New graphics cards - do you do 'anything' to them in the first few months?

[CurseTheSky]

I don't know about everyone else, but every time I buy new system components, I'm always afraid of doing anything to them, at least for the first few months. Overclocking the memory / processor isn't that big a deal (there'd be no sense in buying such expensive hardware if I didn't plan on overclocking), but I usually don't touch the graphics card for at least 2-3 months.

After recently seeing my GPU temperatures hitting the low 70's (which isn't a huge deal - I know) while playing games, I started thinking about removing the heatsink and hitting it with some AS5. Being less than two months old, I'm not sure if I want to take the "What if I break it?" leap of faith quite yet. Don't get me wrong - I'm no idiot when it comes to hardware (I've been working with it for about eight years), but there's still something that holds me back. That famous forum post with the kid that cut off the extra connectors (PCI-E versus AGP) from the 7800GTX when they were brand new keeps floating through my head...

So, what about everyone else? Do you immediately start modifying your graphics card, or leave it "stock" for at least a few months first?

 

[Bill Kunert]

I recently bougt a BFG 7699GT OC and after I verified it was working correcly I replaced the stock fan with a Zalman VF700 and pencil voltmodded it for decent overclocks. Of course my card didn't cost half the national GNP.

 

[flexy]

that's tough. One one hand i love (and did) mod all my cards, meaning at least apply Arctic Silver on the GPU and reseat the HSF.
And/Or in time get a 3rd party HSF and replace the stock one.

But only if there's a reason to it. If i watch temps and my moderate usual overclocks and everything is fine/also noise level is acceptable......then there is no need to do.

I have to say i am kinda afraid of the thought getting a $600 card or something and then mod it..also in terms of RMA..but then i modded each card i had with the EXCEPTION of my current one. No problems whatsoever, One reason also i had a car4d first which turned out a dud (artifacts etc.)..so i RMAd.....got the new one..worked 100% ok...then you shy away of touching it whatsoerver and are glad it works

 

[imported_blacken]

Hell, I use my 8800 to eat on. When I'm real dirty, soap - water - and my 8800 to scrub.

Heh he, I'd be 'ify' with a 600 dollar videocard too. Ofcourse your voiding the warranty, if, and that makes it worse. Guess it just depends on how easy 600 bucks comes.
200 bucks, ok. I'm gonna do a volt mod on my 7900gs soon.

 

[enz660hp]

I used to not do anything when I was inexperienced. Usually graphics cards dont need any mods unless you are overclocking, or you cannot lower the ambient temps. Or it could be a faulty mount by the company who made it. There is no need. So yes, if I get bored, I start modding things

 

[40sTheme]

lol I OC my video cards as soon as I get them. Or at least as soon as I run 3DMark and get some temperature reads.

 

[TheRyuu]

You just learn to do it (maybe it comes with experience?)
Do it IN THE BEGINNING so you still have a warranty to fall back on if anything goes wrong.

And with evga, you have nothing to worry about. Lifetime warranty, they support OCing, etc....

Just go for it. I can understand with other things, but with a evga video card?
It's just stupid not to OC. The stock cooler is more then enough (it's actually a decent stock cooler).

Edit:
and your worried about stuff?
I had to re-do my whole watercooling setup when I put in my new 8800GTS. So stop worrying about the video card.

 

[aka1nas]

There is usually less headroom to OC'ing graphics card to begin with compared to CPU, so the gain from OC'ing doesn't usually offset the risk of breaking my new shiny until I start to feel like it's getting a bit slow for current games. I don't think I have ever gotten much more than a 10% OC with a graphics card, where I usually pick CPUs that I can get 30%-50% OCs on.

 

[40sTheme]

Never more than a 10% OC? Your case/GPU cooling (or both) must suck. Even on my former X600Pro (PoS) which had none but a heatsink (plastic), I gained a 10% OC at least with the core. The memory was even more.

 

[Phlargo]

I'm actually in this boat myself - my 7900GS (eVGA KO HDCP) is the loudest component in my system and have been on the fence about whether to upgrade to the Zalman HSF for $30. Sure it's quite at idle.. but as soon as explorer pulls the codec details from a video it's up in turbo-prop mode for 5 minutes. Most people might not notice it in their computers.. but when you've got a computer that idles less than at less than 30db, you really can hear a fan speeding up like that.

 

[n7]

I never modified any of my many previous video cards till i got my X1900 XT.

I had an X1800 XT previously, & i disliked the cooler noise.

So after running the X1900 XT for a few hours to ensure it worked fine, i ripped off the stock cooler & popped on the Accelero X2 cooler.

I won't hesitate to do the same kinda thing to any future cards that have loud stock coolers.

 

[CP5670]

I generally overclock my cards after a few days (I figure that if anything is wrong, it will become apparent in a day or two) and forget about them after that. I try two or three overclocked settings and settle on something quickly; I usually don't have the patience to keep testing my hardware repeatedly and find its limits. I haven't needed to change coolers since the stock ones I have used have generally been adequate for me, if not great.

There is usually less headroom to OC'ing graphics card to begin with compared to CPU, so the gain from OC'ing doesn't usually offset the risk of breaking my new shiny until I start to feel like it's getting a bit slow for current games. I don't think I have ever gotten much more than a 10% OC with a graphics card, where I usually pick CPUs that I can get 30%-50% OCs on.

Although this is true especially with the top end cards, even that 10% overclock often makes a more noticeable difference in games than the 50% or more you get on the CPU. I used to get 18% out of my old 6800GT core and found that it effectively allowed me to turn the resolution up one notch and get around the same performance.

 

[potato28]

First day I got my x1900gt, I ran test's to make sure it wasn't a dud. Then I installed the X2 and some AS, and did some OC tests. And you have an EVGA card, so you have the lifetime warrenty with the ability to change the cooler, overclock it till it burns out, or anything else that won't physically destroy the card.

 

[JBT]

Ussually the first day I get my card I will run it for a bit then I pull it back out install 3rd party heat sink and OC away.

 

[flexy]

i VERY WELL remember taking the shim off my 9800 Pro

WTF...you cut under the shim with a razor blade...and then it popped up with a loud noise....and this all happened approx 100/th of an inch close to really small resistors on the PCB

 

[flexy]

add: again my old 9800 Pro..one of those cards which was a Non-Pro..but could easily be flashed to a Pro. VERY in demand those days. Needed the right PCB, memory etc. I got it off ebay, the FIRST thing i did was flashing it to a Pro, literally

 

[BFG10K]

I never oveclork and I certainly never perform hardware modifications.

 

[Bobthelost]

I wait somewhere between a few days and a week, then off goes the stock cooling and on goes the overclock.

 

[Munky]

I wait a few days until the awe factor of a new $500 video card goes away, and then I get to overclocking and swapping coolers.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I actually underclock my X850Pro, keeps temps down. Otherwise they are at 70-75C. Bought an Arctic Cooler for it, been meaning to install it but I dread the possibility of f'ing up my card. Not to mention, the backside heatsink is so huge, I don't know if it will interfere with my RAM slots on the mobo.

 

[secretanchitman]

immediately test them in a game to see the "improved" performance i get compared to the old card i have, then proceed to overclock them as far as they can go. i would get a new cooler if it starts making noise, but all the video cards ive owned dont make much noise (including my 6600GT, which happens to be overclocked).