Does my graphics card just suck?

[Jamezz2]

So i've asked a question on here about this issue before, but this is a new take on it. I have a gigabyte gtx 970 twin turbo oc edition gpu. Blower style, terrible choice but I was stupid when I first built this computer. Anyway, I've never been able to get it on a stable overclock. No matter what I do, the core clock will boost up to a certain number, then jump down then back up like it's throttling. It does this on both heaven and valley, from 1440p ultra even on 1080p medium quality. So I finally decided to set it to default in precisionx and try it again. It still did it, it won't boost up a certain core clock and stay there. In every oc video I've ever seen it boosts to it's max and stays there, but mine won't even on defualt. Any ideas?
System specs are a i5-4590, 8gb of 1866 ram, asrock z97 extreme6 mobo and a evga 750w 80+bronze psu

 

[CelicaGT]

Temps? Did you punch the fan profile up a bit? I've found after several blower cards you really need to spin that fan to keep the clocks up. The default profile is usually junk in that regard. I was able to keep my old EVGA 970 at 1417 or whatever it was with 110% power and a tweaked fan profile, that was it.

 

[InvalidError]

If the GPU hits its thermal limit, it will limit boost/overclock to whatever it has to in order to remain below its thermal limit. If you want the GPU to stay at a higher boost/OC value, you will need to give it better cooling.

 

[dorsai]

I'd suggest an after market GPU cooler. The blower style coolers are notoriously bad coolers once any dust builds up inside the heatsink fins...which happens quickly since the fan is forcing all of the cooling air through a relatively small opening into the fins.

 

[CelicaGT]

I'd suggest an after market GPU cooler. The blower style coolers are notoriously bad coolers once any dust builds up inside the heatsink fins...which happens quickly since the fan is forcing all of the cooling air through a relatively small opening into the fins.

Not only this, but the heatsink itself is very small compared to an open air design, they become heat saturated very quickly.

 

[Jamezz2]

Temps? Did you punch the fan profile up a bit? I've found after several blower cards you really need to spin that fan to keep the clocks up. The default profile is usually junk in that regard. I was able to keep my old EVGA 970 at 1417 or whatever it was with 110% power and a tweaked fan profile, that was it.

Okay so I set everything to default except I moved the temp and power targets up and I set the fan speed to 90%. It started at idle at about 31c when I loaded up heaven and initially it boosted up to where it should. But after a minute or so it throttled down and just kept moving up and down, even though the gpu at that point was only at 50c.