Deciding that you've clocked it too high

Amino · Dec 5, 2002

How do you decide that you've clocked your card too high? I've got an Albatron ti4200 Turbo clocked at 300/635. I've been reading about it and I've seen that EVERYONE is having problems overclocking this card, but I don't know if I just lucked out and got a good card or if I've overclocked it too far and just don't know it.

I get a lot of page tearing in 3DMark & UT2K3, but no artifacts whatsoever. But I also get page tearing in UT2K3 when I set it to default speeds (I havent checked it out in 3DMark at defaults yet). Is page tearing a bad sign, or is it ok? Because I really don't mind playing with it too much.

Namagomi · Dec 5, 2002

Easy. If it crashes, or if their are noticeable artifacts on the screen.

Amino · Dec 5, 2002

Ok, by noticable, do you mean like, it's REALLY obvious? Because I can sorta see the edges of the models in UT2003. There are white lines at the edges when I look at the models from certain angles (and only at certain angles, not all the time). And it's only NOTICABLE when the match is over and the camera is focused on one model and is REALLY close up.

Namagomi · Dec 5, 2002

yeah, i'd say clock it down a bit, or improve your cooling. Because hey, exactally how noticeable would it be if you clocked that thing down a bit? You'll still be running WAY over 60fps anyway.

FTC · Dec 5, 2002

Well,

I do three things :
1) Progressively increase speeds and watch 3dmk2001 for visual artifacts and/or hangs
2) use the 'artifact tester' utility to check for artifacts at the choosen speed (both tests) increasing speed until artifacts are encountered and reported.
3) Pick the lower speed from 1) AND 2) and add a 1-2% margin in account for temp and/or cooling or hw variations in the future.

This method has been extremely solid for me.

Regards
FTC

Punkmasterflick · Dec 5, 2002

where do i find the 'artifact test'?

Trap · Dec 5, 2002

Yeah i would like to know where to find the artifact tester too

I'll try via google

mirko_3 · Dec 5, 2002

I find that artifact tester isn't really all that useful, though it's quicker that running 3dmark. As for the page tearing, it's just a guess, but try enabling vsync...

Hurk · Dec 5, 2002

If I can play games without overclocking at a good framerate, I don't overclock. It does harm your card for long periods of use and will cause early breakdown. Sooo, if you don't need it clocked, don't clock it.

TerroH8er · Dec 5, 2002

Just for kicks, I tried the Artifact Tester with my old GF2MX400 that was overclocked, and it had really BAD artifacts, and it told me there were no artifacts.

Don't rely on Artifact Tester, it might work for you but nothing beats running 3dmark

FTC · Dec 5, 2002

That's why I use BOTH (artifact tester AND 3dMark). Note that artifact tester CAN also find errors that are not evident with 3dmark. Been there, tried that.

Regarding URL for artifact tester, lost the link, but it should not be difficult to find with an ftp search or in any of those 'video utils' sites such as guru3d, m3dzone or similar.

Regards
FTC

Amino · Dec 5, 2002

Well, like I said, I'm getting NOOOO artifacts at all. Just page tears... But I get page tearing in UT2003 with stock speeds as well... I think it may not be page tearing though and it's just that UT2003 is so demanding.

There is a lot of page tearing in the Dragothic tests and those swirly color dodge tests though. But I think it only happens in those tests. And I don't wanna clock it down (said in a whiny voice)! -- I'm getting 83.5 fps in Game4 with no AA at 1024 w/ 32bit color!

But at any rate, what I really need to know is if page tearing is as bad for your video card as having artifacts all over the place.

DaBigJ · Dec 5, 2002

page tearing? isn't that caused by having vsync disabled? (fps is much much higher than refresh rate, and causes this page tearing) Check to see if vsync is turned on in your settings. If I understand what you mean by page tearing then this will fix your problem.

Amino · Dec 5, 2002

well, I turned on vsync. But it says "on by default" which may mean that some stuff turns it off am I right?

You turn it on in the same menu selection area as the nv overclocker right?

funnyperson1 · Dec 5, 2002

Amino said:
well, I turned on vsync. But it says "on by default" which may mean that some stuff turns it off am I right?

You turn it on in the same menu selection area as the nv overclocker right?

yes, 3dmark and other programs turn it off....switch it to Always on if you want it to go away

Overclocker550 · Dec 5, 2002

the artifact tester is only for 2-d. sometimes I see artifacts streak across the desktop, esp with old cards when the ram is OCed too high! its usually colored lines streaking across horzontally. one time there was very pretty artifacts in quake3 when I oced a tnt2 vanta, it looked like xmas lights. there were colored dots all over the walls and floors!

funnyperson1 · Dec 5, 2002

i never got artifact tester to detect anything with my Geforce2, but the one that came bundled with the omega drivers for my 8500 actually worked and detected artifacts as consistently as 3dmark did....and it only tests ram, not gpu

Amino · Dec 6, 2002

funnyperson1 said:
yes, 3dmark and other programs turn it off....switch it to Always on if you want it to go away

I don't have the "always on" option! How do I get it? Different drivers?

Lt. Max · Dec 6, 2002

when my ti 200 mem goes too high some of the textures stretch themselves infinetly... if core too high.. i crash

Overclocker550 · Dec 6, 2002

Lt. Max, your avator got removed! was it of some female model?

Deciding that you've clocked it too high

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