Graphics card - burning in?

[beedubaya]

Whenever you buy a new graphics card, I hear all the time that you are supposed to let them "burn-in" before you overclock them. What actually is "burning-in", what actually takes place within the hardware, and why must a card be "burned-in" to overclock? Thanks for any replies.

 

[majistic]

just overclock until you have light artifacts, then loop 3Dmark (any version) for 24 hours or something, until the artifacts decrease.

 

[sypher0101]

There's a program you can get I think it's called "Burn In Test" which actually Burns in your hardware..video, ram, cpu, mobo..stuff like that. I personally havn't used it..yet..but apparently it's reccomended you use it on brand new machines to give all the new components a good work out...just to make sure there's no duds or parts that's gonna fail soon after.

You should leave your computer on for at least 24 while running this Burn in test

 

[DoomUK]

give all the new components a good work out...just to make sure there's no duds or parts that's gonna fail soon after.

I think that's pretty much the definition of 'burning in'. If you OC immediately upon purchasing new hardware and the device/s fail, then you have to deal with the contingency of the overclock to diagnose the issue, i.e whether it's a fault that existed from the factory or whether it was the OC killed your device.

beedubaya: congrats on getting your 6800 GT How is it?

 

[Shumway]

If you have Sandra look in there,I'm pretty sure they have a burn in program somewhere in there

 

[PZEROFGH]

hmm, i should have "burned in" my stuff lol

 

[Nubius]

well...since no one really gave you an explination of what it is or why you need it here it is in a nutshell.

As you know heat = expansion...when you let your card have a burn in period the transistors heat up and expand which will then generally make them more prone to higher overclocks.

I especially noticed this on my 6600GT...it could only go to 999MHz memory (yes, mine was 500/900 stock evga AGP) and after about of week of gaming I tried overclocking again and it maxed out at around 1123...so in my experience a burn in period definitely helps.

This isn't to say you'll always notice a difference, but generally I don't like to overclock until I've had the card about a week or so.

 

[j4ckaL]

I knew about burning in headphones but I never heard of burning in PC hardware. Good to know.

 

[GuitarFreak1857]

never heard of burning in, period

 

[Nubius]

what the hell? Burning in headphones? Now that's one I've never heard of