Voltage Settings On Video Cards

[KezzerDrix]

This may seem like a noobish question but then again I'm kind of a noob. So the question goes as follows. Why would I want to increase the voltage on my video card? Does it give any real performance increases? Does it make the board more unstable? Does anyone do this and why? I am sure that it is for overclocking but while supplying more power to the core, wouldn't it also cause the memory to get hot quicker? Which seems to me to be the limiting factor atleast on my card. So when, where, how, and why, would I increase my voltage to my video card?

[Eva_Unit_0]

Increasing the video card's voltage (core or memory) is just like increasing a cpu's or system ram's voltage....it makes them more stable at higher clock speeds, assuming you can dissipate the extra heat. However, you cannot raise the video card's voltage in the bios or anything...the AGP voltage in your bios does NOT raise the vcore and vmem on the card. The card's voltage regulation system counteracts any raise in the Vagp. You have to actually mod the card (by soldering resistors across the voltage regulation stuff) to do this. Just google for how to do it, since it varies from card to card.

[KezzerDrix]

So the option in my bios is just for looks.

 

Thank you, but with my crappy vid card I think I shouldn't increase any voltages exspecially the mem.

 

Thanks

[Eva_Unit_0]

Yeah, that bios setting doesn't do much. It DOES help to make an out-of-spec agp bus more stable when overclocking (on a non-locked board), but most boards we use now have locks, so it isn't necessary. At least those are MY experiences playing with that voltage setting..other cards may react differently.

[Guest ThermalGuru]

This is true that overclocking software will regulate any movement on your VGA voltages through the BIOS. Which is why I make sure to uninstall any such software. I like to overclock everything from the BIOS for stability. Not only that, but it keeps me from having to update the software and finding out about unknown issues that the software programmer never knew existed until months later. That just makes common sense. You don't go to the zoo keeper to talk about modding your exhaust system on your Porsche 911 do ya? Of course you don't. You might come out pretty knowledgable on Apes and Elephants, but your engine is still going to run quite hot.

 

Some people have become accustomed to overclocking with software and find it the easiest or most comfortable way to manipulate their settings...which is fine, but it's the hard way around the issue. I prefer to go from point A to point B in the straightest line possible, which in this case is the BIOS.

 

Hope that helps you out some. If not, just let me know.

Edited June 25, 2004 by ThermalGuru

[ShadowPaktu]

I wouldn'y have said it's the hard way to use software to o/c, many of them have safty features etc to throttle back the clocks when they get to hot or artifact too much. Also you have error-free when you use software unlike the some BIOS. Said that, vid cards are different.