GTX 560 Overclocking Potential

When you read individual reviews, it's hard to get a sense of how well a GPU is going to overclock when you get your hands on it. I just looked at the GTX 560 reviews, and thought it would be a good idea to put all the overclocks on one page, to help paint a clearer picture for everyone.

Tell me about other reviewing sites and their overclocks and I'll include them. Thanks.

Worst Core OC - 913 (11%)
Worst Memory OC - 1027 (2.7%)

Best Core OC - 1044 (27%)
Best Memory OC - 1252 (25%)

Average Overclock - 971 / 1176 (18%, 17.6%)

TechPowerUP

Reference - 943 / 1240
ASUS - 930 / 1180
Zotac - 913 / 1215
Palit - 943 / 1240

Tom's Hardware

Gigabyte - 1000 / 1145

Guru3D

Reference - 980 / 1225
Gigabyte - 1044 / 1237
Gigabyte SLI - 924 / 1200

Overclocker'sClub

MSI - 1027 / 1117

PureOC

Reference - 980 / 1115

NinjaLane

Reference - 970 / 1027

HardwareHeaven

Palit - 925 / 1237

TechSpot

Gigabyte - 1011 / 1252

NeoSeeker

Reference - 1040 / 1087

LanOC

Reference - 942 / ????

Hi Tech Legion

Reference - 985 / ????

LegitReviews

Reference - 960 / 1175

bit-tech

Reference - 955 / 1125

Techspot got their Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 Ti up to 1010/1250MHz. impressive.

amazing indeed. only thing I don't like about the Gigabyte's is the cooling design. I want my card to have a rear exhaust so it doesn't spread the heat around the case.

The overclocking potential seems great on this card. With the right tweaking and volt mods I wouldn't be surprised to see 1100 core 2200shader and 1250 memory. The only problem I have with the card is that it's about $30 overpriced. I'd like to see a review of the GTX 560 overclocked vs the 6950 1gb and 2gb and a 6970 overclocked. Be interesting to see how far it boosts with overclocking.

Unless nvidia wises up and drops the price the ability for great OC'ing might be its only saving grace.

Higher voltages on water would show some killer clock speeds.

Has this already been covered somewhere??? Having gone the 1155 route, I am considering picking me up a Mobo with atleast 3 pci express 2.0 x16 slots. I'd like to try the GTX 560 ti SLI route with a 3rd card used for physx. I have an old GTX 260 laying around. Should work, right?

Does that third PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot (if it can be used for the physx) matter if it's at x4, or x8? I've been searching for articles on this but haven't found any yet.

officermartinez said:

Has this already been covered somewhere??? Having gone the 1155 route, I am considering picking me up a Mobo with atleast 3 pci express 2.0 x16 slots. I'd like to try the GTX 560 ti SLI route with a 3rd card used for physx. I have an old GTX 260 laying around. Should work, right?

Does that third PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot (if it can be used for the physx) matter if it's at x4, or x8? I've been searching for articles on this but haven't found any yet.

Click to expand...

x8 won't make any difference. x4 for the PhysX may be a slight bottleneck, but nothing noticeable.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/08/25/gtx_480_sli_pcie_bandwidth_perf_x16x16_vs_x4x4/

Keep in mind this is 4MP compared to 2MP in your setup.

XacTactX said:

x8 won't make any difference. x4 for the PhysX may be a slight bottleneck, but nothing noticeable.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/08/25/gtx_480_sli_pcie_bandwidth_perf_x16x16_vs_x4x4/

Keep in mind this is 4MP compared to 2MP in your setup.

Click to expand...

So, as it stands right now, there's only a handful of boards that will fit my needs:

Gigabyte UD7 (x16, x16, x8, x8)
Asus WS Revolution (x16, x16 or x8, x8, x8) -?
ECS P67H2-A Hydra (x16, x8, x8)

Aside from the Asus Maximus IV Extreme, EVGA Classified, MSI Big Bang or MSI GD80 or any Extended ATX board, all the other 3+ PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot boards will run @ x4 I believe. I'd like to stick to the x8 and above boards.

I just hope my Enermax Galaxy 1000w PSU will handle the 1155 (overclocked past 4ghz I'm sure) + (2) GTX 560 ti cards in SLI + a GTX 260 for physics. I used this PSU at one point, powering my water cooled 8800 GTX's in SLI with a Vapochill LS unit chillin my 4ghz QX6700. I know it's getting closer to the end of its life as far as powering high power setups.

***** Update *****

I just took my side panel off and browsed over my Enermax Galaxy 1K psu. It seems that if I am going to be using (2) GTX 560's in SLI and (1) GTX 260 for physX, I will need a total of (6) 6-pin power connectors. My Galaxy only has (4) 6-pin connectors and (2) 8-pin connectors ..(OHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOO). I am hoping someone makes a 8-pin female to 6-pin male adapter!

nevermind

The problem with the 560 when o/c'd, esp above 1000 on the core, is that the power requirements skyrocket. At load, they exceed the GTX 570 at load by about 30-50 watts for about the same performance.

aka peeps with 750w/850w PS would actually do better with trying to SLI the 570 than an extreme o/c'd 560. Something to keep in mind if you don't own a 1K PS and plan on pushing them in SLI.

Sorry don't have the link but it was at one of the sites reviewing the 1000 core Gigabyte version in SLI.

toddw said:

The problem with the 560 when o/c'd, esp above 1000 on the core, is that the power requirements skyrocket. At load, they exceed the GTX 570 at load by about 30-50 watts for about the same performance.

aka peeps with 750w/850w PS would actually do better with trying to SLI the 570 than an extreme o/c'd 560. Something to keep in mind if you don't own a 1K PS and plan on pushing them in SLI.

Sorry don't have the link but it was at one of the sites reviewing the 1000 core Gigabyte version in SLI.

Click to expand...

It's alright, as some people have already concluded about [H]'s entire population using means I have yet to understand, "no one" around here "cares" about power consumption.

Sarcasm aside, there is one thing that becomes significantly harder to manage when TDP goes up. Cooling. 170 watts in stock form is no joke. The point can be argued that with good reference and 3rd party coolers, who would want to? But for those of us who like aftermarket cooling, it needlessly restricts your choices to the big boys. But hey, why spend less when you can spend more!!! Right? Right!?!?!?

You've got a good point. I feel I am just on the cusp of having "good enough" hardware to support this build. I couldn't imagine doing it with anything less. I've got an Antec Nine Hundred Two case. I think there are a couple better cases out there that would help (2) GTX 560's / 570's / 580's, but I should still be OK. If you are buying two (2) GTX 560 ti's, I would imagine that you plan to atleast play around with them, seeing what they will do while overclocked. Add a 3rd card to the mix for physX, overclock the crud out of your processor and if you've got any kind of raid array, I would say PSU aside, heat is going to be a huge concern. I haven't read about the thermals being = to or more than a 570, but I believe its possible!

officermartinez said:

You've got a good point. I feel I am just on the cusp of having "good enough" hardware to support this build. I couldn't imagine doing it with anything less. I've got an Antec Nine Hundred Two case. I think there are a couple better cases out there that would help (2) GTX 560's / 570's / 580's, but I should still be OK. If you are buying two (2) GTX 560 ti's, I would imagine that you plan to atleast play around with them, seeing what they will do while overclocked. Add a 3rd card to the mix for physX, overclock the crud out of your processor and if you've got any kind of raid array, I would say PSU aside, heat is going to be a huge concern. I haven't read about the thermals being = to or more than a 570, but I believe its possible!

Click to expand...

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-8-Pin-PCI-Exp...134?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c59e1764e

I love you too.

JK. Looking around on eBay might get you a better price. That's the first one I found.

Oh man, you rock! ..totally saved me! I saw everything from 4" to 20" lengths.. 8-pin (female) to 6-pin male. All I have to do is throw some cable sleeving on them and viola! SLI GTX 560's and physx GTX 260, here I come!