PowerColor X800 GTO 128MB 256-bit Video Card Review - Overclocking
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The R430 core is not renowned for being a serious overclocker. From what I’ve read before, it seems reasonable to expect a maximum 30 MHz gain on the clock speed and a 30 MHz gain on the memory, giving us a 430/380 card. While drawing less power is an advantage and may allow you to use less expensive power supplies, this card’s lack of the extra power connector might limit overclocks too. What this card does have going for it is a nice heatsink that seems to have been intended for an X800 GT.
More expensive GTOs often use R480 cores, which are known to overclock somewhat better. The best GTO overclock I’ve seen was able to push the core up 160 MHz and the memory up 70 MHz, making it 560/560. The performance gain was nice, but keep in mind that buying a better core like that will push you up into a higher price bracket. We're looking at a more basic video card, and I wouldn’t expect a $120 card to oc like a $200 one. The R430 is very good for this price range. I think it’s great to have the x800 cores down around $100.
Anyway, here are the default speeds, according to ATI Tool.
The X800 GTO 128 MB core overclocked beyond what I actually expected as a maximum. The core went up to 439 MHz, and the memory went up to 384 MHz without artifacting. Of course, it wasn’t stable until I dropped it a little bit. Here’s the stable overclock I achieved.
It turned out to be 436.5 / 380.25. The core exceeded my expectations, but the memory was right on target. Overall, the card is a mediocre overclocker, but I certainly would not expected more than this.
Let’s see how playable game performance is and how this card performs while oc’d.
Next: Doom 3, Far Cry, 3D Mark 2005 Benchmarks >>
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