How do you overclock your video card?

[Shadowskeet]

I'm not really good with computer hardware, and I would like to know how I would go about overclocking my video card? From what I read about it, the performance of your video card goes up by a lot, but I hear the catch is it limits the lifespan of the video card? I'm a gamer, so any type of improved performance for my computer sounds awesome.

If this matters at all, I'm running Windows XP Professional. My video card is an nVIDIA e-GeForce 8600 GT.

Thanks in advance!!

[Sterling_Aug]

http://www.nvidia.com/object/nvidia_system_tools_6.05.html

Try this.

I also checked the website for my Zotac GXT295 card and they had an easy to use GUI interface with slide bars used for overclocking.

[Midknyte]

http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=162277

Check out rivatuner and the video card OC guides. I'll try to look for more current guides, but they should give you the basics.

Any overclocking will increase heat, which will potentially lead to shorter GPU life.

[Shadowskeet]

http://www.nvidia.com/object/nvidia_system_tools_6.05.html

Try this.

I also checked the website for my Zotac GXT295 card and they had an easy to use GUI interface with slide bars used for overclocking.

So I just download this link that you sent me and that's it or what?

Thanks for the help guys ^^.

[Midknyte]

If you know your OCing basics, then you can try the app that Sterling suggested. It won't do the OCing for you, but it will allow you to change some settings.

[Shadowskeet]

If you know your OCing basics, then you can try the app that Sterling suggested. It won't do the OCing for you, but it will allow you to change some settings.

Okay I read the contents in the link that you sent me about overclocking an nVIDIA video card with coolbit or whatever, but I got stuck. Where it tells me to go to Control Panel -> Display, it says there should be a tab with an nVIDIA picture and with the name of my video card, where in this tab I can overclock my video card.

This tab is not there for me and I don't know why.

[Midknyte]

I said to use Rivatuner. Coolbits is old, but the app on Sterling's link does something similar.

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=1803&page=5

[Imperion1]

Read this to even learn a little about overclocking a video card.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/overclock-graphics-card,1916.html
Cause its very apparent that you do not know what you're doing.

[Midknyte]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/graphics-overclock-software,2369.html