{"id":14943,"date":"2022-01-07T17:17:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-07T16:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/g100.us\/?p=14943"},"modified":"2022-04-27T19:23:10","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T17:23:10","slug":"gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to GPU Core Clocks &#038; Memory Clocks - Everything You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_39 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66844a1d70138\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66844a1d70138\" class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66844a1d70138\" checked><nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 \"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks\/#What_Are_GPU_Cores\" title=\"What Are GPU Cores?\">What Are GPU Cores?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks\/#What_Is_GPU_Memory\" title=\"What Is GPU Memory?\">What Is GPU Memory?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks\/#How_GPU_Core_Clocks_Impact_Performance\" title=\"How GPU Core Clocks Impact Performance\">How GPU Core Clocks Impact Performance<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks\/#How_GPU_Memory_Clocks_Impact_Performance\" title=\"How GPU Memory Clocks Impact Performance\">How GPU Memory Clocks Impact Performance<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks\/#How_Do_You_Compare_GPU_Core_and_GPU_Memory_Performance_Between_Different_GPUs\" title=\"How Do You Compare GPU Core and GPU Memory Performance Between Different GPUs?\">How Do You Compare GPU Core and GPU Memory Performance Between Different GPUs?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks\/#How_Do_You_Compare_GPU_Core_and_GPU_Memory_Performance_Between_Different_Versions_of_the_Same_GPU\" title=\"How Do You Compare GPU Core and GPU Memory Performance Between Different Versions of the Same GPU?\">How Do You Compare GPU Core and GPU Memory Performance Between Different Versions of the Same GPU?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks\/#FAQ\" title=\"FAQ\">FAQ<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks\/#How_Much_Can_GPU_Overclocking_Actually_Improve_My_Performance\" title=\"How Much Can GPU Overclocking Actually Improve My Performance?\">How Much Can GPU Overclocking Actually Improve My Performance?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks\/#Can_Normal_RAM_Be_Used_As_VRAM\" title=\"Can Normal RAM Be Used As VRAM?\">Can Normal RAM Be Used As VRAM?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks\/#Can_VRAM_Be_Used_Like_Normal_RAM\" title=\"Can VRAM Be Used Like Normal RAM?\">Can VRAM Be Used Like Normal RAM?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks\/#Is_Undervolting_The_Same_As_Underclocking\" title=\"Is Undervolting The Same As Underclocking?\">Is Undervolting The Same As Underclocking?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-core-clocks-memory-clocks\/#Over_to_You\" title=\"Over to You\">Over to You<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>In this article, I\u2019m going to walk you through everything you need to know about GPU core clocks and GPU memory clocks.<\/p>\n<p>An understanding of these specifications will help you when shopping for a graphics card, especially when you\u2019re choosing between <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-brands-amd-nvidia\/\">different manufacturer\u2019s versions of the same GPU<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_GPU_Cores\"><\/span>What Are GPU Cores?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cuda-cores-vs-stream-processors\/\">GPU cores<\/a> are responsible for the bulk of the processing that your graphics card is doing.<\/p>\n<p>Like with CPU cores, the underlying architecture of the core will have a much bigger impact on performance than just what it happens to be clocked at or how many there are.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14963\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Difference-between-CPU-and-GPU-Architecture.jpg\" alt=\"Difference between CPU and GPU Architecture\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Difference-between-CPU-and-GPU-Architecture.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Difference-between-CPU-and-GPU-Architecture-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Difference-between-CPU-and-GPU-Architecture-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Difference-between-CPU-and-GPU-Architecture-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Difference-between-CPU-and-GPU-Architecture-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14963 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Difference between CPU and GPU Architecture\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Difference-between-CPU-and-GPU-Architecture.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Difference-between-CPU-and-GPU-Architecture-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Difference-between-CPU-and-GPU-Architecture-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Difference-between-CPU-and-GPU-Architecture-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Difference-between-CPU-and-GPU-Architecture-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Difference-between-CPU-and-GPU-Architecture.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Following the CPU example for a moment, let\u2019s say you have two 4-core Intel CPUs that run at 3.6 GHz to choose from.<\/p>\n<p>If you only look at the base level specs, that\u2019s going to be a more difficult choice to make, since the apparent difference simply isn\u2019t present on a surface level.<\/p>\n<p>What you do in this situation is determine which of your options is using a better, more up-to-date CPU architecture that will get more performance out of those 4 cores running at 3.6 GHz.<\/p>\n<p>If both are using the same architecture in the same generation, it could also be a case of choosing whether or not to have certain features (like integrated graphics).<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14964\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Generational-Improvements-in-GPU-Architecture.jpg\" alt=\"Generational Improvements in GPU Architecture\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Generational-Improvements-in-GPU-Architecture.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Generational-Improvements-in-GPU-Architecture-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Generational-Improvements-in-GPU-Architecture-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Generational-Improvements-in-GPU-Architecture-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Generational-Improvements-in-GPU-Architecture-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14964 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Generational Improvements in GPU Architecture\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Generational-Improvements-in-GPU-Architecture.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Generational-Improvements-in-GPU-Architecture-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Generational-Improvements-in-GPU-Architecture-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Generational-Improvements-in-GPU-Architecture-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Generational-Improvements-in-GPU-Architecture-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Generational-Improvements-in-GPU-Architecture.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Like CPU cores, GPU cores are heavily tied to their architecture when it comes to the performance you can expect.<\/p>\n<p>For example, let\u2019s compare the GTX 760 to its successor, the GTX 960.<\/p>\n<p>These are fairly similar cards in terms of specs like CUDA core count, GPU core clock, and <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-vram-do-you-need\/\">VRAM<\/a>. The GTX 760 has 1024 CUDA cores, whereas the GTX 960 has 1152 CUDA cores. Both have 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM.<\/p>\n<p>The GTX760 boosts up to 1033 MHz, while the GTX960 boosts up to 1178 MHz.<\/p>\n<p>Based on specs like that, you may be led to believe that they perform fairly similarly, with a marginal difference in favor of the GTX960...but that generational shift means a change in architecture, which means a much bigger change in performance levels.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The overall boost in performance from the GTX 760 to the GTX 960 is about twenty percent overall. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And that performance improvement <em>didn\u2019t<\/em> come from adding twenty percent more cores or twenty percent more memory or twenty percent higher clock speeds: it came from fundamental improvements to the underlying GPU architecture<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, the 960 is still better than the 760 in these specs, but not by as large a number as the actual performance improvement.<\/p>\n<p>So, GPU cores are a lot like CPU cores but tend to come in the hundreds or thousands rather than couples or triplets.<\/p>\n<p>Also like CPU cores, GPU cores are more reliant on their underlying architecture for performance improvements than raw clock speeds or core counts. With this understanding in place, it\u2019ll be a lot easier to break down how GPU core clocks work below.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_GPU_Memory\"><\/span>What Is GPU Memory?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before defining GPU memory, let\u2019s define regular memory first.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14965\" style=\"width: 1439px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14965\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14965 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used.jpg\" alt=\"Where is GDDR Memory Used\" width=\"1439\" height=\"811\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used.jpg 1439w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-825x464.jpg 825w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-594x335.jpg 594w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-420x236.jpg 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1439px) 100vw, 1439px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14965\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14965 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201439%20811%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Where is GDDR Memory Used\" width=\"1439\" height=\"811\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201439%20811%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1439w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1439px) 100vw, 1439px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used.jpg 1439w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-825x464.jpg 825w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-594x335.jpg 594w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used-420x236.jpg 420w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Where-is-GDDR-Memory-Used.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-14965\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">VRAM Modules placed around a GPU Visualization on a Graphic Card's PCB - Image-Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nvidia.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nvidia<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>In this context, memory refers to <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-ram-do-you-need\/\">RAM<\/a> (Random Access Memory) that is used by a CPU as a volatile cache for whatever is currently being run on your system.<\/p>\n<p>RAM is also called dynamic memory because of this, whereas something like your hard drive or SSD is called static memory since it isn\u2019t so directly tied to your processing workload.<\/p>\n<p>However, most GPUs don\u2019t use standard RAM, like CPUs do. Instead, they use VRAM (<strong>Video<\/strong> Random Access Memory), which is exactly what it sounds like.<\/p>\n<p>VRAM is much different from the RAM that\u2019s being used by your CPU, and it doesn\u2019t function in quite the same way as regular RAM does.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of being used to juggle multiple tasks on your PC, VRAM is solely dedicated to whatever your GPU is focused on, whether that\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/best-hardware-for-gpu-rendering-in-octane-redshift-vray\/\">rendering in professional workloads<\/a> or gaming.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_GPU_Core_Clocks_Impact_Performance\"><\/span>How GPU Core Clocks Impact Performance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Between GPU <em><strong>core<\/strong> <\/em>clocks and GPU <em><strong>memory<\/strong> <\/em>clocks, GPU <em><strong>core<\/strong> <\/em>clocks definitely have a more significant impact on performance.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14966\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks.jpg\" alt=\"What are Base Clocks and Boost Clocks\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14966 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"What are Base Clocks and Boost Clocks\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/What-are-Base-Clocks-and-Boost-Clocks.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Increasing your GPU core clock speed is essentially the same principle as increasing a CPU\u2019s clock speed- by increasing the speed of operations per second, you can get a performance improvement.<\/p>\n<p>However, raising your clock speed by 5%, for instance, won\u2019t necessarily guarantee a 5% performance improvement.<\/p>\n<p>As outlined earlier, there\u2019s a lot more going on inside of a graphics card than just raw core count or the speed at which those cores are running.<\/p>\n<p>Even so, GPU core clocks have the most direct impact on increasing a GPU\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n<p>So if you want to improve your in-game framerate or reduce your render times, GPU core clock is definitely the more important specification. But what about GPU <strong>memory<\/strong> clock?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_GPU_Memory_Clocks_Impact_Performance\"><\/span>How GPU Memory Clocks Impact Performance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>GPU memory clock is a little weird.<\/p>\n<p>There are times when prioritizing this specification can have a positive impact on performance, and other times where it seemingly doesn\u2019t matter at all.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t too far removed from how regular RAM works, since a lot of users can\u2019t seem to tell the difference between running low and high-speed RAM kits across many workloads.<\/p>\n<p>Before discussing GPU memory clock specifically, we need to re-focus on GPU memory itself, or VRAM.<\/p>\n<p>VRAM is basically responsible for holding all of the data that your graphics card needs for rendering a particular scene, whether that\u2019s your favorite map in Counter-Strike or a <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/best-renderers-render-engines-for-blender\/\">Blender animation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have enough VRAM to hold all of that information where it\u2019s easily accessible to your GPU, you\u2019ll either crash or (more likely) start eating into your PC\u2019s RAM. And unfortunately, your PC\u2019s RAM is going to be significantly slower, resulting in performance loss when this occurs.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14967\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-and-memory-limitations.jpg\" alt=\"GPU and memory limitations\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-and-memory-limitations.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-and-memory-limitations-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-and-memory-limitations-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-and-memory-limitations-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-and-memory-limitations-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14967 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"GPU and memory limitations\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-and-memory-limitations.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-and-memory-limitations-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-and-memory-limitations-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-and-memory-limitations-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-and-memory-limitations-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-and-memory-limitations.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Besides raw capacity, VRAM is also closely tied to resolution and texture fidelity, especially in games.<\/p>\n<p>With a graphics card using 4GB of VRAM or under, playing something at 1080p with high textures should be pretty viable. Where you may start running into issues is if you want to run the same game at 1440p or 4K.<\/p>\n<p>Even if your GPU cores have the raw computational power to handle higher settings, limited VRAM can reduce performance in these scenarios significantly since anything the GPU does, needs to go through VRAM before it\u2019s displayed on your screen.<\/p>\n<p>There are two main solutions to VRAM-related bottlenecks. The ideal solution is to just throw more VRAM at it, but that isn\u2019t always a possibility, especially in the era of chip shortages.<\/p>\n<p>Another solution is to increase the speed at which that VRAM is running, also known as, overclocking your GPU memory clock.<\/p>\n<p>Basically, improving GPU memory clock will only help you in scenarios where your memory bandwidth was the bottleneck, and it usually is not. And while it can help, it still isn\u2019t a substitute for having enough VRAM, to begin with.<\/p>\n<p><strong>To learn more about GPU Memory, <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-much-vram-do-you-need\/\"><strong>click here for Alex\u2019s detailed guide on VRAM and how much of it you need for your workloads<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_You_Compare_GPU_Core_and_GPU_Memory_Performance_Between_Different_GPUs\"><\/span>How Do You Compare GPU Core and GPU Memory Performance Between Different GPUs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>Remember what I said earlier about how both GPU and CPU cores\u2019 performance is more determined by underlying architecture than raw clock speed or core count? This still stands, which already makes comparing GPUs across brands or architectures based on spec sheets alone extremely shaky.<\/p>\n<p>CPU architecture and how it scales across a product line has more straightforward logic.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14968\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/How-do-CPU-Cores-work.jpg\" alt=\"How do CPU Cores work\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/How-do-CPU-Cores-work.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/How-do-CPU-Cores-work-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/How-do-CPU-Cores-work-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/How-do-CPU-Cores-work-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/How-do-CPU-Cores-work-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14968 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"How do CPU Cores work\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/How-do-CPU-Cores-work.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/How-do-CPU-Cores-work-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/How-do-CPU-Cores-work-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/How-do-CPU-Cores-work-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/How-do-CPU-Cores-work-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/How-do-CPU-Cores-work.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Say you\u2019re shopping for a current-gen AMD processor, and your choices are between a quad-core and a six-core.<\/p>\n<p>While the six-core is obviously better, that quad-core should still have an extremely similar level of performance in the majority of tasks.<\/p>\n<p>This is because the underlying architecture is identical, so each individual core is about the same level of power. And the majority of tasks you\u2019ll do on your PC, even a lot of gaming or active work in <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cinema-4d-viewport-performance-benchmark-scores\/\">your Software's viewport<\/a>, is tied more to single-core performance than scaling across multiple cores.<\/p>\n<p>Now for professional workloads, like rendering, that six-core is definitely going to show an improvement.<\/p>\n<p>Since most rendering workloads are actually <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/best-cpu-for-rendering\/\">superb at scaling across multiple cores<\/a>, sometimes even <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/combine-processing-power-two-computers\/\">multiple machines<\/a>, you can actually expect a 40-50% performance increase from a 50% increase in cores.<\/p>\n<p>Improvements in core counts can help with games, too, provided they\u2019re modern enough to scale across multiple cores well.<\/p>\n<p>Most games, especially older ones, are not well-suited for this, though, so we wouldn\u2019t recommend that a gamer goes out of their way to have as many cores as possible unless they\u2019re looking to do more than just game on their PC.<\/p>\n<p>Now, you have a rough understanding of how CPU architecture works.<\/p>\n<p><strong>So, what makes GPU architecture so different?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Basically, GPU cores are already made to function as a cohesive, single unit in a way that CPU cores are not.<\/p>\n<p>So, you aren\u2019t going to experience similar performance to a GTX 1070 on a GTX 1060 in <em>any<\/em> workload, because despite the underlying architecture being identical, the raw bump in core count and other specs makes the GTX 1070 objectively better in <em>every possible scenario<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>There are no GPU-based applications that are tied to a single core in the way that CPU-based applications often are, so scaling the same architecture doesn\u2019t work in quite the same way that it does with CPUs.<\/p>\n<p>Now, this isn\u2019t to say that you shouldn\u2019t compare GPU specs. If they\u2019re using the same underlying architecture, you can still get some ideas of what\u2019s happening under the hood by looking at spec sheets.<\/p>\n<p>But you\u2019ll want to go beyond just GPU core and GPU memory cores\/clocks, because higher-end GPUs will also do things like increase the amount of VRAM, or the bandwidth available to that VRAM.<\/p>\n<p>The best way to compare different graphics cards isn\u2019t by looking at spec sheets, though.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14969\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Benchmarks.jpg\" alt=\"GPU Benchmarks\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Benchmarks.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Benchmarks-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Benchmarks-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Benchmarks-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Benchmarks-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14969 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"GPU Benchmarks\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Benchmarks.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Benchmarks-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Benchmarks-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Benchmarks-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Benchmarks-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Benchmarks.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>The best way to compare different graphics cards is by looking at reputable <em>benchmarks<\/em> of the software or game you\u2019re looking to use<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_You_Compare_GPU_Core_and_GPU_Memory_Performance_Between_Different_Versions_of_the_Same_GPU\"><\/span>How Do You Compare GPU Core and GPU Memory Performance Between Different Versions of the Same GPU?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>But...<\/p>\n<p>What about comparing different versions of the same GPU?<\/p>\n<p><strong>This is where comparing GPU core and GPU memory clocks actually makes a lot of sense<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14970\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Founders-edition-vs-AIB-cards.jpg\" alt=\"Founders edition vs AIB cards\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Founders-edition-vs-AIB-cards.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Founders-edition-vs-AIB-cards-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Founders-edition-vs-AIB-cards-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Founders-edition-vs-AIB-cards-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Founders-edition-vs-AIB-cards-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14970 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Founders edition vs AIB cards\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Founders-edition-vs-AIB-cards.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Founders-edition-vs-AIB-cards-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Founders-edition-vs-AIB-cards-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Founders-edition-vs-AIB-cards-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Founders-edition-vs-AIB-cards-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/Founders-edition-vs-AIB-cards.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>If you aren\u2019t familiar with the GPU market, you may not know that the performance of your GPU can change <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/gpu-brands-amd-nvidia\/\">depending on which partner you happen to buy it from<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll break it down real quick. The process goes something like this:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The GPU manufacturer (AMD or Nvidia) manufactures the GPU. From here, they can slap their own stock cooler designs on and sell them straight to consumers, or they can instead sell the GPU to a partner.<\/li>\n<li>The GPU partner (GPU brands like MSI, EVGA, and so on) takes the GPU they purchased from the manufacturer and tweaks it. Every GPU partner will put their own cooler design on top of the GPU, and the characteristics of these designs can differ pretty greatly from brand to brand.<\/li>\n<li>In accordance with the partner\u2019s cooler design, the partner will usually then proceed to up the clock speeds of the GPU core and GPU memory within the limitations of their own cooler design.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The end result of this process is that you get different versions of the same GPU that perform differently due to different cooling, different clocks, or both.<\/p>\n<p>In these cases, comparing GPU core and GPU memory clocks between GPUs is actually pretty ideal for picking out which one will perform better, but you\u2019ll still want benchmarks to properly quantify what improvements you\u2019ll be seeing.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Much_Can_GPU_Overclocking_Actually_Improve_My_Performance\"><\/span>How Much Can GPU Overclocking Actually Improve My Performance?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>I would say the most you can reasonably expect from a GPU overclock is somewhere within the range of a 5-10% performance improvement.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14971\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Overclocking.jpg\" alt=\"GPU Overclocking\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Overclocking.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Overclocking-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Overclocking-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Overclocking-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Overclocking-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14971 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"GPU Overclocking\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Overclocking.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Overclocking-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Overclocking-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Overclocking-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Overclocking-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/01\/GPU-Overclocking.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>At the end of the day, unfortunately, overclocking an RTX 3060 will not turn it into an RTX 3070, no matter how hard you try. So don\u2019t expect GPU overclocking to be a substitute for getting a higher-end graphics card or an eventual upgrade.<\/p>\n<p>However, that extra bit of performance can go a long way toward extending the lifespan of your graphics card, especially if you\u2019re running into games that are juuuuust below playable framerates.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_Normal_RAM_Be_Used_As_VRAM\"><\/span>Can Normal RAM Be Used As VRAM?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Unless you\u2019re using a CPU with integrated graphics, no.<\/p>\n<p>If you do find yourself in a scenario where you have to use regular RAM as VRAM, be sure to opt for at least DDR4-3600 RAM in order to get some half-decent performance.<\/p>\n<p>While you won\u2019t be able to reach the same levels of performance as with a discrete GPU and dedicated GDDR RAM, you can still improve the scenario significantly by having good desktop RAM.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more about using desktop RAM used as VRAM in this scenario, check out the \u201cMemory Speed vs IGP Performance\u201d section of <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/DjnoLlQkmsg?t=491\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this HardwareCanucks video on YouTube<\/a>. The rest of the video should also be fairly enlightening for iGPU users in general.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_VRAM_Be_Used_Like_Normal_RAM\"><\/span>Can VRAM Be Used Like Normal RAM?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No.<\/p>\n<p>...unless you\u2019re using a modern game console. Consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox Series S use PC-based architecture and lots of GDDR RAM that is used for both graphics rendering and general memory usage.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t a thing that you can do in a regular desktop environment, though.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Undervolting_The_Same_As_Underclocking\"><\/span>Is Undervolting The Same As Underclocking?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Undervolting is the process of reducing the voltage coming to a graphics card in order to reduce temperatures and hopefully stabilize performance.<\/p>\n<p>Overclocking is the process of increasing clock speed in order to improve performance overall, but it necessitates increasing voltage in order to push the hardware in question to its full potential.<\/p>\n<p>This will also increase temperatures, so it\u2019s only recommended if you know what you\u2019re doing and <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/lower-gpu-temperature\/\">how to alleviate GPU temperatures in your PC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Undervolting does not actually require you to reduce clock speeds in order to meet your goals.<\/p>\n<p>If done properly, you can undervolt a GPU to achieve nearly identical performance while considerably reducing temperatures and power consumption.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, you may even experience <em>better<\/em> performance, since undervolting also reduces the likelihood of thermal throttling.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Over_to_You\"><\/span>Over to You<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong><em>If you have any other questions about GPU core clocks or memory clocks or if this article helped you understand any concerns you might be having with GPU core clocks and memory clocks, let us know in the <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"#comments\"><strong><em>comments<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em> below or our <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/forum\/\"><strong><em>forum<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this article, I\u2019m going to walk you through everything you need to know about GPU core clocks and GPU memory clocks. An understanding of these specifications will help you when shopping for a graphics card, especially when you\u2019re choosing between different manufacturer\u2019s versions of the same GPU. What Are GPU Cores? GPU cores are...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2339,"featured_media":14947,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[74],"tags":[118],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14943"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2339"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14943"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15601,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14943\/revisions\/15601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}