Gainward GF3 Crapping out when OC'ed

[Krowa 02]

I have been using this Gainward GF3 for about a year, and im finally starting to oc it, but hte problem is, once I go above a certain speed (forgot the speed, but it wasent that high from stock) it would get choppy with block spots flickering accross the screen while I benched it. Could this be a cooling problem? or could it just be a ****ty card (I bought this card a year ago because I had to get something better than my voodoo 5)

If this card is a pos, I might as well just keep it unless I can find a cheap replacement that I can oc, but I would rather just wait until I get my next rid (probably in a year) I just want to run stable in games better than my old rig if possible.

 

[Yodums]

Cooling I'm guessing. In your sig it lists your ambient as 35 degrees which may cause your video card to be very hot! How's your airflow and all? Try upgrading the GPU Cooling + better Ramsinks.

 

[Pinky]

Video cards don't overclock that well without some form of modification (see my sig for proof of that statement ).

 

[Krowa 02]

I have 2 fans pumping air in as well as 2 behind the cpu pumping it out. The fan on the side of my case is shooting air almost directly onto the video card, I was going to buy a new cooler for it, but I guess I am sure I will do that now. Hopefully this will give me better results.

 

[Pinky]

Maybe I should clarify my prior post in saying "Most video cards don't overclock well." (period)

I know watercooling and other forms of extreme cooling get you some good (20+%) increases, but on air the most people klike you and me see, even with modifications, are rarely higher than 15%. I'm not big on spending $15-35 on video card cooling for $10 in performance gain, which is typically what I see happen when people mod their cards and come back only to get 5mhz more core of 20mhz more on their memory after dumping $35 on ramsinks and a gpu cooler upgrade.

 

[Zaynee]

Video cards don't overclock that well without some form of modification (see my sig for proof of that statement ).

well, not all cards are like that..

for instance, my Gainward GF3 Ti200 GoldenSample does 280/580 with the stock cooling and all, no mods..

but, it's really a luck of the draw, my first card only did 230/520 max before it died 2 months after I got it, good thing for Gainward and their 3 yr warrenty..

 

[Krowa 02]

Hrmm, maybe ill max out this card just for the hell of it and send it back to them in hopes of getting a better one .