Radeon HD 5970 Overclocking Guide

Final Words & Conclusion

So there you have it. The Radeon HD 5970 is actually a really nice overclocker if you give it the right environment and tools. Now a couple things you'll need to keep in mind. You need the extra voltage on core and memory. Meaning if you like to replicate the overclock like shown today. Here's the thing -- after each reboot you'll need to set the Voltages manually again.

** update -- AMD has requested to have AMDs voltage tool removed for download. AMD will not distribute the tool, however will allow AIB/AIC partners to use it ineviteably distribute it.

As an alternative to AMD's Voltage application please use MSI Afterburner which works just as well with Core Voltage options. Unfortunately however AfterBurner does not support overvolting memory. It however has a much wider voltage range available for the GPU (be careful there!).

An overclock like shown today we can't even recommend to run continuesly -- we feel the temperatures are way too high to remain safe over a longer timeframe. However for a regular e-peen 3DMark Vantage overclock session or something close to that, you could quickly apply this tweak. But really, this already is the fastest card on the planet -- why overclock anyway ?

If you do plan on a long term Voltage Tweak based overclock -- here's a hint. Several IHV's will release waterblock to cool down the product based on liquid cooling, and that's where things get really interesting. The overclocks we achieved here is not a guarantee for your end-results. Maximum clock frequencies can differ per batch, brand, cooling and certainly your own PC is a factor as well. We test with the best of the best really. Also consider simple things like the country you are living in, if on average the ambient temperature is higher at say 30 Degrees C at your place .. it of course will effect your overclocking experience.

Your tweaking experiences as such might be a little less, but could also be better ! So what I am trying to say here is that you do need a tiny bit of luck and the right circumstances. I'm however confident that your experience will be fairly similar to ours. The reality is that with our overclock we have been able to push overall performance 20%~25 on top of the Radeon HD 5970 baseline performance -- just think about that for a second. And in the world of graphics cards, that's just an awfully nice extra.

Be careful though -- and remember -- cool down that chassis, create proper airflow to keep these GPUs cold. If you have not done so, be sure to read our Radeon HD 5970 reference review.

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Note -- neither ATI or Guru3D is responsible for a damaged card. Mind you that we've never been able to break a card with an overclock, that doesn't mean it can not happen. You are driving the graphics card closer to it's maximum limit. As such do it wise, do it careful .. but most of all you do it at your own risk.