GPU voltage control

[MicroAlex]

Hey OC3D members

I do apologize in advance if my question is a bit incorrect or does not have a definite answer.

So I was wondering, how can I know if a GPU supports overvolting?
Is there some kind of a general rule for this? Is it only valid for high end cards?

There are a bunch of manufactures that make cards with nVidia and AMD chips on top.
Lets say we are looking at these:
AMD 7870
AMD 7870 LE
AMD 7950
nVidia 660
nVidia 660 TI
nVidia 670
...
Would it be down mainly to the manufacturer of the PCB and included components to allow/lock access to the manual voltage tweaking setting? If so, then how can we distinguish the ones which have that option from those that do not?
I do understand that you could go online and search the forums for a specific models and see if people had any luck changing the voltage on them, but I am hopping for an alternative option. With CPU's it is quite simple, pick lets say a K series processor and a motherboard with a compatible chipset for OC and you are good to go.

Way back I remember playing around with the Sapphire HD 4770 and it had that option for a small tweak if I started editing the BIOS, on the other hand the Gigabyte Windforce 6870 did not support such an option (at least at the time when I was messing with it).


I do hope my question is understandable in this case.

Thank you for your time.

 

[Cru]

welcome mate!
i really haven't heard of any "newer" GPU that can't be overclocked/overvolted
pick any of the gtx 600 series or AMD 7000 series and you should be fine
just get MSI afterburner (or similar programs) and you are good to go

if i'm wrong please correct me

 

[MicroAlex]

welcome mate!
i really haven't heard of any "newer" GPU that can't be overclocked/overvolted
pick any of the gtx 600 series or AMD 7000 series and you should be fine
just get MSI afterburner (or similar programs) and you are good to go

if i'm wrong please correct me

Thanks for the greetings and a fast reply

However, I do believe that the option of changing Core and Memory clock is available probably on 99.9% of cards, hell, I have even overclocked the one in my laptop.
But voltage control from what I have understood can be quite a luxury.
Then again I can be wrong, that is why I am here posting silly questions. :mellow:

Software wise I have used quite a few since I have got in to PC's like Asus GPU Tweak, MSI AB, RivaTuner, Trixx, EVGA Precision... mainly for finding a stable clock and after that I would edit and flash my own BIOS settings. With the 6870 I did not have the option of voltage control in any tools.

 

[jamesriley94]

Thanks for the greetings and a fast reply

However, I do believe that the option of changing Core and Memory clock is available probably on 99.9% of cards, hell, I have even overclocked the one in my laptop.
But voltage control from what I have understood can be quite a luxury.
Then again I can be wrong, that is why I am here posting silly questions. :mellow:

Software wise I have used quite a few since I have got in to PC's like Asus GPU Tweak, MSI AB, RivaTuner, Trixx, EVGA Precision... mainly for finding a stable clock and after that I would edit and flash my own BIOS settings. With the 6870 I did not have the option of voltage control in any tools.

Hi,

All cards can still be overclocked in afterburner.

The overvolting side of things has been locked down more recently, and isn't really available on nvidia cards.

Having said that, on pretty much all the newer cards, you can still reach very good clocks without the need to overvolt.

A 7850 for example will easily get to 1000mhz core without barely changing the voltages for example.

Buy whichever you have budget for, don't think about overvolting. You're better off going with AMD for more performance/pound, but if you want nvidia for benefits like CUDA and PhysX then they're still very good cards, just a little pricier than the AMD equivalents.

 

[NRG!]

nvidia = practically no overvolting (like 1/2 cards capable of it under specific circumstances)

amd = depends on the specific card

 

[SavageCupcake]

My mates xfx 7870 core edition is voltage locked but I think they are one of the only ones to do it on AMD cards. Nvidia are stricter on over volting from what I remember.

 

[equk]

nvidia = practically no overvolting (like 1/2 cards capable of it under specific circumstances)

amd = depends on the specific card

^^This

I have a XFX single slot HD5770 which doesn't support voltage control because of the board design.

I've also been reading about some of the 7xxx series with custom PCB designs not supporting voltage control. (XFX + MSI)
I think the reference amd cards support it tho

 

[iBeInspire]

On the AMD side, It's basically only XFX that locked down voltage changes on the higher end cards. Apart from that, most cards have the ability.
I'm not as educated on nV cards, but I've heard quite a few of their higher end cards don't have the ability
Hope I helped

 

[NRG!]

pretty sure there's msi and gigabyet designs with no voltage control too? (newer revisions of 7970s/7950s?)

 

[MicroAlex]

Thanks everyone for giving your input on this matter

Hi,

All cards can still be overclocked in afterburner.

The overvolting side of things has been locked down more recently, and isn't really available on nvidia cards.

Having said that, on pretty much all the newer cards, you can still reach very good clocks without the need to overvolt.

A 7850 for example will easily get to 1000mhz core without barely changing the voltages for example.

Buy whichever you have budget for, don't think about overvolting. You're better off going with AMD for more performance/pound, but if you want nvidia for benefits like CUDA and PhysX then they're still very good cards, just a little pricier than the AMD equivalents.

I agree that especially this year AMD cards are quite good for gaming while not being overpriced + the free games you get with the cards are good. Gonna build my GF a gaming rig this year, probably with an AMD card at its core.
On the other hand I think I will get myself an nVidia card just because I use quite a lot of Adobe and Autodesk products. I do hope that the extra price for CUDA, PhysX and other things will end up benefiting me.

Overvolting wise, I really would like to have that option just to push my clocks that bit higher when I will need the extra grunt.

nvidia = practically no overvolting (like 1/2 cards capable of it under specific circumstances)

amd = depends on the specific card

My mates xfx 7870 core edition is voltage locked but I think they are one of the only ones to do it on AMD cards. Nvidia are stricter on over volting from what I remember.

^^This

I have a XFX single slot HD5770 which doesn't support voltage control because of the board design.

I've also been reading about some of the 7xxx series with custom PCB designs not supporting voltage control. (XFX + MSI)
I think the reference amd cards support it tho

On the AMD side, It's basically only XFX that locked down voltage changes on the higher end cards. Apart from that, most cards have the ability.
I'm not as educated on nV cards, but I've heard quite a few of their higher end cards don't have the ability
Hope I helped

pretty sure there's msi and gigabyet designs with no voltage control too? (newer revisions of 7970s/7950s?)

Oh that is a shame for XFX, because I really like how the Ghost DD cooling solution looks from the side, minimalistic, subtle, yet stylish and adds a nice accent.

I do remember reading something about MSI letting you push voltage over the nVidia spec, but that resulted in nVidia saying that they will not service those chips or something like that.
Gigabyte 6870 wise, in my case I could not change the voltage, even if I would try and modify the BIOS it would brick the GPU, quite a shame. Then again I might have done something wrong.

So basically from what I understand there are no ways in telling what series/types of cards support that option, correct? But there is more chance that an AMD card will support it?
On the other hand generally the most likely cards to support voltage control would be the reference ones?
(I do wish I would have more opportunities to play around with hardware to experience it firsthand).


Why I am asking this? Well, if a card such as a Gigabyte Windforce has a massive cooling solution with 3 fans, why not use that headroom to push the product a bit farther if you are willing to put your time and effort? If you can not, just seems to me like it is all show and no go, overkill in other words.

Thanks again for attending to the topic. And sorry if I have made some mistakes in spelling or sentence structure, English is not my native language.