Do you prefer factory overclocked GPUs?

[Paganstomp]

Was benchmarking this the other day. Bought 3/2023 according to EVGA warranty registration. Released Nov 2019 after the GTX 1660 TI and was only getting a few frames more. Was $229.99 USD at that time. I don't think getting a new factory overclocked card makes much sense today unless it's cheaper. That's what usually happens when there is product improvements. I generally don't buy new cards when they first come on to market for that very reason. Today's market is certainly a mess.

 

[BigMack70]

I have always preferred MSRP graphics cards OR cards with binned silicon. I don't think anyone is selling binned silicon anymore, so just MSRP.

The days of needing to buy an OC model to avoid an inept cooler (like the old school blower designs) are long gone, and none of the OC models are binned, so no point buying them if you can find a base model.

 

[AVATARAT]

I have always preferred MSRP graphics cards OR cards with binned silicon. I don't think anyone is selling binned silicon anymore, so just MSRP.

The days of needing to buy an OC model to avoid an inept cooler (like the old school blower designs) are long gone, and none of the OC models are binned, so no point buying them if you can find a base model.

Nvidia plays with VRAM bandwidth, so cheaper models are a bit slower in some games.
AMD plays with power limit so cheaper models are slower because of power limit.

 

[forman313]

Overclocked? I have seen spread spectrum boosting frequencies more. What´s the average frequency boost for an "OC Edition" these days? 1-2% ?

 

[BigMack70]

Nvidia plays with VRAM bandwidth, so cheaper models are a bit slower in some games.

This is false, at least on their high end cards. I've owned MSRP models of their top gaming card since the GTX 780, and always had the full performance available, particularly when combined with a water block.

 

[AVATARAT]

This is false, at least on their high end cards. I've owned MSRP models of their top gaming card since the GTX 780, and always had the full performance available, particularly when combined with a water block.

My friend's 4080S gets full VRAM bandwidth (like my 4080S) after a BIOS flash from another card and, of course, a few FPS more in games. So sorry if you don't know that Nvidia has played its own customers
In MSI Afterburner the VRAM "overclock speed" was the same, but after flashing the result was "slightly" different

 

[anonuser57]

Back when an OC model was $20 extra it was a no brainer to buy one for the better cooler. Now that the OC models cost at least $100 more than base; no way would I go for an OC model. The performance itself from the OC models are generally achievable on base models through DIY over locking anyway.

 

[Grings]

There does seem to be actual Differences between cards now, rather than what the clock is set to, some just Bios limited, some actual Hardware.
On Nvidia cards now we are seeing that the power limit is locked to 100% on non oc models, where oc generally go higher

The same is happening with AMD cards, i saw a bit of fuss recently about XFX's 9070xt Mercury, where the non-oc model uses the same pcb as the quicksilver card, it only has 2 pci-e sockets instead of the 3 on the oc model, as well as a lower power limit

I recently bought a Gainward 5070ti non-oc and it can only do 100%(300w), where the oc model does 330w and some manufacturers are pushing this higher
It also came with a 2 pci-e to 12v2x6 adapter where the oc model comes with a 3 pci-e one (the pcb itself is physically identical at least)

 

[thestryker6]

Back before nvidia really clamped down on what AIBs could do there was more value in OC models than today. It was a lot more interesting when there would be GPU binning and voltage range enhancements.

Now I see the predominant advantage being the cooling solution and sometimes the board power delivery design.

 

[Guwapo77]

I use to buy only the reference models, but you have all kinds of noise problems. I've had coil whine and noisy fans and I simply can be bothered anymore. Now that I'm older and can afford better coolers, I go for the top of the line for any model I buy. Like the first poster, Power Color Red Devils have been my favorites as well. This time I bought a woefully overprice Asus Astral 5080 (can't seem to find good quality 5090 as I will NOT buy a reference model). Anywho, great coolers and better build quality is a must.

 

[obs]

I used to buy more premium models when you paid $50 extra for a good one but not anymore when it's $300-500 for them now I only care for MSRP editions.

 

[NSR]

It's usually the better cooler that attracts me but I've been quite impressed with the 9070 OC cards.

They're advertised for 2700MHz but push above 3000MHz with comfortable ease if a scene demands it. It almost feels like a huge undersell to only market them for 2700MHz. Been doing my own tests, overclocks very easily for 10% or higher uplift. I still primarily bought it for the cooler but this has been a pleasant surprise.

 

[AlienIsGOD]

I don't have a preference per se, I just like a good cooling solution and a price that's swallowable lol. I haven't gone wrong with the pulse series from sapphire tho

 

[hclarkjr]

i bought my first one little over a month ago and love it, went a little crazy and put together a rig for around $4000 with a sapphire 7900XTX nitro. wow, paired with a MSI MAG321CUP 32-inch 3840 x 2160 (UHD), VA, 4K Gaming Monitor 160Hz. very happy with it.

 

[TheDeeGee]

I pick the card with best performing cooler on it, and for the 4070 Ti that happened to be the PNY XLR8 model, which is what i bought.

Did buy the Non-OC model as even a slight OC can result in driver issues from what i've experiences in the past.

 

[HM_Actua1]

I prefer the OEM OC regardless of their coolers or TDP limites.
I'll waterblock it allowing the GPU to run wipe open.

 

[forman313]

Just because you use generic thermal paste doesn't mean they are good or recommended.

Having tried toothpaste, body lotion, mayonnaise, copper paste and various other household paste-like goo as an experiment for an article a while ago, I have to agree. Some of them had amazing performance.... until they didn´t.
Generic thermal paste tend to exhibit high thermal expansion and/or fillers that evaporates. Even some brand pastes have problems with batch to batch variance.

There are several budget friendly pastes in the top 10-20 charts, so using generic paste just doesn´t make sense. If saving money is the goal, thermal paste is the last point that list.
I would start with ignoring OC "mega cool name" cards that are flashy and RGB fans made by unknown manufacturer with a sticker saying Asus, MSI etc. Fans should be carefully chosen and matched to the heatsink based on flow restriction vs static pressure specs to ensure optimal performance and longevity. Lowest possible idle temp is another thing I would avoid as its much better for the solder ball joints and numerous MLCC´s on a PCB to maintain a steady temperature then cycling between 25 and 80 degrees all the time. Low Idle temp as a measure of performance is counter productive.

 

[wheresmycar]

I'm in the 'better cooling (and acoustics)' camp. 1-2% performance gains for 5-20% increase in cost, nah, i'll leave that to the guys who need graphs to enjoy a game.

Factory overclocks can definitely be appealing for a small price bump providing cooling/acoustics expectations are met but nowadays I’m also a little wary of OC-aroused increases in power draw (if excessively applied), especially with high-end cards pushing 300W+. A small bump won’t hurt but on a hot summers day, even 300W is enough to turn my room into a GPU powered sauna.

 

[Chrispy_]

With all the ongoing supply issues, graphics cards launching at inflated or misleading MSRPs, and vendors prioritizing the release of expensive, factory-overclocked custom models first, we’re curious—do you actually prefer more affordable GPUs at lower pricing, even if they don't come with a factory overclock?

So often the factory OC models are significantly more expensive without any change to the cooler at all. This, to me, simply a scam.

The factory OC is often as little as 2% and I've never - in almost 30 years of building PCs - encountered any unlocked product that couldn't be pushed at least 5%. Manufacturers set extremely conservative clocks with voltages that err on the side of stability rather than efficiency because they want to minimise returns. I would bet one of my limbs that 99 out of 100 bone-stock cards can achieve the same speeds as the equivalent factory OC given how lame and insignificant factory OCs tend to be these days.

I doubt it's been the case for at least a decade or more, but in the early days of factory OC'ed cards, they were hand-picked or binned cards. Gainward's "Golden Sample" naming is what factory OC used to mean - a regular model that had been selected from burn-in testing for its good silicon yield, then flashed with a different BIOS at a significant overclock.

 

[BarbaricSoul]

I have always gotten better results OC'ing my GPU myself. My current non-Super RTX 4080 FE for example has a OC on it of 216MHz core and 1219 MHz memory. The card boosts to just over 3GHz on the core while gaming, and I have had zero crashes with the OC. So if I decide to buy a OC model, it's for the cooler the card comes with, not the OC on the card.