GPU Memory Clock Speed vs GPU Core Clock Speed
Graphics processing units (GPUs) are an integral part of modern computers, responsible for rendering graphics and performing other computer-intensive tasks. A key aspect of a GPU’s performance is its clock speed, which refers to the speed at which the GPU’s various components operate. There are two main types of clock speed in a Graphics Card: memory clock speed and core clock speed. Understanding the difference between these two types of clock speed and how they impact performance is essential for anyone looking to optimize their GPU’s performance.
Memory clock speed, also known as memory frequency, refers to the speed at which the GPU’s memory operates. Memory is responsible for storing data that the GPU needs to access quickly, such as textures and 3D models. The faster the memory clock speed, the faster the GPU can access this data and the better it will perform.
Memory clock speed is usually measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). For example, a GPU with a memory clock speed of 8 GHz can access its memory 8 billion times per second.
Memory clock speed is an essential factor in a GPU’s performance, particularly for tasks that require the GPU to access a lot of data. A higher memory clock speed means that the GPU can access its memory faster, leading to a performance increase. However, it’s important to note that increasing the memory clock speed of a GPU will also increase its power consumption and heat output. As a result, it’s essential to consider the trade-offs between performance and power efficiency when overclocking a GPU’s memory clock speed.
One way to increase the memory clock speed of a GPU is through the practice of overclocking. Overclocking refers to the practice of increasing a GPU’s clock speeds beyond the speeds that it was designed to run at. By increasing the GPU’s memory clock speed, you can potentially improve its performance in tasks that require a lot of data access. However, it’s important to note that overclocking can also increase the risk of hardware failure and may void your GPU’s warranty.
The extent to which GPU overclocking can improve performance will depend on a number of factors, including the specific GPU being used, the cooling system in place, and the specific task being performed. In general, overclocking is more likely to have a significant impact on tasks that are highly reliant on the GPU’s memory, such as 3D modelling and high-resolution video playback. For tasks that are less reliant on memory, the impact of overclocking may be less noticeable.
It’s also worth noting that the potential performance improvements from overclocking will generally decrease as the GPU’s memory clock speed is increased. This is because the GPU will reach a point where it is no longer able to function reliably at higher clock speeds. As a result, it’s important to find the right balance between performance and stability when overclocking a GPU’s memory clock speed.
In addition to overclocking, there are other ways to optimize a GPU’s memory clock speed. For example, using high-quality memory modules with low latency can help to improve performance.
It’s also important to ensure that the GPU is properly cooled, as overheating can lead to reduced performance and even hardware failure. Finally, using the latest drivers and software optimizations can help to ensure that the GPU is running at its best.
Overall, memory clock speed is an important factor in a GPU’s performance, particularly for tasks that require a lot of data access. By understanding the impact of memory clock speed and how to optimize it, you can help to ensure that your GPU is running at its best.
Core clock speed, also known as GPU clock speed or processor clock speed, refers to the speed at which the GPU’s processor operates. The processor is responsible for executing instructions and performing calculations, and the faster it operates, the more calculations it can perform in a given period of time.
Like memory clock speed, core clock speed is usually measured in MHz or GHz. A GPU with a core clock speed of 1.5 GHz can execute 1.5 billion instructions per second.
The impact of core clock speed on performance will depend on the specific task being performed. For functions that are highly reliant on the GPU’s processor, such as gaming and video rendering, a higher core clock speed will typically result in better performance. For tasks that are less reliant on the processor and more reliant on the GPU’s other components, such as memory, the impact of core clock speed may be less noticeable.
It’s important to note that increasing the core clock speed of a GPU will also increase its power consumption and heat output. As a result, it’s important to consider the trade-offs between performance and power efficiency when overclocking a GPU’s core clock speed.
Like memory clock speed, the core clock speed can be increased by overclocking. Overclocking refers to the practice of increasing a GPU’s clock speeds beyond the speeds that it was designed to run at. By increasing the GPU’s core clock speed, you can potentially improve its performance in tasks that require a lot of calculations.
However, it’s important to note that overclocking can also increase the risk of hardware failure and may void your GPU’s warranty.
The extent to which GPU overclocking can improve performance will depend on a number of factors, including the specific GPU being used, the cooling system in place, and the specific task being performed. In general, overclocking is more likely to have a significant impact on tasks that are highly reliant on the GPU’s processor, such as gaming and video rendering. For tasks that are less reliant on the processor, the impact of overclocking may be less noticeable.
It’s also worth noting that the potential performance improvements from overclocking will generally decrease as the GPU’s core clock speed is increased. This is because the GPU will reach a point where it is no longer able to function reliably at higher clock speeds. As a result, it’s important to find the right balance between performance and stability when overclocking a GPU’s core clock speed.
In addition to overclocking, there are other ways to optimize a GPU’s core clock speed. For example, using a high-quality power supply and maintaining proper airflow in the computer can help to ensure that the GPU has the power and cooling it needs to operate at its best. It’s also important to use the latest drivers and software optimizations, as these can help to improve the GPU’s performance.
Overall, core clock speed is an important factor in a GPU’s performance, particularly for tasks that require a lot of calculations. By understanding the impact of core clock speed and how to optimize it, you can help to ensure that your GPU is running at its best.
The main difference between memory clock speed and core clock speed is the component of the GPU that they refer to. Memory clock speed refers to the speed of the GPU’s memory, while core clock speed refers to the speed of the GPU’s processor.
While both types of clock speeds are important for a GPU’s performance, they have different impacts on overall performance.
Memory clock speed is more important for tasks that require the GPU to access a lot of data, such as 3D modelling and high-resolution video playback. Core clock speed is more important for tasks that require a lot of calculations, such as gaming and video rendering.
FPS, or frames per second, is a measure of a GPU’s performance in games and other applications that rely on real-time graphics rendering. A higher FPS means that the GPU is able to render more frames in a given period of time, resulting in smoother gameplay or video.
The memory clock speed can have an impact on FPS, but the effect is generally smaller than the effect of core clock speed. Memory clock speed is more important for tasks that require the GPU to access a lot of data, such as 3D modelling and high-resolution video playback. In these cases, a higher memory clock speed can lead to better performance and higher FPS.
For games, the main factor that determines FPS is usually the core clock speed of the GPU.
A higher core clock speed means that the GPU’s processor can execute more instructions per second, leading to faster rendering and higher FPS.
As mentioned above, the core clock speed of a GPU is a key factor in the GPU’s performance, particularly for tasks that require a lot of calculations. A higher core clock speed means that the GPU’s processor can execute more instructions per second, leading to faster performance.
The impact of core clock speed on performance will depend on the specific task being performed. For tasks that are highly reliant on the GPU’s processor, such as gaming and video rendering, a higher core clock speed will typically result in better performance.
For tasks that are less reliant on the processor and more reliant on the GPU’s other components, such as memory, the impact of core clock speed may be less noticeable.
It’s important to note that increasing the core clock speed of a GPU will also increase its power consumption and heat output.
As a result, it’s important to consider the trade-offs between performance and power efficiency when overclocking a GPU’s core clock speed.
Like core clock speed, the memory clock speed can have a significant impact on a GPU’s performance, particularly for tasks that require the GPU to access a lot of data. A higher memory clock speed means that the GPU can access its memory faster, leading to better performance.
The impact of memory clock speed on performance will depend on the specific task being performed. For tasks that require the GPU to access a lot of data, such as 3D modelling and high-resolution video playback, a higher memory clock speed will typically result in better performance. For tasks that are less reliant on memory, the impact of memory clock speed may be less noticeable.
It’s important to note that increasing the memory clock speed of a GPU will also increase its power consumption and heat output. As a result, it’s essential to consider the trade-offs between performance and power efficiency when overclocking a GPU’s memory clock speed.
The relative importance of clock speed and memory in a GPU will depend on the specific task being performed. For functions that are highly reliant on the GPU’s processor, such as gaming and video rendering, a higher core clock speed will typically be more important. For tasks that require the GPU to access a lot of data, such as 3D modelling and high-resolution video playback, a higher memory clock speed will typically be more important.
In general, it’s important to have a balance between both clock speed and memory. A GPU with a high clock speed but low memory may struggle to perform tasks that require a lot of data access, while a GPU with a high amount of memory but a low clock speed may struggle to perform tasks that require a lot of calculations.
Overclocking refers to the practice of increasing a GPU’s clock speeds beyond the speeds that it was designed to run at. By increasing the GPU’s clock speeds, you can potentially improve its performance in certain tasks.
However, it’s important to note that overclocking can also increase the risk of hardware failure and may void your GPU’s warranty.
The extent to which GPU overclocking can improve performance will depend on a number of factors, including the specific GPU being used, the cooling system in place, and the specific task being performed. In general, overclocking is more likely to have a significant impact on tasks that are highly reliant on the GPU’s processor or memory, such as gaming and video rendering. For tasks that are less reliant on the GPU, the impact of overclocking may be less noticeable.
It’s also worth noting that the potential performance improvements from overclocking will generally decrease as the GPU’s clock speeds are increased. This is because the GPU will reach a point where it is no longer able to function reliably at higher clock speeds.
In summary, GPU memory clock speed and GPU core clock speed are two important factors that determine a GPU’s performance.
Memory clock speed refers to the speed at which the GPU’s memory operates, while core clock speed refers to the speed at which the GPU’s processor operates.
The relative importance of these two clock speeds will depend on the specific task being performed, with memory clock speed being more important for tasks that require a lot of data access and core clock speed being more important for tasks that require a lot of calculations. Both clock speeds can be increased through the practice of overclocking, but it’s important to consider the potential risks and trade-offs involved. By understanding the differences between memory clock speed and core clock speed and how they impact performance, you can make informed decisions about optimizing your GPU’s performance.
Some of the most dependable GPUs come from brands such as Intel, AMD, MSI and NVIDIA, with the latter being the most popular for its RTX and GTX ranges, due to their impressive abilities to handle a large workload, when coupled with a great CPU, RAM and SSD, you will experience performance beyond most setups.
Difference Between Memory & Core Clock Speed (GPU)
Jacob Tuwiner
- Memory Clock Speed Explained
- What’s The Difference Between Memory Clock and Core Clock on a GPU?
- Does Memory Clock Speed Affect FPS?
- Core Clock Speed Explained
- Does Boost Clock Matter?
- GPU Clock Speed Test and Utilities
On a GPU spec sheet, I’m sure you’ve seen it, there’s a ton of numbers, right?
There’s the GPU’s name, the core clock speed, the amount of onboard VRAM, and finally there’s the clock speed of the VRAM.
But how important is your memory clock, really? And what about your GPU’s core clock speed?
The memory clock of your GPU is actually almost as important as your core clock, if not more important.
In the following article we will cover exactly how important GPU memory clock speed is for gaming, so you can make a more informed decision.
Memory Clock Speed Explained
The memory, or VRAM on your GPU is used to temporarily store assets like textures that are being used in whatever game you may be playing.
This means that having faster VRAM allows your graphics card to process these assets quicker, and having more VRAM allows for more assets to be stored.
So, having a higher VRAM clock speed can help your games render much faster.
Overclocking can also be a huge factor in your graphics card performance and just like the core clock, you can overclock your GPU memory.
We always suggest overclocking to get the best possible performance out of your components.
What’s The Difference Between Memory Clock and Core Clock on a GPU?
The memory clock is the speed of the VRAM on the GPU, whereas the core clock is the speed of the GPU’s chip. You can compare a GPU’s core clock to teh CPU clock and the RAM clock in a gaming PC. Usually core clock affects gaming performance more than memory clock does.
Does Memory Clock Speed Affect FPS?
Well, I actually don’t know what to tell you here.
Just kidding, of course I do.
To sum it up briefly, there is no real clear one-size-fits-all answer I can give you as to whether or not GPU memory clock speed does anything to your FPS in games.
When choosing a GPU you would, of course, want to compare the raw performance of each individual graphics card and graphics card model.
One thing that varies between third-party models, is the memory clock. The core clock can vary as well, but we’ll cover that elsewhere.
Most people tend to look at just the core clock for a scope on what kind of FPS they should be expecting in games, but does the memory clock affect that at all?
Relatively speaking, if you were to overclock your GPU memory clock it should give a very slight performance increase in most cases, it varies from game to game.
Some games just happen to benefit a lot more for VRAM frequency than others, and those others just don’t seem to value it as much.
So, GPU Memory clock can affect FPS, be it by 1% or by 10%, it just depends on what game you’re playing.
Core Clock Speed Explained
What is very important for FPS, is the actual graphics processor’s core clock speed.
This will be the most invaluable number you find on your graphics card, because bigger means better.
Generally the faster your core clock, the higher FPS games will run at, but this only applies when comparing the same type of graphics card to a different model of itself (eg. 2080 FE vs. 2080 ROG Strix) since different cards have varying number components and build structure.
The GPU core clock speed measures how fast your graphics processor can, well, process graphics. So overclocking your GPU core clock will always directly affect the FPS you get in games.
Memory clock ratio, however, as we explained earlier is a measure of how quickly your graphics card’s onboard memory can store and redeploy assets such as textures into the game world.
Increasing this clock will improve the VRAM’s efficiency in processing game assets stored within, thus running your game smoother without really improving FPS too much in most instances.
Does Boost Clock Matter?
Boost clock may not seem that important, but for someone planning on keeping their graphics card at base settings it can be a key factor in choosing your next card.
What is boost clock anyway?
Well boost clock is kind of like a turbo speed set by the manufacturer for when your graphics card is undertaking a heavy workload.
Meaning, when your GPU is working hard it may boost itself up an extra 100MHz or 200MHz to provide a bit of a performance increase for the heavy load.
When not overclocking, your boost clock will be extremely important for your graphics card since it will be the highest possible clock your card can reach. The higher this clock is, of course, the better performance (higher FPS) you can expect to observe.
If you are planning on overclocking, though, you can completely ignore your graphics card’s boost clock. Overclocking changes the base core clock of the GPU, effectively making your boost clock useless as your base clock may overtake it.
Your boost clock does not scale with your overclock.
GPU Clock Speed Test and Utilities
If you already have a graphics card, finding and testing your GPU’s performance may be a worthwhile endeavour when looking to upgrade.
Tools like UserBenchmark and 3DMark can test your graphics card’s performance, score it, and compare it to other similar or higher end GPUs.
UserBenchmark will test all of the components in your computer and score them in a percentile range as it directly compares your unit to other tested units of the same model. It scores it based on the performance when compared to the lowest test received to the highest test received.
This is a great way to get a scope of what you have compared to what you could have.
3DMark, on the other hand, is a lot more intense of a benchmark. 3DMark throws the hardest possible load at your card and just hopes it’ll run. Most modern cards can at least make to the end of the test, regardless of how low the score is.
Unlike UserBenchmark, 3DMark doesn’t immediately compare your score to that of other benched cards, you have to do that yourself. 3DMark does give the user a better idea of gaming performance, though.
3DMark also offers paid services that allow you to use more benchmarks to get a more grounded idea of what your graphics card is capable of.
It is also available on Windows, Android, and iOS.
You may also want to try using a GPU monitoring tool such as GPU-Z to properly monitor your temperatures and clock speeds.
And for Overclockers, MSI Afterburner is the one stop shop for all your overclocking needs (GPU-wise). It’s fairly simple to use and your settings are customizable to most any configuration you may need.
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3DNews Technologies and IT market. News overclocking and system performance measurements… GeForce RTX 4090 graphics processor r… The most interesting in the reviews
03.11.2022 [13:37], Nikolai Khizhnyak The Overclocked Gaming Systems (OGS) team of enthusiasts overclocked the GPU of the Galax GeForce RTX 409 video card0 HOF to an impressive clock speed of 3705 MHz. Of course, we are talking about overclocking with extreme cooling with liquid nitrogen.
Image source: OGS / HWBOT The fact that Galax is preparing to release the GeForce RTX 4090 HOF accelerator was reported the other day when photos of its printed circuit board appeared on the Web. This is the first known version of the GeForce RTX 4090, equipped with two 12 + 4-pin 12VHPWR power connectors at once, which together can transfer up to 1200 W of power to the video card. The OGS overclocker team managed to increase the maximum frequency of the GeForce RTX 4090 GPU to 3705 MHz, which is 65.77% higher than the reference value of 2520 MHz, during the GPUPI compute performance test for one accelerator. Enthusiasts did not change the frequency of video memory. In the overclocked form, the video card coped with calculations within the framework of the GPUPI test in just 49seconds and 49 milliseconds. The closest result in this test is 57 seconds and 724 milliseconds.
Galax GeForce RTX 4090 HOF in the GPUPI test. Image source: HWBOT The OGS team also managed to break the previous graphics performance record in the 3DMark Port Royal synthetic test. Here, the GeForce RTX 4090 HOF graphics chip was clocked at 3570 MHz. The accelerator scored 31 09 in the test6 points, more than 1000 points higher than the previous record. Galax GeForce RTX 4090 HOF in 3DMark Port Royal test. Image source: HWBOT Obviously, the Galax GeForce RTX 4090 HOF is currently the most powerful non-reference version of this graphics card. With no Kingpin models from EVGA, which has decided to leave the video card market, and no solutions from competitors, the Galax version of the video card may be the choice for most overclocking enthusiasts. Source:
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As a result, the video card set new performance records in 3DMark Port Royal and GPUPI v3.3 (32B) tests. 
It was also shown by the GeForce RTX 4090, but with a GPU frequency of only 3210 MHz. 
Graphics Card Core Clock and Video Memory Clock — What You Need to Know
In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about GPU core clock and video memory clock. Understanding these specifications will help you when buying a graphics card, especially when you choose between versions of the same GPU from different manufacturers .
What are GPU cores
GPU cores are responsible for most of the processing that your graphics card does. As with CPU cores, the underlying core architecture will have a much larger impact on performance than just clock speed or number of clocks.
Let’s take the CPU example for a moment.
Let’s say you have two 3.6GHz 4-core Intel processors to choose from.
If you only look at the characteristics of the base level, it will be more difficult to make a choice, since simply does not have an obvious difference at the surface level.
What you do in this situation is determine which of your options uses a better, more modern CPU architecture that will give more performance to those 4 cores running at 3.6 GHz.
If both use the same architecture in the same generation, it may be a case of choosing whether to have certain features (such as integrated graphics).
Like CPU cores, GPU cores are heavily tied to their architecture when it comes to expected performance.
For example, let’s compare the GTX 760 with its successor, the GTX 960. They are quite similar graphics cards in terms of features such as the number of CUDA cores, GPU core clock speed and video memory. GTX 760 has 1024 CUDA cores while GTX 960 has 1152 CUDA cores.
Both have 2 GB of GDDR5 video memory.
GTX760 overclocked to 1033MHz while GTX960 — up to 1178 MHz.
Based on these specs, you might think they perform about the same, with a marginal difference in favor of the GTX960… but this generational shift means a change in architecture, which means a much bigger change in performance levels.
The overall performance gain from the GTX 760 to the GTX 960 is about twenty percent .
And this performance improvement of the did not come from adding more cores or twenty percent memory or a twenty percent increase in clock speed: it came from fundamental improvements in the underlying GPU architecture.
Of course, the 960 is still better than the 760 in baseline specs, but not as much as a real performance improvement.
Thus, GPU cores are very similar to CPU cores, but tend to be in the thousands rather than in pairs or triples.
Just like CPU cores, GPU cores are more dependent on their underlying architecture than raw clock speeds or number of cores.
With this understanding, it will be much easier for you to understand how graphics card core clocks work.
What is GPU memory
Before defining GPU memory, let’s first define conventional memory.
In this context, memory refers to RAM (Random Access Memory), which is used by the CPU as a volatile cache for whatever is currently running on your system.
Because of this, RAM is also called dynamic memory whereas something like a hard drive or SSD is called static memory because it is not so directly related to the workload.
However, most GPUs do not use standard RAM as CPUs do. Instead, they use VRAM ( Video Random Access Memory).
VRAM is very different from the RAM used by your processor and does not work the same as normal RAM.
Instead of being used for multiple tasks on your PC, VRAM is dedicated solely to what your GPU is focused on, whether it’s rendering in professional workloads or gaming.
How graphics card core clock speed affects performance
Between GPU core clock and video clock , core frequency has a greater impact on performance.
Increasing GPU core clock speed is essentially the same principle as increasing CPU clock speed: By increasing the operation per second rate, you can improve performance .
However, a 5% increase in clock frequency, for example, does not necessarily guarantee a 5% increase in performance.
As mentioned earlier, there is much more to the inside of a graphics card than just the total number of cores or the speed at which those cores operate.
However, GPU core clock speeds have the most direct impact on GPU performance.
Therefore, if you want to improve the frame rate in the game or reduce the rendering time, the core clock speed of the graphics card is definitely more important.
But, what about the frequency of memory GPU?
How video frequency affects performance
The GPU memory frequency is a little strange.
There are times when prioritizing this specification can have a positive effect on performance, and sometimes it doesn’t seem to matter at all.
It’s not that far off from how regular RAM works, since many users don’t seem to see the difference between using low-speed and high-speed RAM sets in many workloads.
Before discussing specifically the video memory frequencies, we need to refocus on the video memory itself.
VRAM is responsible for storing all the data your graphics card needs to render a particular scene, whether it’s your favorite Counter-Strike map or Blender animation.
If you don’t have enough video RAM to store all this information where it’s easily accessible by the GPU, you’ll either crash or (more likely) start consuming the PC’s main RAM. And, unfortunately, your PC’s RAM will run significantly slower, resulting in slower performance.
Besides raw capacity, VRAM is also closely related to resolution and texture fidelity, especially in games.
With a graphics card using 4 GB of VRAM or less, playing something at 1080p with high textures should be perfectly viable. Problems can arise if you want to run the same game at 1440p or 4K.
Even if your GPU cores have enough processing power to run at higher settings, the limited amount of video memory can significantly degrade performance in these scenarios , because everything the GPU does has to go through video memory before it’s displayed on your screen.
There are two main solutions for VRAM bottlenecks. The ideal solution is to simply add more video memory, but this is not always possible, especially in an age of microchip shortages.
Another solution is to increase the speed at which this video memory works, also known as GPU memory overclock .
Essentially, improving the GPU memory clock will only help you in cases where your memory bandwidth has been the bottleneck, and is usually not the case for .
While this may help, it is not a substitute for having enough video memory.
How to compare the cores and memory of different video cards?
Remember I said earlier that GPU and CPU core performance is more determined by the underlying architecture than by the original clock speed or number of cores? This is still in effect, which makes comparing graphics cards from different brands or architectures on specs alone extremely shaky.
The CPU architecture and how it scales across the product line has a simpler logic. Let’s say you buy a current generation AMD processor and choose between a quad-core and a six-core processor.
While the six-core is clearly better, this quad-core should have a very similar level of performance in most tasks.
This is because the underlying architecture is identical, so each individual core has approximately the same power level. And most of the tasks you’ll be doing on your PC, even gaming or active browsing in your software, are more related to single core performance than multi-core scaling .
For professional workloads such as rendering, this six-core processor will definitely show an improvement. Because most rendering workloads scale excellently across multiple cores, and sometimes even across multiple machines, you can expect performance gains of 40-50% for a 50% increase in core count.
Improvements in the number of cores can also help games if they are modern enough to scale well across multiple cores. However, most games, especially older ones, are not very suitable for this, so we do not recommend that a gamer go out of his way to have as many cores as possible, unless he wants to do more than just play on his PC.
You now have a rough idea of how the processor architecture works.
What makes GPU architecture so different?
Essentially, GPU cores are already designed to work as a unit, unlike CPU cores.
You won’t get the same performance of a GTX 1070 on a GTX 1060 at on any workload, because despite having the same underlying architecture, the dramatic increase in core count and other specs makes the GTX 1070 objectively better at 0080 all possible scenarios .
There are no GPU-based applications tied to a single core, as is often the case with CPU-based applications, so scaling the same architecture does not work the same way as with processors.
This does not mean that you should not compare GPU specifications. If they share the same underlying architecture, you can still get some idea of what’s going on under the hood by looking at the specs.
But, you need to go beyond just the graphics card cores and the video memory clock speed, because higher end GPUs will also take advantage of features such as increasing the amount of video memory or bandwidth available to that video memory.
The best way to compare different video cards is without looking at the specifications of . The best way to compare different graphics cards is to look at reputable tests software or games that you want to use .
How can I compare the performance of video cards with different versions of the same GPU?
But.
.. How about comparing different versions of the same GPU?
This is where it really makes sense to compare the clock speeds of the core and video memory of .
If you are not familiar with the GPU market, you may not know that GPU performance can change depending on which partner you buy it from .
The process goes something like this:
- The GPU manufacturer (AMD or Nvidia) makes the GPU. They can create their own standard coolers and sell them directly to consumers, or they can sell to a partner.
- A partner (card brands such as MSI, EVGA, etc.) takes a GPU purchased from a manufacturer and tweaks it. Each partner puts their own cooler on top of the GPU, and the specifications of these designs can vary greatly from brand to brand.
- Then the partner usually proceeds to increase the clock frequency of the GPU core and video memory within the limits of the cooler’s own design.
The end result of this process is that you get different versions of the same GPU that perform differently due to different cooling, different clock speeds, or both.
In these cases, comparing core and video memory clock speeds is ideal for deciding which one will perform better, but you’ll still need benchmarks to properly quantify what improvements you’ll see.
Graphics card performance FAQ
How much can overclocking the GPU improve performance?
I would say that the maximum you can reasonably expect from overclocking a graphics card is somewhere in the 5-10% range.
After all, overclocking an RTX 3060 won’t turn it into an RTX 3070, no matter how hard you try. So don’t expect GPU overclocking to replace buying a more powerful graphics card or possibly upgrading.
However, this extra performance can go a long way in extending the life of your graphics card, especially if you’re running games with frame rates slightly below playable.
Can a PC’s RAM be used as video memory?
If you are not using a processor with integrated graphics, no .
If you find yourself having to use regular RAM as video memory, be sure to select at least DDR4-3600 RAM to get decent performance.
While you won’t be able to achieve the same level of performance as with a discrete GPU and dedicated GDDR RAM, you can still greatly improve your script with good desktop RAM.
Can VRAM be used like normal RAM?
No.
…unless you’re using a modern gaming console. Consoles like the PlayStation and Xbox use a PC-based architecture and a lot of GDDR RAM, which is used for both graphics rendering and general memory usage.
However, this is not something you can do in a normal desktop environment.
Is undervolting the same as overclocking?
Undervolting is the process of lowering the voltage applied to the graphics card in order to lower temperatures and hopefully stabilize performance.
Overclocking the is the process of increasing the clock speed to improve performance, but the requires increasing the voltage of the to reach the full potential of the respective hardware.
