How should I mod/OC my 9600XT?

[bluehorizon]

I'm a newb at this I'd like to know how I can OC my 9600XT (settings in BIOS?) and what mods I can do (better cooler for chip, ramsinks for ram). Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Megatomic]

1. Overclock by using Radclocker. The install adds a tab to the Catalyst control panel from which you can overclock your XT. If you can use coolbits for NV you can use Radclocker for your ATI.

2. If you want to maximize your overclockability, upgrade the GPU cooler to an Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer and install some low profile BGA ramsinks on your memory chips. By doing this your card will overclock higher with lower temperatures.

 

[bluehorizon]

Thanks for the tips Quick questions; where can I download a copy of Radclocker, and do you know who sells the Arctic Cooling VGA silencer? I hear some coolers don't fit the 9600XTs?

 

[bluehorizon]

Oops, found Radclocker on google; it's cool but I have no idea what the settings mean! Still haven't found the cooler.

 

[SickBeast]

I wouldn't bother modding a 9600XT. That card is already running near the top-end of what that GPU is capable of. With ramsinks you may gain 10mhz on your memory clockspeed. Big deal. I would leave good enough alone. Unfortunately no matter how much you overclock the thing it will never touch a 9700PRO. If you really require a serious performance boost I would keep the HL2 voucher, sell the card, and invest in a 9800PRO. If you're lucky it'll cost you less than $30 for the swap.

 

[Megatomic]

I got the VGA Silencer from SVC.com but all the major etailers sell them. I've seen 'em at Newegg, Directon, etc...

And while I agree with Sickbeast, I have seen some people get some pretty incredible overclocks on 9600XTs. As with any o/c, it's a gamble. You may not have a card capable of big overclocks but then again you might... Only you can assess whether or not the risk is worth it.

 

[bluehorizon]

Thanks for the responses!