The simple guide to overclocking your 680.

[D007]

The simple guide to overclocking your 680. "Revised"

1.
Download EVGA precision tool:
http://www.techpowerup.com/163927/EVGA-Precision-X-Updated-to-Version-3.0.2.html
Save your profile by right clicking the numbers in the profile section, then left clicking it.
Tell it to open on startup in settings and change anything else you like in there.

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2.
Increase your power target, anywhere from +10% to +32%.

When using this card at stock speeds or with minor overclocks, adjusting the power target will not make much of a difference:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_680/30.html
However it is REQUIRED to raise this limit, when overclocking the card heavily.

IMO: If you OC you should benchmark it, then raise your power target and benchmark it again.
See if it's better.

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3.
Raise your core 100 and your memory 300.
(I hit 130 core and 500 memory, on air cooling.)

Test in Unigine Heaven mark:
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/1799/mirrors.php

Then go from there.
I recommend increments of 20.

 

[EarthDog]

Just a note, I believe you are raising the limit on the card, not the voltage. Voltage is changed automatically by clock I thought, no?

My memory cant hit +400 either, though I may have a dud in the memory dept. Who knows.

But spot on guide. 1.2.3!

 

[D007]

Just a note, I believe you are raising the limit on the card, not the voltage. Voltage is changed automatically by clock I thought, no?

My memory cant hit +400 either, though I may have a dud in the memory dept. Who knows.

But spot on guide. 1.2.3!

Play with one at a time, if you are having trouble, finding your stable point. Start only with the core and find your stable point. Then move on to the memory. ^^
Watch the temps of course.
TY.

EDIT: There is no voltage adjustment, in EVGA precision tool in this manner.
It works differently. Just learned that. It's called "power target".

 

[EarthDog]

Preaching to the choir man.. I know how to overclock cards.

Again, its NOT voltage you are changing but the OCP/OVP. Core voltage is changed dyanmically with clock speed and not by that slider. Put it to 132% without touching the clockspeeds and see the voltage stay the same...

That said, I had it cranked to 32% and still couldnt hit +400 memory. BUT increasing that could allow some to hit that mark IF they are hitting OCP already.

 

[jaredpace]

Not voltage dude. You're increasing the board's Thermal Design Power specification, while vddc is capped at 1175mv.

 

[HammerON]

Preaching to the choir man.. I know how to overclock cards.

Yes you do

 

[EarthDog]

Not voltage dude. You're increasing the board's Thermal Design Power specification, while vddc is capped at 1175mv.

Thank you... was looking for TDP, not OCP/OVP. I have a 7870 HAWK to review and that is stuck in my head (what their bios switch does).

But yeah... that slider does NOT change voltages at all.

EDIT: In Precision X its called POWER TARGET, not voltage.

 

[D007]

Thank you... was looking for TDP, not OCP/OVP. I have a 7870 HAWK to review and that is stuck in my head (what their bios switch does).

But yeah... that slider does NOT change voltages at all.

EDIT: In Precision X its called POWER TARGET, not voltage.

Ok "power target".. lol..
Thanks though for the heads up. I just spaced the actual name..
Been up all night overclocking, got fuzzy in the brain.

 

[EarthDog]

Right (sort of, see below), but it DOES NOT change the voltage like you insisted on is my fact that remains.

The only way you will get more FPS by raising the power target is if the card is hitting the limit in the first place (which happens when overclocking HEAVILY) otherwise that change is negligible. I run my 680 at 1075 (not sure what it boosts too) and my power use is only 88% so Im below the TDP. In that case, raising the power target should matter much if at all.

EDIT: This is from the TPU 680 review of JUST changing the power threshold:

Adjusting the power limit up by its maximum yields 0.9% in real life performance.

So only while overclocking would raising that limit help anything. The OP doesnt say that, it says the opposite actually "single most effective way to raise FPS". It seems to give a couple % in 3D11 and Shogun, otherwise, negligible increases if any. So I cant agree with that statement personally.




Its great to help people out with something so simple as overclocking a 680, but the information you are relaying needs to be accurate.

 

[D007]

Right, but it DOES NOT change the voltage like you insisted on is my fact that remains.

Its great to help people out with something so simple as overclocking a 680, but the information you are relaying needs to be accurate.

Dude, it's changed, for the millionth time..

People keep saying this to me, Read the OP please.
The whole thread has been adjusted accordingly. We all make mistakes.
The 6 series just came out.. gimme a break..lol..

@ 100 core and 300 memory. Leave your power target alone.. Then test "in 3dm11".
Then with the same settings, max your power target.. Your fps will go up significantly..

I just don't want people, to shy away, from power target, because it's necessary to use it. Maybe I said it badly, but that was the best way, I knew how to say it. Use the power target.
It may only effect 3dmark scores and may have no effect, on any games. I don't know. But it definitely affects 3dm scores significantly.

 

[EarthDog]

My bad... didnt see it was changed. I read the last post, not to mention you edited it in and didnt say it was changed. I dont mind read on thursdays and the thread goes to the end, not the beginning when I click on it.

 

[D007]

My bad... didnt see it was changed. I read the last post, not to mention you edited it in and didnt say it was changed.

Lol all is well. But I tested this myself, last night, for hours. Max your clocks, at your highest stable speeds, with no power target increase. Then max the power target and test again. Your fps will go up, quite a bit. It did for me. I benchmarked it like 12 times. 6 with no power target increase, 6 with.

PS: Lol I ninja edit so good, that the OP was changed, before your post..

 

[NinkobEi]

Fixed. Lay off the coma's, dude!

Download EVGA precision tool:
http://www.techpowerup.com/163927/EVGA-Precision-X-Updated-to-Version-3.0.2.html
"Save your profile by right clicking the numbers in the profile section then left clicking it."

Increase your power target anywhere from +10%, to +32%.

The more power target you put into it the more fps you get.
I comfortably run at max power target 132% and it gave me a boost of about 300 points, in 3d mark 11.
I tested power target by itself to see if raising it while raising nothing else resulted in more fps. Yes it does..
Tested for hours. It may be the single most effective way to raise your fps.

Raise your core 100 and your memory 300.
(I hit 130 core and 500 memory, on air cooling.)

Test in Unigine Heaven mark:
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/1799/mirrors.php

Then go from there.
I recommend increments of 50 at first if you want to go for big numbers.
20 if not so much.
If you fail I usually say back off 20 points.

I ran my tests with max all settings available + vsync.
Run a few loops minimum before even beginning to assume you are stable.
Enjoy.

 

[D007]

Fixed. Lay off the coma's, dude!

Last time I checked, it was common, to place a comma, after about every third word.. Do we need grammar Nazis in here now?
You could learn, to use commas yourself. Your sentences are like a runon, no breaths.. You do breathe right? lol..

 

[EarthDog]

Lol all is well. But I tested this myself, last night, for hours. Max your clocks, at your highest stable speeds, with no power target increase. Then max the power target and test again. Your fps will go up, quite a bit. It did for me. I benchmarked it like 12 times. 6 with no power target increase, 6 with.

PS: Lol I ninja edit so good, that the OP was changed, before your post..

Your OP says you ONLY touched the Power Target. (YHPM on this though).

"I tested power target, by it's self, to see if raising it , while raising nothing else, resulted in more fps. Yes it does.."

Fixed. Lay off the coma's, dude!

There are two "m's" in comma.

Last time I checked, it was common, to place a comma, after about every third word.. Do we need grammar Nazis in here now?
You could learn, to use commas yourself. Your sentences are like a runon, no breaths.. You do breathe right? lol..

Comma's are not used for breaths in sentences. In fact they specifically tell you NOT to do that.

MYTH: You should add a comma wherever you pause. Where you pause or breathe in a sentence does not reliably indicate where a comma belongs. Different readers pause or breathe in different places.

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/citation/commas


Man does this thread need cleaned up now.




EDIT:

@ 100 core and 300 memory. Leave your power target alone.. Then test.
Then with the same settings, max your power target.. Your fps will go up significantly.. That's all I'm trying to say..
I just don't want people, to shy away, from power target, because it's necessary to use it. Maybe I said it badly, but that was the best way, I knew how to say it. Use the power target.

Your edits are getting annoying...

A better way to say it is: When using this card at stock speeds or with minor overclocks, adjusting the power target will not make much of a difference (link to TPU article that I had). However it is REQUIRED to raise this limit when overclocking the card heavily to make sure you are not bouncing off the power limits and reducing FPS and clock speeds because of it.

That gets the point across I would imagine.

 

[D007]

The derailing of this topic, is out of control..
Please stay on topic. It's all messy in here now.

I like what you just said Earth and I am going, to revise the OP, to state that.
Thank you.

Point I have been trying to make is this. In 3dm11 "maybe only in 3dm11" raising the power target, will get you significant increases. The same may not be said for all games, or any games at all. But for 3dm11, you can see for yourself.

My edits are getting annoying? lol.. I want to you right about now...

 

[EarthDog]

You murdered my excerpt putting in shhhloads of extra commas...LOL!

So..............you tested with vsync on? That needs to be off. Do you know why?

 

[D007]

You murdered my excerpt putting in shhhloads of extra commas...LOL!

So..............you tested with vsync on? That needs to be off. Do you know why?

Please do tell.
Oh and I did the commas, specifically because I knew, you would say something..lol..

 

[EarthDog]

It limits FPS to your monitor's refresh rates. So unless you have a 120Hz+ monitor, any test you ran that that would normally hit over 60FPS were now limited to 60FPS.

Any testing should be done with Vsync disabled to get a true representation of the FPS achieved (unless of course what you are testing never breaks 60 FPS then it doesnt matter). What 'testing' did you do to confirm your results? I see you mention Heaven, but doesnt that go over 60FPS? It does on mine.

 

[D007]

It limits FPS to your monitor's refresh rates. So unless you have a 120Hz+ monitor, any test you ran that that would normally hit over 60FPS were now limited to 60FPS.

Any testing should be done with Vsync disabled to get a true representation of the FPS achieved (unless of course what you are testing never breaks 60 FPS then it doesnt matter). What 'testing' did you do to confirm your results? I see you mention Heaven, but doesnt that go over 60FPS? It does on mine.

Dammit, I knew it..lol. I mentioned it earlier.. Had a feeling something was capping me at 60 fps.. No wonder my heaven is so low.. Thanks Earth.

 

[Phusius]

i OC'ed my standard evga 680 to the signature edition speeds. so 132% power target, +78mhz core and +92 mem. $50 cheaper and the same speeds as the signature OC edition. ftw.

maybe someday if I need it I will go back to 100 core and 300 mem. meh

 

[D007]

i OC'ed my standard evga 680 to the signature edition speeds. so 132% power target, +78mhz core and +92 mem. $50 cheaper and the same speeds as the signature OC edition. ftw.

maybe someday if I need it I will go back to 100 core and 300 mem. meh

Eh, some people like it to be done for them already. That's entirely fine.

This guide is +100 core and +300 mem and you just said you are at +78 and +92..
+100 and +300 is more than +78 and +92.. I must be missing something..
How could u go "back" to it, if you're lower than it?

Mine is overclocked to +130 core and +500 mem. +32% power target.

Regardless this is just to give people a 1,2,3 step guide, to a simple and moderate, overclock.

 

[EarthDog]

Here... I put this together for you to clean up the first post.

1. Download EVGA PrecisionX, open it up.

2. *Increase Power Target to 32%, APPLY.
*NOTE: When using this card at stock speeds or with minor overclocks, adjusting the power target will not make a difference (TPU REVIEW HERE) in performance really. However it is REQUIRED to raise this limit when overclocking the card heavily to make sure you are not bouncing off the power limits and thus reducing FPS and clock speeds (throttling), because of it. Raising this value will not harm the card regardless of stock clocks or overclocked.

3. Most cards will easily run 75+ on the core and 200+ on the memory, so those are good clocks to start or a solid overclock in the first place, especially with the boost clock added to the core. Set those clocks (APPLY).

4. Test these(any) clocks quickly using the Evga OC Scanner software for a couple minutes. If you see artifacts/ the app reports it or the test freezes/driver fails, the clocks are no good. If it shows no artifacts, then keep pushing the clocks if you choose. I would go by increments of 20Mhz personally, but its up to you. Just note that not all cards will run 1200Mhz+ core (or +150 with boost of course), but every card will vary.
NOTE: Keep temperatures under 70C or the card will throttle knocking the boost level back.

5. If you would like to increase those clocks from there do so ONE AT A TIME, core or memory.

6. Once the core is done, rinse and repeat with the memory.

7. When you have reached your overclocking goal or the limit, test it for a bit longer with OC scanner (15mins is my suggestion), then try playing your favorite game or loop benchmarks like 3DMark11 or Unigine Heaven to make sure its really stable.

*If you would like to save these clockspeeds, PrecisionX offers profiles for you to save them in. Click on the Profiles button in the lower left hand corner to add your current clocks to a profile. These profiles can also be loaded upon windows startup if the application starts up with windows (see settings).

As far as what I run it at... stock. Even on a 2560x1440 monitor and BF3 I run it stock. However, my card is stable to +130 core and +295 Memory. Your mileage will vary...especially with temperatures, so keep those below 70C.

Enjoy!

~Earthdog

 

[D007]

Here... I put this together for you to clean up the first post.

It seems like you want me to delete everything I write and replace it with everything you write.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the assistance and all, but I'm happy with how it is now.

I wanted to make a 1,2,3 guide. That's more like a 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 guide and it includes all of the things, I specifically didn't want to put in here.
I don't want to overly complicate it.

I decided to do this, because after watching a 20 minute video, on overclocking this card, that was filled with 18 minutes of uselessness, I thought it would of been nice to just get it done. I work to hard to watch people talk about their BF3 experience, or talk idly about something that happened to them today. I want to get it done asap.
No filler..