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Overclocking Sapphire HD 6950 2GB (reference)

post #1 of 50
8/14/12 at 10:35pm
Thread Starter 
Alright so, I'm still a bit new to overclocking but I'm gonna try my best to not sound like
a total moron typing this thread..

I've been tinkering with my Sapphire HD 6950 card for a while now and for some reason
I can't clock the core any higher than 930Mhz before the card shuts itself off (Crashes).
However, I've been seeing that people have been able to overclock it to beyond 1000Mhz.

What am I doing wrong? Or is this just the max for me?
Shaders are unlocked and I'm using the 6970 bios.

Settings:


Card:


Any help would be appreciated smile.gif
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post #2 of 50
8/15/12 at 1:44am
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The guys that shoot for high clocks are also modifying the voltage of the card (this is where risk comes into play)
You can get to 930 on stock voltage, then you will have to gradually raise the voltage (usually only available in MSI Afterburner) a small amount before being able to push the card further.
I am not running a similar card, so I can't recommend a voltage.
This may be a good thread to look into, as another person hit a wall at 930 with the same card
http://www.overclock.net/t/1168376/sapphire-6950-2gb-more-voltage/20_20

A few of the guys who really push for high clock speeds (1k+) will alter the bios of the card to support a higher voltage cap.
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post #3 of 50
8/15/12 at 3:01am
Thread Starter 
Yeah I boosted the voltage to almost 1.2 earlier and I still was unstable. I'll give it another shot though, thanks.

+rep

Edit:
Now another question comes into play, is it safe to overclock the memory while over-volting?


Edit 2: I think I might have found the problem, I cranked up my fan to 100% while benching and I didn't crash. The weird thing is though, when I was crashing I was only getting up to 73 Celsius MAX. Does AMD have some kind of built in shut-off?
Edited by Videowarrior - 8/15/12 at 3:13am
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post #4 of 50
8/15/12 at 3:27am
Thread Starter 
Strange, but seems to be the problem..

My power supply (Which is brand new) is only a 600W and is killing my GPU because its drawing too much power when OC'd.
I'll probably sell this one and get a new 1000W, I'll post again once I buy a new PSU.
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post #5 of 50
8/15/12 at 3:36am
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That's odd....
I'd try someone else's PSU before ordering another.
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post #6 of 50
8/15/12 at 3:47am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Z32 View Post

That's odd....
I'd try someone else's PSU before ordering another.

I figured it was the PSU after seeing this:
http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=354643

But yeah, I'll take your advice on that.
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post #7 of 50
8/15/12 at 3:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Videowarrior View Post

I figured it was the PSU after seeing this:
http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=354643
But yeah, I'll take your advice on that.

Yes try another 600W quality PSU maybe? It could be a faulty PSU because 600W should be fine to run a single 6950 and a 965BE..
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post #8 of 50
8/15/12 at 4:02am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt-Matt View Post

Yes try another 600W quality PSU maybe? It could be a faulty PSU because 600W should be fine to run a single 6950 and a 965BE..

Yeah, it SHOULD work.. But I'm also planning on getting a second 6950 card to Crossfire. Maybe I'll
just RMA this PSU and get my money back (I've only had it for a month).

Edit: Can't get my money back, only get a replacement. Bummer.

Edit 2: Can't even send it back, even more bummer.
Edited by Videowarrior - 8/15/12 at 4:11am
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post #9 of 50
8/15/12 at 5:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Videowarrior View Post

Yeah, it SHOULD work.. But I'm also planning on getting a second 6950 card to Crossfire. Maybe I'll
just RMA this PSU and get my money back (I've only had it for a month).
Edit: Can't get my money back, only get a replacement. Bummer.
Edit 2: Can't even send it back, even more bummer.

Wow, you should test it.. What makes you think you can't send it back?
You might have to sell it at a loss.. Which really sucks. redface.gif

You might be better holding out and selling the 6950 and getting a 670 or something. The performance isn't the same but you won't have to replace the PSU and it has less issues (cooling/power/drivers).
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post #10 of 50
8/15/12 at 7:45am
i had my reference 6950 up to 950 @ 1.125

i had also patched the shaders to 6970 however. perhaps that makes a difference

also, are you sure you have the TDP at +20%?

im looking to sell it if you were looking for a second one.
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