Windows 7 Downclocking GPUS to idle.

[DigDugFighter]

Hi, I am using nvidia multi display power saver with SLI. With two monitors both cards are running at 51mhz and temps are good. Is this safe to force downclock all the time until I need the extra power/3D?

 

[kemical]

Hi Dig,
as you know gpu's usually down clock on their own but multi monitors can affect this. Does this guide help to explain things further? I doubt you'd be doing damage by forcing it anyway..
http://www.overclock.net/t/964370/howto-dual-monitor-downclocking-fix-for-nvidia-cards

 

[DigDugFighter]

A little worrying when it reads 99% GPU usage when I'm listening to a youtube video and twitch stream. The temps are good, clocks both 51mhz. Not sure if it's better to run high gpu usage or normal clocks with higher temps and what would be like <20% gpu usage. Any thoughts?

 

[kemical]

To be honest I would have thought that as long as your not stressing the card heat wise or over volting it then anything else your fine with. The biggest killers of anything electrical is always heat so I wouldn't worry so much and just run normal clocks unless you saw something in particular which made you go down this road initially?

 

[DigDugFighter]

I leave my computer on a lot and use two monitors. One GPU was never idle. I will just use when I go idle, I guess.

 

[kemical]

What was the temps like?

 

[DigDugFighter]

One card was 50C all the time. It was normal.

 

[kemical]

Yeah these cards today are happy sitting at 80c although I'd be a little worried if that was my idle temp lol.

50c is fine.

 

[Pauli]

Electrical usually works at 100%. It's built that way. A light bulb does it, even your car, when you start it, works with full hp. Nothing to worry about.

Thinking about getting my system higher, I thought about SLI, I have a 560 GTX Titan, my mobo is capable of SLI, but I I started to ponder about... how much do I need it? 99% of my work is standard, I don't need that extra power! I tried to find a clue how to switch off one of cards, in a simple way, but couldn't find any. Other than "plug off", which isn't so very convenient.

Doobtetyfully.