?'s about vidcard overclocking

2

200mg

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
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I'm looking at specs on newegg on some different cards. I notice that many of the cards have a flat version, then some KO, and ultra, or XXX version. The only real difference I can see is the clock speeds. All the hardware seems to be exactly the same just clocked higher on the processor and memory bandwidth.

Do they use the same exact processors in say... the 8800GTX that has a 575mhz core and the 612mhz core, and just clock it higher for the latter? If they are using the same chips, these gains can be achieved through riva tuner without volt mods. Is the cooling modified or something?

I'm just trying to understand. I am currently running an s939 solution with 2 7600gt's @610/800 and I can tell a difference on the overclock, about to upgrade to an abit ip35 pro and will be moving to a single card solution so I'm in the market for a high end card, and I don't wanna shell out the cash for speeds I can achieve on my own.
 
They usually speed bin the better cores for the overclocked versions. That doesn't mean you won't be lucky and get a decent overclock from a default speed card.
 
You've got it right, more or less. EVGA's ACS3 series cards use a modified cooler, but most companies are just clocking cards higher and selling them at a premium, and you can in fact do the exact same thing yourself. Sometimes it's possible to get a factory OC'd card for less, so you're better off with it then, of course. In /theory/ the companies are 'binning' the higher clocked cards to run cooler at the higher clocks. In reality, some run ridiculous hot (like 80C idle) from the factory, which I personally take as proof they're not worrying about 'binning' so much... or at all.

With that in mind... EVGA, XFX, OCZ, and BFG all allow OCing via software under warranty, so if you can get the lower clocked card for less, go that route.

Now, that's not the whole story. If you can get one for slightly more than a GTX, go with an Ultra. Reason? The Ultras use the revised A3 core, where as GTXs use A2 cores. The A2 core runs hotter, pulls slightly more power, and doesn't OC as well for these reasons. The A3 cores are cooler running and demand less power so they can normally hit higher clocks. If you're going with a single card solution (as you apparently are) and want to OC big, the extra $50 or so for an Ultra over the GTX is probably worthwhile.
 
Thank you for the replies.

Can you please expound on what you mean by "binning".
Throwing them in a bin to use later??
 
They are tested, "benched" those that pass for the higher overclocks are placed in a bin.
Those that don't are binned at the speed they pass at or for default.

Not all are binned is why people are about to match or surpass some of the "factory" overclocked cards with a stock card.

As silent-ciruit pointed out, many of the overclocked cards run hot and people end up having to lower the clocks to nearer stock speeds.
They use the reference cooler on the overclocked cards, which run on the hot side anyway.
 
Binning pretty much comes down to test-OCing.

They run the card at a certain speed, record the temps that it runs at idle and under load, and if it runs too hot they reject it and re-test at a lower speed. Cards that run cool and fast go in one 'bin' cards that run mid speed at reasonable temps go in another, etc. Cards running at stock speeds may be sold that way because they won't run cool at higher speeds, or they may not have been tested at all.

In theory this means you're getting higher quality silicon by buying a factory OC'd card. In reality, as I said, there doesn't seem to be nearly as much quality control as one would expect, and people with initially stock clocked cards don't appear to be at any great disadvantage (as a general rule) when OCing. There will always be the occasional 'bad' card that just doesn't run happily above stock speeds, but they're rare.

OCZ claims all their 8800 GTXs are "binned to perfection" and mine will do 675Mhz very happily on water, voltage rather than temperature-limited, so take that for what you will.
 
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