[SOLVED] factory overclocked vs non overclocked gpu's?

Deepwaterlife48

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Nov 5, 2021
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so recently i purchased a asus rog strix 6700 xt oc card (still waiting for it to arrive) brand new for $400. i built this rig 2 years ago and have been using the asus rog strix 1660 super which was not factory overclocked. i dont plan on tinkering with it past whatever the factory put it at. i just happened to get a good deal at like 3 am the other day. my question is this, because i do not plan to tinker with it, will a factory overclocked gpu still have a decreased lifespan?

my first build in 15 years, made in fall 2020 looked like this:

CPU: Ryzen 7 3700x w/wraith prism cooler. MBD: MSI B450 Tomahawk Max II
RAM: Adata Xpg Tuf Gaming d41 2x8 GB 3200 cl 16
BOOT SSD: Samsung 960 Evo 250gb HDD Storage: Seagate Barracuda computer 2tb x2
GPU: Asus ROG STRIX GTX 1660 Super PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGN 750w 80+ Gold
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C Dark Tinted Glass
Case Fans: Fractal Designs. Front: 2x120mm. intake. Top: 0. Rear: 1x120mm Exhaust.

my current setup to be looks like this:

CPU: Ryzen 7 3700x w/wraith prism cooler. MBD: MSI MPG B550 Gaming Plus
RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO SL White 2x16 GB 3600 cl 18
BOOT SSD: Samsung 980 Pro 1TB SSD Storage: TeamGroup EX2 2TB x2
GPU: Asus ROG STRIX GTX 1660 Super ( or will be the asus rog strix rx6700 xt oc) PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGN 750w 80+ Gold
Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact White
Case Fans: Uphere brand RGB 120mm x 6. Front: 3x120mm. intake. Top: 2x120mm Exhaust. Rear: 1x120mm Exhaust.

in the last year or so, i have upgraded the board, the ram, the boot ssd, the hdd's to ssd's, the case, changed from 3 120mm fans to 6 of them for more cooling. updated the network switch to a newer model, updated the patch cables from cat5 to cat6, updated my hdmi cables from 1.3 to 2.1, replaced my surge protectors. only things that havent changed are the cpu, cpu cooler and the power supply.
 
Solution
In truth, they are usually only called "OC" because they are configured with a clock and memory speed that is somewhat higher than a similar card they sell which they have intentionally reduced the clock and memory speed on because it may use lower quality/ lower binned chips and other components, so they can call the card with slightly higher clocks and memory "overclocked" and charge a bit more for it. And often it's worth it if you really need that little extra, but you are right that for the most part you'd never know the different in most cases if they didn't say "OC" on the model.
Nothing overclocked really has a decreased lifespan unless you are pushing the fuzzy gray edge of voltage or thermal tolerance. Manufacturers usually configure GPUs and memory to fall well within the boundary for those tolerances and for stability, while overclocked models are just pushing it a bit closer to what the card can realistically handle. There shouldn't be any difference in expected lifespan between a factory overclocked card and one that doesn't specifically say that or is more conservative.
 
In truth, they are usually only called "OC" because they are configured with a clock and memory speed that is somewhat higher than a similar card they sell which they have intentionally reduced the clock and memory speed on because it may use lower quality/ lower binned chips and other components, so they can call the card with slightly higher clocks and memory "overclocked" and charge a bit more for it. And often it's worth it if you really need that little extra, but you are right that for the most part you'd never know the different in most cases if they didn't say "OC" on the model.
 
Solution

Deepwaterlife48

Commendable
Nov 5, 2021
113
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1,585
I appreciate the info that I've acquired on this site over the last 2 years. Trying to re-learn all this after 15 years has been a slow challenging process. A while back I asked about gpu upgrades and in doing some research I had found information that discussed that overclocked cards had shorter lifespans, so I stayed away. Newegg had the Asus rog strix rx 6700xt 12g oc valued at 769 bucks on sale for 390 plus shipping. Figured that this new card would provide a huge upgrade to the 1660 super and according to gpu monkey the 6700xt has better performance than all the rtx 20 series and most of the 3050 and 3060 cards. It also said that the 6700xt is the first card other than the 3060 ti which was nearly 100 more, that didn't lose numbers on the memory bandwidth and memory bus. Where as all the others in between did. I was trying to be smart.
 

Deepwaterlife48

Commendable
Nov 5, 2021
113
6
1,585
and i suppose once i get the new gpu the only other things to do in the future would be to upgrade the cpu and the cpu cooler. which arent even an issue currently as the ryzen 7 3700x and the stock cooler are fine.
 
I'd upgrade the cooler now. The stock cooler ISN'T fine, but you'd never know it because it won't be evident.

The stock coolers that come with Ryzen CPUs don't provide a sufficient level of cooling that will allow them to boost higher and maintain boost speeds longer as any decent aftermarket cooler will. Plus the stock coolers are unnecessarily annoying having a really irritating harmonic IMO.

You will get better performance out of your 3700x with a better cooler, it's as simple as that.

https://www.gamersnexus.net/news-pc/3492-ryzen-cpu-thermals-matter-coolers-and-cases
 

Deepwaterlife48

Commendable
Nov 5, 2021
113
6
1,585
i've never noticed the sound on the stock wraith prism cooler, and ive had the colors set to let me know cpu temp. green is low temp, blue is mid, purple to red if it gets high. sits at green like 80% of the time. with 3 intake fans, 3 exhaust fans, 2 from the current gpu, the power supply and the stock cooler, inside stays decently cool.


that being said ive had the vetroo v5 cooler in my amazon cart for like 5 months now.
 
Right, but you'll never know it's not utilizing the full spectrum of it's boost performance like it could, because Ryzen throttles much lower than Intel so that it can sustain the boost it has without increased reduction in clock speed.

There are better coolers that cost less than that Vetroo V5. Which really suffers under high loads anyhow.
 
Then you should tell whoever told you that to show it, prove it. Where are the reviews that show it being better? There are reviews, but they show it being kind of mediocre. On the other hand, you have this, which is not mediocre at all.

Best cooler, period, under 20 bucks.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin X 120 Refined SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($19.89 @ Amazon)
Total: $19.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-12-09 20:44 EST-0500



Probably the best cooler, under 50 bucks, period.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 Black 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.36 @ Amazon)
Total: $46.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-12-09 20:46 EST-0500



And unlike the Ventroo V5, plenty of reviews to back it up.