In an attempt to test the stability of my overclocks on a GTX275 I ran Furmark. Alongside showing frame rates it also displays the temp of the core. I noticed that for as long as it was running the temp gradually increased 1 degree (GPU is 100% throttled in Furmark). Now I was hoping that at some point the temp would actually hit a ceiling and level out. This didnt happen though. It just continued to go up. Am I just being stupid then? A part of me thinks that for as long as the app is running the GPU is being throttled 100% so it will in fact just keep going up, unitl well, it melts lol.

I also dont understand then if a game is running how much of the GPU is being used at any one time.

Nvidia cards can hit around 115 degrees before they throttle back to reduce temps.
What are your temps?

Most games don't cause a modern gpu much work either, furmark goes a bit overboard.
Try testing using the folding@home gpu client to get a more accurate reading (although this is higher than most games).
Remember to use team 35947 (& saspro as the username if you want to)

I'm guessing then they way I would know if I've pushed the GPU too far is that the client (Furmark) would crash and this is more important than watching the temps gradually increase?

Yes.

For testing I usually just run the crysis benchmark on a loop of 100 times.

I havent got Crysis. Well, there wasnt much point with the old gfx card. I might get it now though. Cheers for the advice Sas.

Download the demo then google for the timed demo.

Doesn't have to cost you a penny

lol gys your onabout nvidia cards hutting 115 degrees well my card (9600gt) hit 80degrees and i went crying to my mummy lol:P

Just wanted to know how that big round dougnut on furmark makes GPU's get so hot like wow

80 degrees, that's cool. You should see then temps on my folding farms. I've got 8800GTX Ultra's hitting 95+

Wow u have folding farms? lol like real farms?

My GPU dont get that hot, i have an aftermarket cooler on it so i stays quite cool

Idle its around 37

On furmark i get scared lol.

I have the akasa neo vortex cool the blue 1 that looks cool lol

my 9600GT hits 60 degC tops in furmark, whats your point?

<3 Palit custom coolers

and before you ask, thats OCd to 783/1900/2214 (core/shader/mem)

Brad has a Vortexx Neo, and I'm jealous.

I used to have the terrible reference cooler on this 9600 (the one with the whiny radial fan) but I blagged Brad's old Palit cooler. He broke one of the fin things off the fan, so I modded the fan bit off of a 80mm fan to fit.

I get about 85*C on FurMark at 850/2250/1150 clocks, but I think it's lying. It's too hot to touch.

EDIT: Soddit, wow, 2ghz on the RAM? Also, get that shader clock wound up.

i tried, any higher on the shaders and furmark crashes instantly. as it is i get flashing polygons in GRID, so im not even sure its totally stable at 1900.

but yes, 2.214GHz (effective mind, 1107 actual) on RAM is totally stable. i used to have it higher, but got corruption in 3Dmark

Mine only hits 1500 before it BSODs Windows.

Although the shaders are very oc'able. Brad's won't hit that speed and be stable. Mine will go to 2.5ghz easy, but it gets pretty warm.

Well its currently set to:

Core 700
Shader 1470
RAM 1200 (2400)

And with 50% fan its 46 degrees idle in Windows. Furmark seemed stable but I've not yet properly tested it yet i.e. a good 2 hours gaming session! If it proves to be stable at these clocks then thats a cracking increase over stock (633/1404/1134). I will be running the fan 100% when gaming so it'll be a little noisy but with the headphones on I wont notice.