[SOLVED] What should my steps be when wanting to increase GPU core clock with current settings?

Tennis987

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Sep 9, 2015
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Have a Gigabyte Gaming OC RTX 3080 playing at 1080p, switching to 1440p next week. Undervolted in MSI Afterburner to 0.925mV and keeps a steady 1995Mhz in my games when pushed. As an example currently, my core load is floating between 60-73% usage in Horizon Zero Dawn and keeps a steady 1995Mhz core clock with temps never going above 65C at 1080p. Power limit is at 100 and the memory clock has not been touched. My question is, will I see worse core performance when I switch to 1440p, and if so, what is holding my GPU back from getting better performance? Would I try to increase voltage, should I try increasing memory clock, lower temps, etc? Just wondering what I should try to increase and push the clock further for better fps since I hear adding more voltage can be worse for the card and decrease performance.
 
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Solution
what is holding my GPU back from getting better performance?
you don't mention any details about low performance.
this would mean lower than expected fps and/or stuttering, artifacts, etc.

the fact that your GPU usage isn't sitting at 100% does not reflect poor performance,
just that the current graphics being processed doesn't require 100% usage.

run some graphical benchmarks and compare your scores to others with the same or similar cards.
What should my steps be when wanting to increase GPU core clock...
you would just raise the Core Clock(MHz) slider in Afterburner.

the stock boost core clock for this card is only 1800MHz so you are already running over that @ 1995MHz.
what is holding my GPU back from getting better performance?
you don't mention any details about low performance.
this would mean lower than expected fps and/or stuttering, artifacts, etc.

the fact that your GPU usage isn't sitting at 100% does not reflect poor performance,
just that the current graphics being processed doesn't require 100% usage.

run some graphical benchmarks and compare your scores to others with the same or similar cards.
What should my steps be when wanting to increase GPU core clock...
you would just raise the Core Clock(MHz) slider in Afterburner.

the stock boost core clock for this card is only 1800MHz so you are already running over that @ 1995MHz.
 
Solution
I have the Gigabyte 3080 Gaming OC and after trying overclocking I decided it was pointless. If the gpu boosted past 2100mhz it would crash and from the reading I did at the time that was a typical ceiling for a 3080. Even when it didn’t go over 2100mhz the performance gain was negligible, a few fps at most yet there was significant increase in power, heat and noise. In the end I decided that not to bother overclocking and just to use and undervolt for cooling.

I use my 3080 for mainly 1440p 144Hz and occasional 4K 120Hz.
 

DCNOS18

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Feb 22, 2014
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Before I answer the overclock question it is important to know what your CPU is, because it could be a bottleneck for your GPU hence answering the question of what is holding back your GPU. To answer the overclocking question, the first step would be increase the power limit to its maximum, and then next gradually increasing the core clock over time by around 25MHz. Play some games to make sure the new core clock is stable. Eventually, your game will crash and that will be your signal to back off the core clock by the amount you added before it crashed. You can make bigger jumps in the beginning of around 50MHz if you like. Repeat the same process with the memory clock but start with 50MHz jumps instead of 25MHz since the memory generally has a much higher clock speed to begin with. With these newer cards I have found that increasing the voltage doesn't really do much in helping with the overclock so for now I wouldn't even touch the voltage. I would probably recommend you reset your voltage to stock before starting. Generally though, at lower resolutions like 1080p and 1440p, you won't benefit much from the overclock since your GPU is generally waiting on your CPU. Although at 1440p it might make a difference since your GPU usage will surely increase. In the end, every card is different, so you may not be able to overclock much, and the benefits in doing so may be small. In some instances, it may not even be worth the extra power draw and you can gain more just by undervolting and getting a cooler and (potentially) longer lasting card. For example, is a 2-3% increase in FPS worth the extra 50-100 watts of more power draw, significant temp increases, and thus higher dB of noise? Would your answer change if it was a 5-10% increase given the same drawbacks?