Like all GeForce 6800 GT-based graphics cards, the card from Gainward has a single power connector. The next snapshot shows this connector as well as an additional heatsink over the power elements of the voltage regulators of the GPU and memory chips.

The graphics card is based on the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT processor:

And carries 256 megabytes of 2.0ns GDDR3 memory manufactured y Samsung:

The nominal frequencies of the graphics card are 350/1000MHz, like in the standard GeForce 6800 GT design. On installation of the ExperTool utility, enclosed with the card, the frequencies grow to 400/1100MHz, i.e. to the frequencies of the GeForce 6800 Ultra. ExperTool allows setting the GPU and memory clock rates up to 420/1200MHz, and the card is perfectly stable at them, suggesting an even higher overclockability.

Besides controlling the frequencies, ExperTool can adjust the fan speeds. The utility offers two modes: dynamic and manual control. In the dynamic control mode the driver adjusts the speed of the fans basing on the GPU temperature data. In the manual mode you set up the fan speeds for 2D and 3D modes manually. More exactly, you set up the voltage the fans receive – changing it from 50% to 100% stepping 10%. The fans are rather loud at their full speed, but this noise becomes barely perceptible at 50%. The dynamic control is the most annoying mode – the tonality of the noise is constantly changing, getting on your nerves very soon.

Throughout my tests I will be trying to determine if the fan speed affects the temperature of the card and if overclocking is possible at the minimal fan speed.

But let’s get back to overclocking. People from Gainward must have limited the overclocking capabilities of ExperTool to ensure a higher stability, but I hate to be within any limits. So, I remove ExperTool and install RivaTuner and get to my tests.