Overclocking my Radeon 7950 worth it?

[jkoster941]

Just got the Witcher 3 and my GPU if finally not able to handle a game. Everything I've thrown at it has run with ease until it got to here. I'm about to upgrade, but how much more overhead will overclocking give me in the time before then? I'm a bit worried about temps but my PSU can handle it. My build is as follows.

In short; How well can I run The Witcher 3 with this build overclocked for all it's worth?

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card
Case: NZXT Source 220 ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 OEM (64-bit)
Monitor: Asus VE228H 21.5" Monitor

 

[Kevern_11]

That card runs hot as it is. What are the temps of it right now?

 

[DonLyke]

Yes, the R9 280 is a re-branded version of the 7950. I was able to get my old 280 to squeeze out an extra 11 FPS. Which is not bad for a mid range card. It's worth it to overclock as it is literally free performance. However, be eyeful of temps etc.

Good luck with your overclocking. I recommend starting with a +100 core clock and slowly working your way up until either temps are too high or you start getting artifacts or crashes. A little memory clock wont hurt too!

Good luck!

Note: I was running a stable 67 Degrees Celsius at the maximum overclock I could get. On full GPU load.

 

[jkoster941]

~33°C normally, ~74°C when I was stressing it out with the game, but not overclocked. That's with my poor cable management and the fans turned down, however.

 

[DonLyke]

~33°C normally, ~74°C when I was stressing it out with the game, but not overclocked. That's with my poor cable management and the fans turned down, however.

I heard people get like 45 FPS with settings on no less than High and some even on Ultra with a stock speed R9 280.

Also, cable management isn't just there to make the PC LOOK tidy. Effective cable management can really increase the airflow and give you nice, consistent and low temperatures. Make sure you have enough case fans, especially an exhaust fan. Just as long as your card is below or at about 85-90 degrees MAXIMUM, you should be fine.

I do recommend the overclock still, best of luck!

Also here is the HD 7950/ R9 280 in Witcher 3 with fairly high settings if you wanted to know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAmP2IzEM3c

 

[jkoster941]

I overclocked a bit, to 1100MHz on the GPU clock setting and 1480 MHz on the memory clock setting. Anything too far above that and I get stuttering and crashing with the game. However with the fans at max the GPU runs around 64°C, so I think that's fine. How am I going to get up to max without this crashing?

 

[DonLyke]

I overclocked a bit, to 1100MHz on the GPU clock setting and 1480 MHz on the memory clock setting. Anything too far above that and I get stuttering and crashing with the game. However with the fans at max the GPU runs around 64°C, so I think that's fine. How am I going to get up to max without this crashing?

A graphics card can only overclock so high. 1100Mhz sounds about right for a 7950/ 280. There is no way you can reach max settings on Witcher 3 with an overclock. But high settings on 50ish is still really good.