Overclocking gpu increases benchmark scores but makes no physical difference?

[stainer711]

Is it true that when you overclock your GPU you may actually see no performance increase but will get better scores in 3dmark? How is this so? I thought that the only way to boost 3dmark scores was to have your hardware running more efficiently or having better hardware. I seriously doubt that 3dmark would yield a higher score than before an overclock without there being a performance increase. I just don't think it is possible or logical, so could someone explain to me if this rumor is false or true and explain why?

 

[Apokalipse]

I think the people who say that really mean "it won't give a noticable improvement"
as in, it will be faster, but you won't actually see or notice the difference

 

[Nitestick]

basically what apokalipse said. it will boost performance to a degree that will be noticed by an intensive benchmark like 3dmark but it may be so little that you yourself do not notice.

 

[FghtinIrshNvrDi]

which is why when I get my new Asus X700 in the mail, I won't be overclocking it...

Ryan

 

[idiotec]

Not to say that it will never yield a difference that will not be noticed in real world performance. In many situations a nice overclock can be the difference of being able to run one step higher resolution, or 2xAA to 4xAA, etc. It can definitely make a difference in actual game play.

 

[stainer711]

Ever since i overclocked my card CS:S stopped being so jittery. I don't know about you guys, but it did wonders for me.

 

[Ulti_DOOM]

it would make a physical difference but it just wouldnt take any effect because most games these days have built in frame-limiters to maintain gameplay... if your playing a game like Doom 3 try entering showfps 1 in the console to display you FPS and then disable the frame limiter...trust me youl notice a huge dirrence.

 

[Nubius]

definitely allowed for me to run higher settings in games but then again I OC'd my quite a bit since it's on water, however a good after market cooler like the NVSilencer or whatever zalman is putting out these days can yeild the same results.

 

[Nitestick]

summary: depends on how well you overclock the card.