Overclocking/Underclocking Video Cards

[ahowell2k]

On the topic of overclocking the 6800 GT, anyone out there ever heard of support staff actually being able to test a card to see if its core clock has been changed by software (coolbits registry hack)?

Without identifying myself I said I had underclocked my BFG 6800 GT after having heating issues. Not only does the supposed 'supervisor' ("I'm the highest person you can talk to in this company.") say that it's possible it was damaged by underclocking it to the nVidia reference design clock frequency (350/1000) from the BFG overclocked default of 370/1000 but he also says that if it's sent in they'll detect that the core speed has been changed and simply send it back.

All of my technical experience says he's Full of S... on both counts, but I figured I'd ask around and see what everyone else says. I'll close with another great quote from this 'supervisor.' "Basically you have a $400 dollar paper weight." BFG's professionalism knows no bounds.

 

[Matthias99]

While it *is* theoretically possible to build chips/cards that could detect if their clockspeeds have been modified/have had a new BIOS loaded (since they are the ones providing the mechanism for changing the clocks or loading the BIOS), AFAIK no video cards or CPUs have had anything like this built in.

It wouldn't surprise me to see this in the future, though, if companies intend to be serious about enforcing their warranty/RMA procedures. I certainly would try to add this functionality if I was building a GPU/graphics card.

 

[thermalpaste]

very unlikely that the support team can detect the clock speeds unless they have added additional circuitry on the gpu board that keeps the tab of the clock speeds.

 

[Fun Guy]

Curious - did the underclocking help your heat issues?

 

[MetalStorm]

I think the only way they would be able to tell if you've overclocked the card would be if the overclock caused some visable damange for example burn marks or something like that, of course that'll most likly be due to overvolting and insufficient cooling rather than the overclock it's self.

 

[Tiamat]

perhaps that BFG guy misunderstood you, but then again upon reading your post, maybe not? That seems wierd to me. Underclocking electronic components should not hurt them. I cannot think of any way that damage could occur. Well, actually, perhaps only 1 possibility i can think of is that if you also lowered the voltage going to the video card.

Perhaps, it was a heat issue of the card, or perhaps your psu is the culprit?

 

[BEL6772]

While I can't be sure of this (I don't work for BFG or Nvidia), I would speculate that the only way they can detect a clock setting change is if you leave the clock changed when you send it in.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: ahowell2k
Without identifying myself I said I had underclocked my BFG 6800 GT after having heating issues. Not only does the supposed 'supervisor' ("I'm the highest person you can talk to in this company.") say that it's possible it was damaged by underclocking it to the nVidia reference design clock frequency (350/1000) from the BFG overclocked default of 370/1000 but he also says that if it's sent in they'll detect that the core speed has been changed and simply send it back.

"This guy's having problems with his video card. Let's try to think of an excuse to void his warranty so we don't have to eat the cost."

Underclocking in the manner you described will NOT damage the video card at all.

 

[cirthix]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: ahowell2k
Without identifying myself I said I had underclocked my BFG 6800 GT after having heating issues. Not only does the supposed 'supervisor' ("I'm the highest person you can talk to in this company.") say that it's possible it was damaged by underclocking it to the nVidia reference design clock frequency (350/1000) from the BFG overclocked default of 370/1000 but he also says that if it's sent in they'll detect that the core speed has been changed and simply send it back.

"This guy's having problems with his video card. Let's try to think of an excuse to void his warranty so we don't have to eat the cost."

Underclocking in the manner you described will NOT damage the video card at all.

what he said