GeForce GTX 1080 Overclocking Guide With AfterBurner 4.3.0 - Video Example - results and conclusion

A Little Extra Turbo Boost for your 1080 Sir?

Last week you guys have been able to read up on all the glory there is to be found regarding the GeForce GTX 1080. And though we briefly touched on the topic of overclocking in our reference article, there's was one bit missing; extended tweaking performance with AfterBurner. We really wanted to publish a separate article on it as a thing or two have changed with the new Pascal GPU product series that deserve some explaining. First off, we have multiple articles on GeForce GTX 1080, just so that you know:

• GeForce GTX 1080 Founders reference review
• GeForce GTX 1080 FCAT Frametime Analysis
• GeForce GTX 1080 Overclock guide

Overclocking never comes without risk, but it sure as heck is interesting to see how far you can take a card. As such today an article dedicated on overclocking the GeForce GTX 1080. You will notice that if you go for long lifespan that overclocking the old fashioned way will not disappoint. A good 1900 MHz on the GPU (reference air cooler) is certainly something you can achieve really easily. However with Nvidia's updated Dynamic Clock Adjustment technology (GPU Boost 3.0) things have changed a bit. Regardless of that you'll be able to tweak a lot more performance out of this complex 7.2 Billion transistor GPU, more than you think.

GPU Boost

Ever since the launch of Kepler and Maxwell GPUs the mainstream and high-end SKUs feature a Dynamic Clock Adjustment technology and we can explain it easily without any complexity. Typically when your graphics card is idle, the cards clock frequency will go down... yes? Well, obviously Pascal architecture cards will do this as well, yet it can work vice versa. If in a game the GPU has room left for some more, it will increase the clock frequency a little which adds some extra performance. You could say that the graphics card is maximizing it's available power threshold and target and other monitor registers. All this is managed by a dedicated hardware circuitry that monitors various aspects of the graphics card, from the GPU's power consumption and temperature to the actual GPU and memory utilization. All that information is processed by the GPU Boost software algorithm to determine what changes, if any, should be made to the GPU and memory clock speeds and voltages.

So what's new?

New starting at GeForce GTX 1070/1080 is a Utilization target, basically GeForce GTX 1080 monitors how much load an application producesand will try and match a certain target by downclocking. There's also a power limiter, OV max limiter, Voltage limiter, heck even SLI limiter and a temperature limiter. The nominal and default baseline temperature is 80 degrees Celsius. That is the balance in-between an acceptable temperature versus low noise levels versus Power consumtion. If you configure the temperature target at 90 degrees and the power target has room left then 1080  will increase the GPU Voltage a little bit. It'll then clock faster on the Turbo frequency until it reaches the now new temperature, power and or GPU utilization targets. Overclocking on that end will work the same as GPU boost will continue to work while overclocking, it stays restricted within a defined bracket. Boost 3.0 however brings in new features for voltage tweaking. Typically a GPU clock frequency was fixed at a certain MHz, they altered that to a base frequency, and then a Boost frequency. That Boost frequency would allow the GPU to reach high clocks if, say, the temperature of the GPU is low enough, or say the GPU would have low enough load. So, ever since it was introduced, dynamic clock frequencies and voltages have become a popular thing, Nvidia calls this Nvidia Boost, and it has now reached revision three.

A fundamental change has been made as the GPU is now even more adaptive and allows for per voltage point offsets. Meaning at certain stages on the GPU voltage clocks you will have a certain tolerance in your GPU Core frequency that point can take. The advantage here is that each stage can get a more optimal boost frequency (relative to voltage) and thus overclocking frequency. It looks  complex, but does offer a new technology to make these cards run faster at even higher clock frequencies.

So basically new addition would be:

1. Adjust per point vlock frequency frequency offset (controlled by the end user).
2. Overvoltage setting mode changes (exact voltage->set range 0%~100%), voltages are now based on percentage .
3. Add new limit option -> No load limit (=utilization limit)
4. This new NVAPI only supports PASCAL GPUs. meaning the new features that we discuss and sho today only will work on GEForce GTX 1070 and 1080 (and other TBA products).

Basically with future updates in overclocking software you will see mutilple stages of control:

• Regular voltage control in percentage (no longer can fixed/exact Voltage offsets be used). MsAximum voltage will vary based on temperature. 

Then on the GPU core frequency:

• Basic mode - a single clock frequency offset applied to all V/F points. 
• Linear mode control - You can specify a frequency offset for the maximum clock and minimum clocks. In AfterBurner this linearly interpolates to fill a curve.
• Manual mode - per point frequency offset control through the V/F editor in AfterBurner.
    

So, for tweaking a new option has arrived, it previously was a single frequency offset e.g. +50 MHz on the boost (still can be applied. But you other options; per point frequency tweaking. We are not sure yet if this is something the end-user will like, as seems a bit complex + voltage is now set on offset percentages. And if we learned one thing over the years, overclocking voltages needs to be as simple as possible for everybody.

Overclocking with Pascal GPUs

So before we begin to explore the new options, first this: the 'old way' of overclocking still is possible, in reality this would be what is referred to as basic mode, yet managed by the sliders that you guys all know and like.
When you want to overclock typically you need to verify and stabilize your tested settings. First off let us remind you that we always recommend increments of roughly 25 MHz on core and memory (from the default base clock frequency upwards). In the first stage you overclock your GPU, in the second the memory. Once you get artifacts or a lockup, back down 25 to 50 MHz and typically that is your stable result in it's highest threshold -- under the condition that the room temperature is the same (yes GPU heat and surrounding heat have an influence on your overclock). Related to heat is your graphics card cooling system. If you are willing to allow more noise, increase the fan RPM on the GPU towards a higher setting that you find comfortable. Cooling helps with overclocking, it's as simple as that. That backside of your graphics card however gets hot as well, give it some airflow too. So make sure your PC casing is well ventilated with decent airflow.

AfterBurner 3.0.0 (to be released)  comes with GPU and memory tuning, overvolting, allowing control and adjustment parameters for overclocking.
Original	This sample	Overclocked
Core Clock: 1607 MHz	Core Clock: 1607 MHz	Core Clock: 1697MHz
Boost Clock: 1733 MHz	Boost Clock: 1733 MHz	Boost Clock: 1925~1975 MHz
Memory Clock: 10000 MHz	Memory Clock: 10000 MHz	Memory Clock: 10800 MHz

For a regular (mild) tweak/overclock you could do something like above. As stated on the previous page, the Core Voltage control is now based on the percentage of maximum voltage frequency. Fixed offsets like +80mV are a thing of the past. Personally I am not a fan of this, but this is obviously by design from Nvidia. We applied:

• Power Target 120%
• Priority is set at power target and not temperature Target
• CPU clock +90 MHz
• Memory clock +400 MHz
• Voltage +75% (voltage is now an offset percentage).
• Fan control RPM fixed at 60% (a little more noisy but doable).

Depending on the card quality (GPU leakage), ambient heat and other factors you might need to drop another 15~25 MHz on the core clock offset but from what I have seen, the example shown above, is very stable on founder edition GeForce GTX 1080 cards. Now with this overclock we have extra performance at our hands, as the boost clock will now work in the ~1.950 GHz marker depending on the power and temperature offsets. This method is similar to the "basic" tweaking methodology we'll discuss in the next paragraph. Mind you that the 1950 MHz denoted is the clock frequency with the Unigine Heaven benchmark. That Boost frequency will pretty much differ per game/application. A more easy to render game will easily pass the 2.0 GHz marker, we've even seen 2.1 GHz. But the regular benchmarks are all hard on the GPU, the utilization, temp and power limiters will kick in and down-clock the GPU towards a scenario that remains stable.

GPU Boost 3.0 - Voltage/Frequency Curve Tweaking
 

Above Linear mode Curve tweaking (increase clock frequency with a relative but fixed offset in MHz).

So before we begin I like you to have a look at the AfterBurner screenshot above. Next to default overclocking with added that added core voltage %, Nvidia came up with a new methodology as explained in the GPU Boost 3.0 paragraph on the previous page and our Pascal GPU related articles. Basically with future updates in overclocking software you will see three new stages of clock frequency control. Basic, Linear and manual modes. Unwinder (the programmer of AfterBurner) has been hard at work with AfterBurner to get the what is called a V/F curve implementation ready. What you see here today is still in beta, however is being released today for you guys to try out as limited beta.
Mind you, this only will work with Pascal GPUs, meaning GeForce GTX 1070 and 1080 Founder editions. Later on more products will be supported as Nvidia is bound to release more Pascal SKUs.

Above basic or preferred mode Curve tweaking

Guidelines for using V/F Curve control

So how do you activate the new curve clock frequency control ? First off, you'll need a GeForce GTX 1070 or 1080 Founders edition or MSI Pascal based product (mind you that the current beta might not hold support just yet for all SKUs).

In this beta (4.3.0 Beta 3) there is no special button in the skin to launch the voltage/frequency editor, it is accessible via <Ctrl>+<F> keyboard shortcut. When voltage/frequency editor window is active and focused you can do the following things there:

• Adjust offsets for each point individually via dragging it with mouse ("manual" mode).
• Put an anchor on the edge of screen and use linear curve scaling via dragging any point with mouse and holding <Ctrl> button ("linear" mode).
• Apply the same fixed offset to all curve points via dragging any point with mouse and holding <Shift> button (let's call that "basic" mode). 
• While you're adjusting the curve you can apply the settings from main window and see how curve is changing in real-time, or you can use traditional clock controls (clock slider and clock text field) to see how they affect the curve.
• Press <Ctrl>+<D> to reset curve to default state

Now I have been fooling around with the new beta for a bit and we are able to reach the ~2025 MHz domain stable (depending on the software title in easy games we'd get 2100 MHz and on heavy ones like FireStrike 1950 MHz), you can obviously choose your preferred tweaking methodology I seem to prefer the basic mode by pointing at say 2050MHz combined with the control key. Basic mode can be used by pressing the SHIFT key and then drag around the Frequency points. This is very much the same as tweaking with the traditional core clock frequency slider as it'll add an offset towards the clock frequency, e.g. +100 MHz offset.

An example video of V/F Curve tweaking

Right, since all this might seem a little complicated I made a small video to demonstrate it in a real-world situation. Please do keep in mind that my English is pretty bad (being Dutch). AfterBurner comes with Pascal GPU memory tuning, overvolting, allowing control and adjustment parameters for overclocking as well as the new GPU Boost 3.0 implementation:

Original	This sample	Overclocked
Core Clock: 1607 MHz	Core Clock: 1607 MHz	Core Clock: 1782 MHz
Boost Clock: 1733 MHz	Boost Clock: 1733 MHz	Boost Clock: 1950~2050 MHz
Memory Clock: 10000 MHz	Memory Clock: 10000 MHz	Memory Clock: 10800 MHz

Now we'll push a little harder. If you are going to OC in the default manner (equal to a basic curve) and thus not with a linear curved clock freqeuncy tweaks then your values be something close to this (all based on a founders edition GeForce GTX 1080 card of course):

• Core Voltage : +100%
• Power Limit : 120 %
• Temp. limit : 85C 
• Core Clock : + 175
• Memory Clock : +575 (we found our maximum sweet spot here for GDDR5X), but we've heard stories of people reaching even 12000 MHz (effective data-rate).

So the results then, below the numbers are based upon the actual linear curve overclocking as shown in the video above. All in all you can add a little extra performance with that Boost frequency now hovering at ~ 2 GHz and the memory at 11000 MHz (effective data-rate). We expect AIB card with better cooling to more easily reach the 2.1 GHz domain. Let's startup 3DMark FireStrike and run a default (non-overclocked session to get the baseline result:

So above the results with the founders edition card at defaults, 19370 point, that's already pretty nice of course. But now let's look at the product when overclocked based on +100% Voltage and a curved V/F tweak (the one shown in the video).
  

So yes, we gained a nice 1302 points with this fairly modest tweak. We do have to say that the overclocks with pascal yield not a lot of extra performance compared to the GXT 900 series. Hence GTX 980 and GTX 980 Ti cards will remain popular for a while. Now obviously the same applies for gaming. Below a number of results based on the overclock as explained and described above.

And for brevity's sake, let's chart up the FireStrike results as well:

Final Words 

You are going to really like the overclocking the GeForce GTX 1070 and 1080 with the new V/F controls. Other however just as well should just stick to that old fashion method with the sliders. It works just as well and yields the same results really. 

The new Boost features work out well, however let's be totally honest here, they mostly are safety features rather then tweaking features, really don't let Nvidia fool you. If you set the GPU temp target at 90 Degrees C, then once it hits that point it will start to downclock in one way or another. That's a safety feature, certainly not an overclock feature. It's the same with utilization limiters and also the same with the power limiter, you get an TDP assigned and once you pass that power signature it downclocks, and thus by design that stuff is not going to help you with your overclock, contrary... by design it's there to keep the card from frying itself. And that once again literally means that all GeForce GTX 1070 and 1080 cards based on a reference design will perform rougly the same with a certain set of parameters and Frequency thresholds aside from your usual exception here and there (ASIC quality and temperature will be very important for this factor).

The GeForce GTX 1080 is impressive in it's default performance already, and yes, tweaking doubles the fun. Heck even without voltage tweaking the 1080 yields results by just fooling with temperature and power targets and clock frequency.While not heaps, it is extra free extra performance, at little extra risk (if you do it right). So grab yourself the new AfterBurner tweaking software if you feel you want that additional performance, experiment a little -- we can definitely recommend that. First off, we have multiple articles on GeForce GTX 1080, just so that you know:

• GeForce GTX 1080 Founders reference review
• GeForce GTX 1080 FCAT Frametime Analysis
• GeForce GTX 1080 Overclock guide

Recommended  Downloads

• MSI AfterBurner 4.3.0 Beta 3
• Unigine Heaven Stress test
• 3DMark 11
• 3DMark (2013)