Every year more and more demanding games are released, and not every one of them is too tough for your video card. Of course, you can always get a new video adapter, but why spend extra money if you can overclock the existing one?
NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards are some of the most reliable on the market and often run below full capacity. Their characteristics can be improved through the overclocking procedure.
Overclocking is the overclocking of a computer component by increasing its operating frequency beyond its normal operating modes, which should improve its performance. In our case, this component will be the video card.
What you need to know about overclocking a video adapter? Manually changing the frame rate of the core, memory and shader units of a video card must be deliberate, so the user must know the principles of overclocking:
Attention! With a thoughtless approach to overclocking a video card, you can get the completely opposite effect in the form of a decrease in computer performance.
This task is performed in two ways:
We will consider the second option, since the first is recommended for use only by experienced users, and even a beginner can handle the software.
For our purposes, we will have to install several utilities. They will help not only change the parameters of the graphics adapter, but also monitor its performance during overclocking, as well as evaluate the resulting performance increase.
So, immediately download and install the following programs:
Note: breakdowns during attempts to overclock the video card are not covered under warranty.
Launch the SpeedFan utility. It displays temperature data of the main components of the computer, including the video adapter. 
SpeedFan must be running throughout the entire process. When making changes to the graphics adapter configuration, you should monitor changes in temperature.
Increasing the temperature to 65-70 degrees is still acceptable, if higher (when there are no special loads) it is better to go back a step.
It is important to determine how the adapter responds to loads at the current frequency. We are interested not so much in its performance as in the change in temperature indicators. The easiest way to measure this is with FurMark. To do this, do this:
This is an optional step, but it will be useful to visually compare the performance of the graphics adapter "Before and After". For this we use the same FurMark.
The 3DMark program does a more extensive check, and therefore gives a more accurate indicator. For variety, you can use it, but only if you want to download a 3 GB installation file.
Now let's take a closer look at what we will be working with. You can view the necessary data through the GPU-Z utility. When launched, it displays all sorts of data about the NVIDIA GeForce video card.
Once this data is improved, performance indicators will also improve.
This is the most important stage and there is no need to rush here - it’s better to take longer than to ruin the computer’s hardware. We will use the NVIDIA Inspector program.
Button "Apply Clock&Voltage" only applies the specified settings, and you can save them by clicking "Creat Clocks Chortcut".
As a result, a shortcut will appear on the desktop, when launched, NVIDIA Inspector will start with this configuration.
For convenience, this file can be added to the folder so that when you log in, the program starts automatically. The required folder is located in the menu "Start".
Now you can see the change in data in GPU-Z, as well as conduct new tests in FurMark and 3DMark. By comparing primary and secondary results, it is easy to calculate the percentage of productivity increase. Usually this indicator is close to the degree of increase in frequencies.
Overclocking an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 or any other video card is a painstaking process and requires constant checks to determine the optimal frequencies. With the right approach, you can increase the performance of a graphics adapter by up to 20%, thus raising its capabilities to the level of more expensive devices.
Video cards GeForce GTX 770 have become a worthy replacement for the recent flagship of the NVIDIA line of discrete video cards of the previous series - GeForce GTX 680. Based on the same very successful graphics processor GK104, the new models received noticeable frequency acceleration for both the GPU and memory. At the same time, the cost of the GeForce GTX 770 allows the new adapters to count on prizes in the ranking of top accelerators in terms of price/performance combination. Video card manufacturers are eagerly experimenting with equipping new models based on GK104. Let's look at the capabilities of the tuned GIGABYTE GTX 770 WindForce 3X OC.
After the announcement of the GeForce GTX 770, Gigabyte immediately offered two modifications of video cards, both of which have an OS index in the name and differ only in memory capacity - 2 GB ( GV-N770OC-2GD) and 4 GB ( GV-N770OC-4GD).
The base clock frequency of the GPU has been noticeably increased by the manufacturer - from 1046 to 1139 MHz, with the average value after acceleration being 1189 instead of 1085 MHz. In this case, we can say that factory overclocking is not a formality that allows you to use the “OS Edition” badge, but a completely significant boost that affects performance. Version in question GV-N770OC-2GD carries on board 2 GB of memory operating at the recommended frequency. Let us remind you that the GeForce GTX 770 uses the currently fastest GDDR5 chips with a standard operating frequency of 7010 MHz. To access local RAM, a 256-bit bus is used, so the bus throughput is 224.4 GB/s.
For its GeForce GTX 770 models, the manufacturer offers an original WindForce series cooler. In this case we are talking about the WindForce 3X modification, equipped with three axial fans. According to the manufacturer, this model is capable of cooling a 450 W source. Looking at this figure, let's assume that we are talking about the mode with the maximum fan speed (4400 rpm).
The cooler is based on two radiator blocks made of aluminum plates, which communicate with each other using five heat pipes. Two of them have a diameter of 8 mm, three are 6 mm. The design uses another heat pipe, which is enclosed in the bowels of the main cooler, increasing its efficiency. Heat pipes do not have direct contact with the GPU die. They are connected to the chip through a thin copper heat sink base.
The main radiator unit is made using Triangle Cool technology. In this case, its cooler core took on the shape of a trapezoid. According to the developer, this design allows for more efficient use of air flow, as well as reducing the effect of turbulence that occurs when using multiple sources.
Let us note a curious “ladder” on the profile of a row of plates. The manufacturer took into account the dimensions of some surface-mount elements installed on the board, trying to maximize the total dissipation area of the radiator. This attention to detail is commendable.
The memory chips are covered with an aluminum plate, which is attached to the base of the cooler. The VRM power elements also have an additional cooler, and, curiously, in this case it is also not a separate element, but part of the overall structure, with which the MOSFETs are in contact through thermal pads.
The WindForce 3X cooler uses three 80mm axial fans, the blades of which are made of translucent plastic. In the central part of each of them there is a holographic sticker.
The top of the cooler is covered with a metal casing. At the same time, there is a special side around the fans, which, on the one hand, partially protects against interface or power cables, and on the other, increases the direction of the generated air flows.
Note that the height of the adapter is noticeably increased by the protrusion of the decorative cover, on which the logo of a series of branded coolers is placed.
On the top panel of the adapter there are two connectors for connecting additional power - 6- and 8-pin. Connectors for connecting SLI bridges are also located here. To make the adapter look more holistic, a decorative bracket is attached to the top edge, which also increases the rigidity of the structure.
As expected, the video card uses an original printed circuit board, as well as an improved element base corresponding to the Ultra Durable VGA concept. To stabilize the GPU supply voltage, an eight-phase circuit is used.
The length of the printed circuit board is 255 mm, but the cooler protruding beyond it increases the dimensions to 280 mm. However, this is still not the 292 mm specified in the specifications on the manufacturer’s website. The video card is of course large, but not “horror-horror”, and therefore there are no serious restrictions on the size of the case.
The interface kit on the mounting strip is quite predictable. There are two DVI video outputs, as well as full-length HDMI and DisplayPort connectors. This port configuration makes it easy to connect multiple monitors.
The package includes a disk with drivers and proprietary software, a small guide for quickly installing the video card, as well as adapters from a pair of Molex connectors to one six-pin and from two Molex to one eight-pin.
WindForce 3X in idle mode is capable of cooling the GPU up to 28 degrees, while the fan speed is at 750 rpm.
In this case, the video card operates almost silently. In games, the GPU temperature rises to 68 degrees, which is noticeably lower than the default limit of 80 C, after which GPU Boost 2.0 begins to reduce the frequency of the chip under load. The fan speed increases to 2200 rpm.
The noise of the video card in this case still remains at a relatively low level, although it can no longer be called silent.
To monitor the status and change the operating parameters of the video card, Gigabyte offers to use a proprietary application called OC GURU II.
At first glance, it resembles a jumble of various functional tiles, but in practice it turns out to be quite convenient to use. The utility is clear and finding the necessary items is not difficult. In addition, it allows you to adjust all the parameters necessary for overclocking.
By increasing the maximum supply voltage to 1.212 V, and also increasing the Power Target parameter to 111%, we were able to raise the base GPU clock speed to 1215 MHz. At the same time, under gaming load, the GPU was dynamically accelerated to 1333 MHz. An excellent indicator, especially considering that in this mode the chip worked almost constantly - the cooler did its job well, so GPU Boost 2.0 did not often play down.
After additional afterburner with an increase in voltage, the temperature of the chip under heavy synthetics (Valley Benchmark) reached 71 C, while the fan rotation speed at this moment increased to 2400 rpm. The indicators are quite acceptable, but against the general background of a quiet system unit, some increase in the noise level of the CO operation can already be heard.
The operating frequency of the memory was increased without consequences from 7010 to 7720 MHz. A 10% increase is not a bad achievement, but during the previous GeForce GTX 770 test we got almost 8 GHz for GDDR5.
If we talk about performance, even during our first acquaintance with the GeForce GTX 770, we were able to establish that this model is 3–6% faster than the GeForce GTX 680. The tuned version with a noticeable factory overclock is already 10–15% faster than the flagship of the previous graphics line NVIDIA.
Forced afterburner also brings some additional frames per second in games, providing excellent performance in heavy graphics modes and screen resolutions of 1920x1080.
Gigabyte GTX 770 WindForce 3X OC is a very worthy variation of the GeForce GTX 770. The video card initially has noticeable guaranteed overclocking, a good cooler with minimal noise in idle mode and an improved power subsystem, which provide a decent margin of safety for independent experiments.
The recommended price for reference GeForce GTX 770 models for the American market is $399. In such a case, 3500 UAH. (~$430) in Ukraine for a souped-up model with an original cooler and a reinforced component base looks like a very attractive option for those who want to seriously prepare for the next gaming season. Just a few months ago, with a similar amount, one could count on buying a GeForce GTX 670, the capabilities of which are noticeably more modest than those of the heroine of today’s review.
1 - ASUS GTX770-DC2OC-2GD5 2 - Test results. Conclusions Display on one page
The recently released GeForce 700 series models are yet another variation based on the long-lived GK104 chip. The most obvious changes are increased operating frequencies and the new GPU Boost 2.0. All this has led to increased cooling requirements. But the positioning of the new products is somewhat different - they are initially cheaper. Therefore, instead of strengthening the cooling design, many manufacturers have taken the path of simplification to reduce the cost of the final products. The ASUS GTX770-DC2OC-2GD5 card is an example of this approach. While the non-reference ASUS GeForce GTX 680 was equipped with a huge three-slot cooling system, the older version of the GeForce GTX 770 from the same manufacturer is cooled by a simpler cooler, previously installed on the GeForce GTX 670 and GeForce GTX 660 Ti. We will now find out whether such a replacement affected the final characteristics.
Let's start getting acquainted with the new product by examining the packaging. The large box is made in the traditional ASUS design.
The delivery set is as follows:
In simple games, the card heats up a couple of degrees less, and the fan speed is lower by about 100 rpm. This is clearly visible from the load graph in GRID 2.
Characteristics of tested video cards
The reviewed video adapter is comparable to the reference GeForce GTX 780 (results only for nominal frequencies). Due to the peculiarities of the functioning of the updated Boost and the direct dependence of frequencies on temperatures, an additional run has been added for this video adapter in almost all test applications. This was done to reduce the influence of the first run, which gives a higher average result due to the fact that the core does not have time to warm up and operates at higher frequencies for some time. After reaching the average operating temperature, stabilization occurs in frequency.
A separate comment needs to be given on the regular GeForce GTX 770, which is played by the reviewed ASUS. Based on the results of studying reviews of real reference samples and taking into account the operating features of GPU Boost 2.0, we have slightly updated the frequency configuration for our “standard GTX 770”. The new Boost is more aggressive due to the higher power limit. In fact, the frequency reduction now depends primarily on temperature. And the powerful cooling from the GTX 780/Titan and on the GTX 770 should easily keep temperatures within the specified 79°C limits. Therefore, testing reference samples shows that real Boost frequencies at a base value of 1045 MHz are close to 1137 MHz. Although when operating inside the case, the heating may be greater and the frequencies lower. Therefore, we chose a fixed value of 1110 MHz.
AMD's honor is defended by the Radeon HD 7970 and Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition. Note that our GHz Edition is derived from a simple Radeon HD 7970 by setting the Boost mode to a fixed frequency. That is, instead of an option with a floating frequency in the range of 1000-1050, we have a video adapter with a constant value of 1050 MHz. Also added are younger NVIDIA models - GeForce GTX 760 and GeForce GTX 670.
The technical data of the test participants is given in the table below. For GeForce, official Boost Clock data is provided. The graphs show the full range of core frequencies, including short-term peak values.
| Video adapter | GeForce GTX 780 | GeForce GTX 770 | GeForce GTX 670 | GeForce GTX 760 | Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition | Radeon HD 7970 | |
| Core | GK110 | GK104 | GK104 | GK104 | GK104 | Tahiti | Tahiti |
| Number of transistors, million pieces | 7100 | 3500 | 3500 | 3500 | 3500 | 4312 | 4312 |
| Technical process, nm | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| Core area, sq. mm | 561 | 294 | 294 | 294 | 294 | 365 | 365 |
| Number of stream processors | 2304 | 1536 | 1536 | 1344 | 1152 | 2048 | 2048 |
| Number of texture blocks | 192 | 128 | 128 | 112 | 96 | 128 | 128 |
| Number of rendering units | 48 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
| Core frequency, MHz | 863-900 | 1058-1110 | 1045-1085 | 915-980 | 980-1033 | 1000-1050 | 925 |
| Memory bus, bit | 384 | 256 | 256 | 256 | 256 | 384 | 384 |
| Memory type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 | GDDR5 | GDDR5 | GDDR5 | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory frequency, MHz | 6008 | 7010 | 7010 | 6008 | 6008 | 6000 | 5500 |
| Memory capacity, MB | 3072 | 2048 | 2048 | 2048 | 2048 | 3072 | 3072 |
| Supported DirectX Version | 11.1 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11.1 | 11.1 |
| Interface | PCI-E 3.0 | PCI-E 3.0 | PCI-E 3.0 | PCI-E 3.0 | PCI-E 3.0 | PCI-E 3.0 | PCI-E 3.0 |
| Declared TDP level, W | 250 | 230 | 230 | 170 | 170 | 250 | 250 |
Test stand
The test bench configuration is as follows:
Test results
conclusions
ASUS GTX770-DC2OC-2GD5 offers a combination of a board of the top versions of the GeForce GTX 680 and cooling from the GeForce GTX 670. The GeForce GTX 770 video adapter is initially a cheaper product compared to the old flagship, so the manufacturer is forced to reduce its production costs. So the partial savings on the part of ASUS are quite clear, and it is not the only one doing this. As a result, we have good overclocking, decent temperature indicators, but unsatisfactory noise levels. The video card does not yet fall into the category of the noisiest, but it is also not allowed to enter the category of quiet ones. With such cooling, it will not be possible to realize the full frequency potential, no matter how good it is. Even at nominal, a demanding user will resort to manual settings to slightly reduce the fan speed. The positive thing is that the cooler still has a certain efficiency margin for such an operation. Although with a more conventional three-slot cooler the results would be much better. So the attractiveness of this solution will depend on the final cost. The video card may be a good choice for overclocking enthusiasts, but adherents of a quiet computer will find more interesting alternative solutions.
Testing equipment was provided by the following companies:
We tested all six graphics cards to find their overclocking potential. We set our standard overclocking settings and then tested all video cards. We used EVGA Precision Tool X, which set the maximum Power Target to +106 percent, which corresponds to 243.8 W compared to the stock TDP of 230 W. We set the GPU voltage to 1.2 V, the maximum in this case. We left the maximum temperature at 80 °C, since none of the video cards approached it at standard settings.
ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DirectCU II OC: 1254 MHz GPU and 1975 MHz memory
EVGA GeForce GTX 770 Superclocked ACX
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 WindForce 3X: 1267 MHz GPU and 2000 MHz memory
Inno3D iChill GeForce GTX 770: 1280 MHz GPU and 2000 MHz memory
MSI GeForce GTX 770 Lightning: 1267 MHz GPU and 1975 MHz memory
Palit GeForce GTX 770 Jetstream: 1280 MHz GPU and 1975 MHz memory
The tested video cards allowed us to set the frequency between 1254 and 1280 MHz. But the Boost overclock in most applications was only between 1 and 6.4 percent. Probably only a water cooling system can improve the result. In our tests, this resulted in the following performance results:
Retail versions of GeForce GTX 770 video cards: overclocking
Retail versions of GeForce GTX 770 video cards: overclocking
Retail versions of GeForce GTX 770 video cards: overclocking
Overclocking the GPU and memory resulted in the following impacts on power consumption, temperature, and noise:
Retail versions of GeForce GTX 770 video cards: Energy consumption of the entire system under load, W.
Testing methodology
| Test bench configuration | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-3960X @ 4.6 GHz (100x46) | Intel Core i7-3970X @ 4.6 GHz (100x46) |
| Motherboard | ASUS P9X79 Pro | |
| RAM | DDR3 Kingston HyperX 4x2 GB @ 1600 MHz, 9-9-9 | |
| ROM | Intel SSD 520 240 GB | |
| power unit | Corsair AX1200i, 1200 W | Seasonic Platinum-1000, 1000 W |
| CPU cooling | Thermalright Archon | |
| Frame | CoolerMaster Test Bench V1.0 | |
| operating system | Windows 7 Ultimate X64 Service Pack 1 | |
| Software for NVIDIA cards | 331.7WHQL | |
To measure system power, a stand with a Corsair AX1200i power supply is used. Energy-saving CPU technologies are disabled in all tests. The PCI-Express bus operates in 3.0 mode. To activate PCI-E 3.0 on GeForce 600 and 700 series video cards in a system based on the X79 chipset, a patch from NVIDIA is used.
In the NVIDIA driver settings, the CPU is always selected as the processor for PhysX calculations.
| Set of benchmarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program | API | Settings | Anisotropic filtering, full screen anti-aliasing | Permission |
| 3DMark 2011 | DirectX 11 | Extreme profile | - | - |
| 3DMark | DirectX 11 | Fire Strike test (not Extreme) | - | - |
| Unigine Heaven 2 | DirectX 11 | DirectX 11, max. quality, tessellation in Extreme mode | AF 16x, MSAA 4x | 1920x1080 / 2560x1440 |
| Crysis Warhead + Framebuffer Crysis Warhead Benchmarking Tool | DirectX 10 | DirectX 10, max. quality. Frost Flythrough Demo | AF 16x, MSAA 4x | 1920x1080 / 2560x1440 |
| Battlefield 3 + FRAPS | DirectX 11 | Max. quality. Start of the Going Hunting mission | AF 16x, MSAA 4x + FXAA | 1920x1080 / 2560x1440 |
| DiRT Showdown. Built-in benchmark | DirectX 11 | Max. quality, Global Illumination incl. Shibuya Circuit, 8 cars | AF, AA 4x | 1920x1080 / 2560x1440 |
| Far Cry 3 + FRAPS | DirectX 11 | DirectX 11, max. quality, HDAO. Start of the Secure the Outpost mission | AF, MSAA 4x | 1920x1080 / 2560x1440 |
| Tomb Raider. Built-in benchmark | DirectX 11 | Max. quality | AF 16x, SSAA 4x | 1920x1080 / 2560x1440 |
| Bioshock Infinite. Built-in benchmark | DirectX 11 | Max. quality. Postprocessing: normal | AF 16x, FXAA | 1920x1080 / 2560x1440 |
| Crysis 3 + FRAPS | DirectX 11 | Max. quality. Start of the Post Human mission | AF 16x, MSAA 4x | 1920x1080 / 2560x1440 |
| Metro: Last Light. Built-in benchmark | DirectX 11 | Max. quality | AF 16x, SSAA 4x | 1920x1080 / 2560x1440 |
| Company of Heroes 2. Built-in benchmark | DirectX 11 | Max. quality | AF,SSAA 4x | 1920x1080 / 2560x1440 |
| Batman: Arkham Origins. Built-in benchmark | DirectX 11 | Max. quality | AF, MSAA 4x | 1920x1080 / 2560x1440 |
Let's say right away: overclocking the GeForce GTX 770 JetStream was not successful. Apparently, the GPU of our instance is already working at its limit. An attempt to increase the frequency even by 10 MHz above the nominal 1150 MHz caused graphical artifacts. It is also better not to touch the OverVoltage regulator. And all this despite the fact that the temperature and power consumption limiter engines are pulled all the way, and the cooling system is running at maximum speed.
The disappointment is partly brightened up by the successful overclocking of the video memory, which made it possible to add another 1000 MHz to the nominal 7010 MHz.
| Base Clock, MHz | Max. Boost Clock, MHz | Base Clock, MHz (overclocking) | Max. registered Boost Clock, MHz (overclocking) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palit GeForce GTX 770 JetStream | 1150 | 1254 (+104) | 1150 | 1254 (+104) |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 | 1046 | 1176 (+130) | 1190 | 1333 (+143) |
The GPU-Z die quality test gave high marks to the GPU installed on the Palit board. Quite rightly, because the processor, even at the maximum registered frequency (1254 MHz), is content with a voltage of 1.187 V. For comparison: the reference video card, even at lower frequencies, supplies the GPU with a voltage of 1.2 V. Be that as it may, this advantage does not contribute to overclocking in any way. The manufacturer has already squeezed the maximum out of this video card.
Contrary to what Palit claims about the TDP of the video card (supposedly 229 W, like the reference), the power consumption of the GeForce GTX 770 JetStream in our test is 23 W higher than the level of the reference video card.
The cooling system lives up to its impressive design: despite factory overclocking, the GPU temperature limiter is set at 80 °C, which the cooler maintains without much noise.
Synthetic tests, as usual, are sensitive to video card overclocking. Moreover, in this case, both the factory overclocking performed by the manufacturer and further manipulations, which, we recall, amounted to just increasing the video memory frequency, counted.
Game tests + Unigine Heaven 4
In gaming benchmarks, a more varied picture emerged. Considering that the Palit video card differs from the reference sample in GPU frequency, and further overclocking only added video memory frequencies, the effect depends on which parameter is more important for a particular game. It is noteworthy that in many cases, overclocking video memory turned out to be far from useless. Sometimes, on the contrary, it is of no use. Company of Heroes 2 has become the only game that does not respond to changes in frequency - both GPU and memory.
The GeForce GTX 770 looks great in the category of video cards, which can be described as relatively inexpensive and quite productive solutions. Among the variety of offers based on this model, the Palit GeFore GTX 770 JetStream stands out due to its combination of low price and virtually the maximum factory overclocking that the manufacturer can afford without resorting to liquid cooling. The point of buying such an adapter, like any other video cards with frequencies higher than the reference ones, is that for a certain amount you get a guarantee of overclocking to a certain frequency. But further overclocking depends on luck. In the GTX 770 JetStream we received, the GPU cannot be overclocked at all, which was partly compensated by a significant increase in memory frequency.
