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| Overclocking
Results: |
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When it comes to overclocking videocards, we like to
start with the GPU core first. The ATI 'R430' GPU in
the PowerColor X800 GTO videocard is clocked at 398 MHz by default (or
400MHz if you like round numbers), and so the speed was increased in 5
MHz intervals.
The X800 GTO played nicely all the way up to 438 MHz, which is about a 10% core overclock. Anything higher and ATI's GPU recover software would pop up to complain after a benchmark. There were no visible artifacts on the screen, but since GPU recover was activated we limited the attempt at core overclocking to 438 MHz.
Next up was the 128MB of Samsung K4D26323QG-GC2A memory.
If you're on the ball, you'll recognize that this is the same DRAM found on the Radeon 9700 and Radeon 9800 Pro videocards. Starting at 351 MHz, the memory frequency was increased in 5 MHz intervals as well. Overclocking the memory was not as fun as the core and it quickly fizzled out at 378 MHz.
Despite our mediocre overclocking results, the PowerColor X800 GTO actually performed noticeably better in the benchmark tests! Goes to show you that overclocking, even a little, can have make a noticeable impact.
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experts tip: automatic overclocking programs |
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automatic overclocking software might sound like it takes some of the fun
out of overclocking, but it's a great tool for newbie users who want to learn
the ropes. ATi
Tool supports automatic core and memory
overclocking, and it works quite well by most accounts. If you're a budding enthusiasts who wants to
know what to watch for, look at how ATi Tool does things. To
use ATi Tool's automatic overclocker, first download and install the program. Once that's done
run it and click the "Find Max Core" and "Find
Max Mem" buttons. That will overclock an ATI-based videocard's core and memory to its maximum
speeds, all the while trying to spot artifacts and or graphics card
lock ups. It's the fast food of overclocking; quick and easy. |
| Comments and Feedback? Suggest a Tweak. |
Prelude to Benchmarks
The details of how the PowerColor X800 GTO videocard test system was
configured for benchmarking, including the specific hardware, software drivers,
operating system and benchmark versions are indicated below. In the second
column are the general specs for the reference platforms this Radeon X800 GTO
videocard is to be compared against. Please take a moment to look over PCSTATS
test system configurations before moving on to the individual benchmark
results.
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| PCSTATS Test System Configurations |
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* For some reason the PowerColor X800 GTO would not
complete Quake 4 tests, that benchmark has been omitted.
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