Confused About Overclocking GTX690

[Furnace Inferno]

Could somebody explain to me how overclocking works on a card which boosts up and down based on temperature/power.

So take a game where both GPU's are at 100% utilisation and the hottest GPU tops out at 79C. At this point it is already being downclocked, so how would overclocking be of any benefit since surely it just creates more heat and therefore it would be downclocking the card further negating the overclock?

Obviously I'm missing something because many people overclock the 600 series cards. I'm just confused as to how it all works as I don't know whether or not to OC for the few games like Crysis 3 to maintain 60fps or if it won't make a difference?

Secondly if not overclocking should I at least be raising the power target to maintain the base clocks, since power isn't an issue?

 

[Vicey]

People use a program like Precision X by EVGA to increase the thermal limits so that instead of it throttling at say 80c it throttles at 85c or 90c

Or they slap a waterblock on there to keep the temps lower so they can overclock higher.

 

[Furnace Inferno]

People use a program like Precision X by EVGA to increase the thermal limits so that instead of it throttling at say 80c it throttles at 85c or 90c

Or they slap a waterblock on there to keep the temps lower so they can overclock higher.

I thought that was a new feature of GPU Boost 2.0 on the 700 series and Titan? On the 690 the only thing you can change is the maximum power draw.

 

[vorticalbox]

I thought that was a new feature of GPU Boost 2.0 on the 700 series and Titan? On the 690 the only thing you can change is the maximum power draw.

basically it increases the clock and voltage (upto a safe limit) of the card and keeps going till the temp you have set is met then it stops. It aims to keep it at set temp by lowering clocks/voltage and/or increasing fan speed.

 

[Furnace Inferno]

I definitely can't find the option in MSI Afterburner. However I did try a custom fan profile to keep the card below 70C and the fan noise really cranks up.

Sounds like the original Xbox 360, just way too loud, so I will just leave it at stock since it's only really Crysis 3 which drops below 60fps and I haven't played it since I completed it.