVidia cards decrease the core/mem timings when not in 3D accelerated mode by themselves. No need to do it yourself.