Question from a noob

[Cryshal]

I wouldn't do it myself; I would have my tech brother do it. I think you do have an overclocking section here, but I would like specifics for my eVGA GeForce 6800GS 256MB AGP, not overclocked at the factory. We successfully opened the pipelines, and I have had no artifacts. I would also like to know the dangers, if any, of overclocking since I can't afford to buy another new card at this time.

I don't play FPS games, but I plan to play Oblivion. And I do play online RPGs too.

Thanks.

 

[JPB]

Well, overclocking anything will shorten the life of it..By how much noone knows.....Just go in 1mhz increments till you see artifacts, then back it off some....

 

[Cryshal]

Thanks.

I do wish overclockers would post their experiences with how much they think overclocking may have shortened the life of their cards. Of course, most of them probably get a new card frequently anyway.

I did a search and found some information from someone else's post, suggesting using Coolbits and a guide to overclocking. Guess I'd better check my warranty too.

 

[CKXP]

temperatures, overclocking your card will increase it's temperature, heat can help to shorten the lifespan of your card, keep your card cool and make sure your case is well ventilated.

 

[themusgrat]

I had a 9600 once, OCed, and for a while, it did great. But after a year or so, it started having artifacts. When I reverted to stock, though, everything was good. My last 2, a 6600GT and 6800GS, have taken OCing very well.

 

[Cryshal]

Ahh, so you can revert with no problems then?

 

[beserker15]

not always, apparently in his situation, ocing did degrade the card enough so that i can't hit it's regular oced speed anymore. however, as everyone said, cooling keeps the thing alive. my 9500 softmodded and overclocked has gone through 3 owners and really hasn't spent a day of its life at stock and it's still kicking on my friend's computer. it's around 4 years old.

 

[themusgrat]

Not always, as beserker15 said. But it is like CPU chips. I know of more that simply say NO to OCing after a while, but work at stock, than ones that completely fry for good. Cooling is the key.

 

[Cryshal]

Well, it really irks me that the PCIe has so much more MHz speed for the same card. I looked on the EVGA website and they are offering overclocked cards, AGP 425 MHz, so it does seem possible to go that far with no problem, assuming good cooling, of course.

 

[beserker15]

the 6800gs pci-e and agp are totally different cards...as in they have different cores. the agp one won't oc or run as fast but has the potential to unlock to 16 pipes, while the pci-e is stuck at 12 pipes but can oc hella.

 

[Cryshal]

Ok, thanks. I hope I can play Oblivion with all graphics on high. The MHz speed is mostly for FPS games isn't it? Where you need to be fast.

Oh, btw, EPGA overclocked the AGP to 425 from 350. If they can, I can can't I?

 

[HomeyFoos]

I think the difference is, eVGA has cherry-picked the cores on those that were oc'd. Essentially, they have been tested to run at those speeds as opposed to being tested at 350mhz like the card in question (all 6800 NV40 cores are made the same, but some are better than others due to many factors and can handle higher speeds - these go on to be sold as OC'd).

You should be able to OC to that but as others have said, it's not guaranteed and you will be creating heat. However, if you buy eVGA they should warranty any OC'ing you do unless it damages the physical board.



HomeyFoos

 

[TanisHalfElven]

i fail to see why you are OCing.
i think OCing is great if you want more bang for your buck but your already risking quite a lot simply by unlocking to pipes since they locked for a reason. also oblivion has retty low system requiremnets so i would not worry about it.

i recommend you OC only when yopu see that the game you have is not working well enough but take care (i don't think evga supports damage from OC in its warranty...or may be it does) cuz you can't buy another card (YOU SAID IT NOT ME) so if you blow it your stuck with NO GAMES AT ALL.

 

[HomeyFoos]

I'm fairly certain that eVGA will honor OCing in their warranty. That's what makes them the superior choice (that and the step-up program - something else the OP should be interested in if OC'ing does not give the performance desired).

As far as the choice to OC, I don't do it but I have a pretty high-end card. I had a 6600GT AGP/P4 system before the upgrade in my sig. I had that card oc'd and it still didn't come close to the performance I wanted (bf2). I sold it, the mobo, processor (with the rest of the pc - 2 gigs of memory, cdr, no-name psu, 120 gig hd and case for $450) and put it towards my current rig. The point is that to OC or not to OC is really up to the users desires. But if you can get performance for free (i.e. no extra voltage and not too much more heat with no artifacting) I say do it. And be smart enough to buy eVGA so if the worst happens, you aren't out a card.

Just some thoughts...



HomeyFoos

 

[lifeguard1999]

We just had to replace a non-overclocked Quadro 940 (similar to the Ti4600) after four years. Eventually, everything dies....

 

[ayabe]

Originally posted by: Cryshal
Ok, thanks. I hope I can play Oblivion with all graphics on high. The MHz speed is mostly for FPS games isn't it? Where you need to be fast.

Oh, btw, EPGA overclocked the AGP to 425 from 350. If they can, I can can't I?

I wouldn't bet on playing Oblivion at the highest settings, most of us will have to make some compromises even with the best hardware currently available.

But it's still going to look great at medium settings methinks. :beer: