Okay guys give me a crash course in gpu usage with MSI afterburner.
What is core clock (MHZ) What does it control? What happens when I raise and lower that slider?
What is memory clock(MhZ) What does it control? What happens when I raise and lower its slider?
What is Core Voltage (mV)? What does it control? What happens when I raise and lower its slider?
How hot should my gpu be?
Can I tear this thing by playing with these sliders?
What levels should they be at?
Quick tutorial just for you (god damn am I procrastinating here!). At least, this is how I do it:
Increase the core clock in steps of 25 MHz, then run a Benchmark program like Unigine Heaven or Valley (I use Valley because it's prettier) at max settings to test stability.
If your GPU makes it through the benchmark, make a mental note of the score, raise the core clock by another 25 MHz and run Heaven/Valley again. Repeat.
Sooner or later, one of three things will happen: You'll either get artifacts, your computer will crash, or the benchmark score will no longer rise or even drop because the GPU throttles.
This is the point where you either dial back your overclock to the last stable value and move on to the memory clock, or increase the core voltage. Overvolting is risky and
can damage your card, but google for opinions as to what would be relatively safe values for your GPU model and decide if it's worth it for you. A mild overvolting can get you some extra MHz without radically shortening your GPU's life span.
Whatever you do, once you reach a stable value for the core clock, move on to the memory clock. Same procedure: raise by 25 MHz, run Heaven/Valley, mental note of score, repeat, etc.
Keep an eye on the GPU temps while benching. Generally speaking, under 80°C is what you should be aiming for. If you can live with the noise, you can play around with the fan speed or set up a more aggressive custom fan curve in Afterburner to keep your card cooler.
A stable overclock in Unigine might not be stable under "real life" conditions, so once you have your final overclock, do some gaming. I use Witcher 2 for my final real-life test because I've found it's really picky, but other demanding games like Battlefield 3 or Crysis 3 will work as well. If the games crash, dial back your overclock in little steps (like 10 MHz) until they don't. Done.
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 4GB Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Arctic White) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit)
If you're not doing media work, the i7 is a waste. Get an i5-3570K instead.
Also, add a Cooler Master 212 EVO heatsink for overclocking.
If you can wait a little, wait for the AMD 7XXX series prices to drop. As it stands now, the
7970 GHz Edition is roughly comparable to the 770 and a hundred dollars cheaper. (Also: free games!) Will probably get even cheaper in the next weeks when the R9 cards release.
The
Seasonic G 550 is the better choice for a PSU.
The Define R4 is a great case with room to spare. Don't worry.
Could I safely set the CPU Target Temp to let's say 60 or 65°C so my fan doesn't go as crazy while turbo-boosting to 3.7ghz?
