Bingo. Most benchmarks or "stress tools" like OCCT or Furmark don't completely load all the GPU's components. Programs like Furmark are just power viruses that do little more than test the capacity of your GPU heatsink. Both AMD and nvidia now include throttling measures in their drivers to even prevent these power virus programs from maxing out the cards. Therefore, playing a modern game is going to be your best test for stability.
In essence, yes. Before OCP (over-current protection) was heavily implemented into both hardware and software, power virus programs like these could cause the card to draw so much current as to kill components/circuitry in the card. Now it's near impossible to do so.
No, they won't, but that also eliminates their "effectiveness" (which is a ruse in itself). Case in point, don't use Furmark or similar programs.
Not really true. I believe that by design, GPU's are easier to exploit via a power virus, so their loads are multitudes higher than would be on a CPU. Furthermore, a video card's PCB is much smaller than that of a motherboard, so they make do with what space they have.
Some 7950 models have the bare minimum cooling on the VRM's. While it's more than adequate for stock settings, a power virus will exploit this deficiency and crash the card due to the high temps. Don't run Furmark or similar programs anymore as you will eventually damage your hardware.
Like I said, because the VRM's probably aren't that heavily cooled, and their heatsinks are separate from the main GPU heatsink. As long as you don't run power virus programs or pump crazy voltage through the GPU for an overclock, youll be fine. Install GPUTweak by ASUS and check your VRM temps in a game and in Furmark. You'll see the difference.
"Power virus" is a total misnomer, and is a made-up term invented to disguise poor engineering practices.
The 7950 card designs were left to the board partners, so each company has its own design that "follows" AMD's specifications. Because of this, there's a lot of variance in the designs and how robust some are. Some 7950's have really beefy cooling all around, some are hit and miss.
No, but I custom cooled mine. I also have a reference 7970, and the stock cooling solution is pretty beefy as well.
Like I said, check your VRM temps and then proceed with the oveclocking. It's always better to get more information :thumbsup:.
It actually goes higher, but that's the highest stable I can get through a quick OC on in Afterburner @ 1.3V (1.2V with droop). If I flash it to a better BIOS, I can hit 1400MHz+. My RAM actually only hits 1600MHz stable. I have to give it 1.7V (stock is 1.6V) to hit 1775MHz stably. However, my core is water cooled.
That's not how it works. GPU's and other microprocessors are designed with certain specifications, much like anything that is engineered. Power viruses and similar programs are designed not to provide functional work, but to simply suck as much current as possible. No company would waste time over-designing hardware so a few geeks can get excited knowing their GPU's can pull 400W and still function. That's a waste of resources on the company's part and as a consumer I certainly don't want to pay for it. It is therefore cheaper and easier to implement OCP (both hardware and software) to make sure the GPU is running as designed.
You either made a poor analogy or don't understand how bridges are made. Just like I said above, anything engineered is made to specifications. You'll notice many smaller bridges will have a "tonnage limit" sign with pictures of certain semi-trailer trucks on it. These bridges are constructed with the intent to handle local traffic, and larger trucks will find alternate, mainstream routes. Just the same, large highway bridges too are designed to specifications, only there's are designed to handle the highway full of vehicles.
Again, you're in the minority of people who actually care and furthermore would be willing to pay the sizeable overhead this would cost. Some AIB's do make more robust graphics cards with more power phases and beefier components, but they generally are much more expensive.
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