first time use atitool

[bkolk]

ok so ive never overclocked anything before, but im bored and wanna try a small to moderate overclock on my 9800 pro using atitool. So i got a couple questions
1. should i be using ati tool or something else for first time overclocker?
2. if i use Atitool, and raise the clock speed and set clock, and find a clock speed i like, would i need to turn on atitool and leave it running if i want that clock speed to stay?
3. If i wanted to restore defaults and not overclock the card anymore, is it as easy as hitting the default setting on atitool.

[ffmedic12]

I just started using ATITool also for the same card. To answer your questions based on what I've found so far:

1. I've found ATITool to work very well. There are other OC programs for ATI cards, this one, for me anyways seems to be the most user friendly.

2. Once you set the clock you can save it as a profile. You can have various different profiles. Once you set the clock, you can close out of ATITool all together and keep your new rate. Once you reboot your sys, it sets it back to default.

3. Yes.

I used the "find max core" function. That seemed to work the best. Just let it run. Mine ended up being 418.50 core and 337.50 mem.

If you goto settings and use the drop done list at the top, you can set options for start up and all that kind of stuff.

Hope this helps.

[bkolk]

thx, it does help.

Do you have stock cooling ffmedic12?
Also, how long do you let the artifact scan run.

I used the "find max core" function. That seemed to work the best. Just let it run. Mine ended up being 418.50 core and 337.50 mem.

did you not change the memory at all? thats my stock speed.

[ffmedic12]

Stock fan for now. When you hit the find max core it will start by raising the core and then it will go into artifact scan or a heatup cycle. It will switch back and forth bwtn the two. Mine ran for about 20mins on the find max core setting. It got to a point where the core rate was to high and strated to find artifacts, then it began to drop the core rate until no more artifacts were found. Like I said I let it run for 20 mins or so until it stablized and I noticed no more increase in core rate and no more artifacts showed up. I think the scan for artifacts button is if you run up the core manually. With the find max core it's all automatic to find the best possible rate.

[doodle dee]

"418.50 core and 337.50 mem", the core is faster than 9800xt right? but you kept memory default? do you plan on tweaking the memory settings too?

[bkolk]

Originally posted by doodle dee
"418.50 core and 337.50 mem", the core is faster than 9800xt right?

yea, i believe 9800xt core speed is 412
got that from this site http://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/

[bkolk]

i tried the find max core feature, it got up to 400mhz and i heard the fan speed up, so i aborted. Im very apprehensive to push this thing to its max speed because it is on stock cooling and i have no way to see its temperature.

I opened the case and have a fan blowing in just in case tho =p

Any reasurances that i can push this thing without any permanent damage, like if it gets too hot i can shut it off (or it shuts itself off, i hope it would do this) let it cool put it to stock speeds and it should be fine?

[doodle dee]

thats the thing, our 9800 pros run hot, and there's no temp reading. (your card might have a temp sensor, i will find out this weekend if i do or not). There's no guarantee what will happen to your card if you overclock it...its a trial and error...

[bkolk]

nope, mine doesnt have a temp sensor

[ffmedic12]

As far as the memory speed, I didn't try it any further. When I used the "Find max core" it dropped my mem down .50, not much at all. Once you adjust the core, if you use the "find max mem" function it gives a warning that it will lower the core to obtain the max mem. So I left the core OC and mem what it had adjusted itself to during the find max core auto procedure. I'm still learning. I'm going to try to push the mem manualy when I find more about ATITool.

I'm under the mindset, if I burn it up, it will be justification for an upgrade.!