Aurora r4 with Radeon R9 290

[Branden_Wolf]

I have an alienware aurora r4 with i7 3820 overclocked from 3.6 to 4.2 water cooled. I installed a radeon r9 290 card and want to over clock but i am new to overclocking. any advice or tips would be much appreciated

 

[Robert Cook]

well first make sure you can power it, when overclocked that card could draw as much as 350W. Then get MSI afterburner and slowly raise the core clock by 10 MHz increments until it no longer passes 1000 frames of furmark which you run after each increase. then find where it is stable, write it down, and set it back to stock, then do the same for memory. once you have both max values start raising both by 20Mhz or so until you find combined max. BE WARY OF TEMPS THE WHOLE TIME! that card will get toasty, of it is a reference card you might not even want to OC much. if temps are reasonable, then perhaps try raising the core voltage by the smallest amount possible and repeating the previous max clock finding process.

 

[Branden_Wolf]

well first make sure you can power it, when overclocked that card could draw as much as 350W. Then get MSI afterburner and slowly raise the core clock by 10 MHz increments until it no longer passes 1000 frames of furmark which you run after each increase. then find where it is stable, write it down, and set it back to stock, then do the same for memory. once you have both max values start raising both by 20Mhz or so until you find combined max. BE WARY OF TEMPS THE WHOLE TIME! that card will get toasty, of it is a reference card you might not even want to OC much. if temps are reasonable, then perhaps try raising the core voltage by the smallest amount possible and repeating the previous max clock finding process.

 

[Branden_Wolf]

thank you for the answer, What kind of temperatures do i want. I am using an 850w psu. what is a reference card?

 

[Robert Cook]

http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/R9-290X-3_4.jpg
this is a reference card, it is the design direct from AMD, these cards run very hot, but are often the cheapest. with that card mid eighties are considered on the high side, 90s are a bad idea. you might have to boost the fans just to avoid that at stock speeds. the PSU should be fine. I would look into getting an XFX Double disapation or card with aftermarket cooling, as the temps will be better.

 

[Branden_Wolf]

http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/R9-290X-3_4.jpg
this is a reference card, it is the design direct from AMD, these cards run very hot, but are often the cheapest. with that card mid eighties are considered on the high side, 90s are a bad idea. you might have to boost the fans just to avoid that at stock speeds. the PSU should be fine. I would look into getting an XFX Double disapation or card with aftermarket cooling, as the temps will be better.

 

[Branden_Wolf]

Oh ok it is not a reference card than