Does pre OC GPUs have short life spans?

[equilibrium814]

E.g. https://www.ebuyer.com/769693-msi-geforce-gtx-1060-6gb-gddr5-oc-v1-graphics-card-gtx-1060-6gt-ocv1

Does this have a reduced lifespan compared to an untouched 1060?

 

[Kashimi]

OC'ing a component, especially when changing the voltage and temperatures that it runs at CAN impact the life of the component. Not that it always will, but it has the possibility.

 

[funguseater]

That GPU only has a 50MHz OC so no it will not affect longevity. And it has a good heatsink.

Have Fun
Fungi

 

[k1114]

Unless you are ocing to the limits, oc components can still last 10+ years. They won't be going to the limits from the factory. It's just not possible with mass production.

 

[Kashimi]

That GPU only has a 50MHz OC so no it will not affect longevity. And it has a good heatsink.

Have Fun
Fungi

He's right. A minimal OC like that will have almost no impact on the life of the card. 50MHz is a very small bump, so I wouldn't be concerned.

 

[prince_xaine]

The long answer:

Overclocking doesn't kill graphics cards - Heat does. Even having artifacts/crashes hasn't been proven to affect longevity.

If you are not hitting the thermal limit on the card, then it should not affect longevity. If the card is constantly thermal throttling, you either need better airflow or need to keep it at a lower clock speed.

Theoretically speaking, overclocking a graphics card or any other component can affect longevity, but it has never really been noticed in practice.

The rule of thumb for overclocking = thermal limit.

= If the card is NOT hitting the thermal limit with no overclock, you are safe to overclock the card.

= If the card IS hitting the thermal limit without overclocking, you shouldn't overclock it. Or, you should look into better airflow/water cooling.

Of course, every card has it's limits. You will not get a 1070 to match a 1080 Ti in performance no matter how well you cool and overclock it. But as long as you keep the card under it's thermal limit, you should be fine.

 

[Kashimi]

The long answer:

Overclocking doesn't kill graphics cards - Heat does. Even having artifacts/crashes hasn't been proven to affect longevity.

If you are not hitting the thermal limit on the card, then it should not affect longevity. If the card is constantly thermal throttling, you either need better airflow or need to keep it at a lower clock speed.

Theoretically speaking, overclocking a graphics card or any other component can affect longevity, but it has never really been noticed in practice.

The rule of thumb for overclocking = thermal limit.

= If the card is NOT hitting the thermal limit with no overclock, you are safe to overclock the card.

= If the card IS hitting the thermal limit without overclocking, you shouldn't overclock it. Or, you should look into better airflow/water cooling.

Of course, every card has it's limits. You will not get a 1070 to match a 1080 Ti in performance no matter how well you cool and overclock it. But as long as you keep the card at or under it's thermal limit, you should be fine.

Take everything he just said and apply that. Don't forget about voltages though either. Allowing too much voltage can damage the card too.

 

[k1114]

Both voltage and temps matter. Running too high voltage is damaging and why safe maxes are discussed. Go to high and you instakill. It has been noticed in practice. Many people have to lower their oc over time when they are running to the limits. Like those who were running 5ghz on sandy can't hold 5ghz anymore and have already seen some die. It doesn't matter if they had temps below 60 at all times with custom loops.

 

[prince_xaine]

My apologies, when I left my little guide above, I didn't talk about voltages. The reason why being, if someone is new to overclocking - they really shouldn't be messing with voltages in the begin with.

But I think it's time to settle the question: "Do pre-overclocked cards have short lifespans." The answer is no. It's a minimal factory overclock for the card.