Overclocking GTX 460

[Krieg1337]

Well, this little bugger obviously has some potential to gain a lot of FPS from overclocking, so anyways how should I go about doing this? Right now it is sitting at 793 CORE, 1596 Shader, 2000 Memory(4000). How should I test this and what about changing volts, is that OK? EVGA GTX 460 EE (so the core gets a bit hotter but the air gets pushed out instead of in the case)

[El_Capitan]

When I overclock my graphics cards, I first set my fan profile so it's at 100% up to 90C. You can start wherever, most of the time I set it at 40% at 50C.

 

Then, you need to start taking notes in a spreadsheet, and only start with Core Clock overclocks (linked with Shader Clock) and then adjust Core Voltages.

 

For example:

Single MSI GTX 570 (N570GTX-M2D12D5) Overclock settings (using a Koolance GTX 570/580 Full Cover Water block Max GPU Temp = 43C):

Core Voltage | Core Clock | Shader Clock | Memory Clock (in MSI Afterburner)

1150 | 1000 | 2000 | 2260 (BIOS flash)

1100 | 960 | 1920 | 2260

1050 | 920 | 1840 | 2260

1000 | 880 | 1760 | 2260

963 | 790 | 1600 | 2260

963 | 732 | 1464 | 1900 (Stock)

 

Basically, I start at Stock speed, and run a quick bench using Cinebench 11.5 OpenGL. I log the score.

Then, I increase the Core Clock speed and keep the Core Voltage at stock. I keep running Cinebench 11.5 OpenGL benchmarks until it crashes. Once I find the stable overclock at stock voltages, I run a Unigine Heaven v2.1 or v2.5 benchmark (Anisotropy 16, AA 8x, full screen to whatever resolution you play games at). If it passes, it's stable. If it fails, bring the Core Clock speed down 10MHz and retest.

 

Then I adjust the Core Voltage to round numbers, like 1000mV's, 1050mV's, 1100mV's, and 1150mV's and do the same tests to find the maximum overclock for each Core Voltage setting.

 

The GTX 460 1GB can get up to 1187mV's Core Voltage, and only with a BIOS flash will you be able to get to 1212mV's.

 

Keep your eye on the Core temperature. If it reaches 90C, I pretty much don't adjust voltages anymore. Once you get to 1100mV's, your'e taking some risks in blowing your VRM's, so just be warned. With the EE, 1150mV's might be okay (heck, probably even 1212mV's okay). I've run my MSI and ASUS GTX 460 1GB's at 1212mV's 24/7 for months, these cards were built pretty solid... but it's still a risk.

 

Once you're done overclocking the Core Clock, you can overclock your Memory (it may be different for each Core Clock speed). You'll know if you reached your upper Memory overclock by comparing your benchmark scores. If it increases your score, that's good. If it decreases your score, then you've gone too far.

[Krieg1337]

I won't flash my card, I will just go up to 1100MV's I think, don't want to go too high. After a while it seems the benefits aren't worth the risks. If I can get to 900MHZ core I will be a happy camper.

 

Thanks for the info, I will start with this tomorrow

[El_Capitan]

Np, good luck! The differences between stock clocks and 900MHz Core Clock is pretty amazing (but more so in SLI).

[Krieg1337]

Np, good luck! The differences between stock clocks and 900MHz Core Clock is pretty amazing (but more so in SLI).

 

Yeah, the thing is my birthday is March 31st so I think I will keep this single GTX 460 and get a new 28nm card then(should be out by then).

[El_Capitan]

Yeah, the thing is my birthday is March 31st so I think I will keep this single GTX 460 and get a new 28nm card then(should be out by then).

Definitely a good decision. Even getting a 2nd to SLI would make a world of difference... but if you can get a better single card upgrade for free on your birthday..

[Krieg1337]

It only allows it to go up to 1087mv...sadly enough I am basically stuck with 850mhz on the core, 1700 on the shader, and 2000 on the memory(didn't go above this). Anything over that and disgusting artifacts in Heaven (Temps are under 80C with about 55ish% fan speed)

[El_Capitan]

It only allows it to go up to 1087mv...

You do know I have a link in my sig that will remedy that.

[Krieg1337]

You do know I have a link in my sig that will remedy that.

 

True, hmm maybe when I know I am getting a new card I can test it out. I just don't wanna kill my card by making a silly mistake

And it seems the performance gains aren't that amazing anymore(I ran it at 900mhz core and was artifacting like crazy but wasn't much better FPS wise)

[El_Capitan]

True, hmm maybe when I know I am getting a new card I can test it out. I just don't wanna kill my card by making a silly mistake

And it seems the performance gains aren't that amazing anymore(I ran it at 900mhz core and was artifacting like crazy but wasn't much better FPS wise)

Well, that's why I wrote a guide, so you don't make a silly mistake.

 

You won't see much gains with a single card, but in SLI, you definitely will.

[Krieg1337]

Well, that's why I wrote a guide, so you don't make a silly mistake.

 

You won't see much gains with a single card, but in SLI, you definitely will.

 

Hmm...SLI GTX 460s + more watercooling or kepler/southern islands...hmmm

[El_Capitan]

Hmm...SLI GTX 460s + more watercooling or kepler/southern islands...hmmm

I'd go the watercooling route every time. Not only is it really, really quiet, but cooler temps, and cooler in general. All you'd need to do when upgrading to new cards is to get new blocks, but if you're just going to cool the GPU, you can always keep the universal GPU blocks for the next one. Most of the non-reference coolers have higher phase vrm's for higher overclock potential (which you can keep the stock fan that cools the vrm's), thus better than full water block reference cards.

 

When I sell non-watercooled systems in sli/xfire, they perform so much worse than when I can give them an extra 100mV's and potentially 120MHz Core Clock increase, all the while being quieter if they were watercooled instead.