If you have recently gone through the nerve-wracking experience of comparing different graphic cards to buying one, you’ll be aware of the complexity of the terms used to describe their specs. For one, what on earth is a GPU’s boost clock?
For AMD graphic cards, a boost clock is the maximum speed the graphics card can run on. It signifies the processing speed the GPU can manage for a short while during intense activity. Whereas for Nividia graphics cards, the boost clock is not the maximum speed but the speed the graphics card can manage during a fierce activity session (such as a gaming session).
If that doesn’t wash away the fog, don’t worry. In this article, I’ll talk in detail about what a boost clock means for different graphics cards and discuss some relevant terminology.
AMD Boost Clock on a GPU
The first thing to note is that AMD and Nvidia don’t use boost clock in the same meaning. For AMD graphic cards, the boost clock is the maximum speed the graphics card can reach for a short while.
Another way to think about it would be the top speed limit for graphic cards. You would work at a lower speed most of the time. But if a lot of data is thrown upon the graphics card, the boost clock is the maximum frequency it can manage.
Nvidia Boost Clock on a GPU
The Nvidia boost clock is different from the AMD boost clock. It is the optimum speed at which the graphics card can run during a high-activity session. For example, it is the speed your graphics card would run on during a heavy gaming session.
Keep in mind that it’s not the maximum possible speed but a more practical measure of the graphics card’s ability.
What Is the Base Clock on a GPU?
You’ve got the hang of what boost clock is and how it differs for AMD and Nvidia cards. But you might have heard about the base clock. What on earth is the base clock on GPU?
The base clock is the standard speed your graphics card works at when not pressed by a heavy load. In other words, it’s the frequency your graphics card works on during a normal activity session.
What Is the AMD Game Clock on a GPU?
Nvidia only has two parameters to characterize the graphics card’s speed. AMD, on the other hand, puts three parameters on the specs table. The third one is the game clock.
As the name suggests, the game clock is the speed the graphics card works at during an intense gaming session or, by extension, a high-activity session. It is akin to the boost clock in Nividia cards.
Putting Everything in Perspective
Now, you can think of the following analogy to put everything in perspective.
Consider a person who is a fitness geek and likes running. By analogy to the graphics card, his walking speed is the base clock. The speed when he runs at a steady rate would be his Nvidia boost clock or AMD game clock. Lastly, the highest speed he can ever attain would be the Nvidia boost clock.
Hence, the base and boost clock give you a range. In between this range, your graphics card functions normally. On the other hand, the game clock is the speed your graphics card functions studiously.
How Does Overclocking Affect the Boost Clock on a GPU?
Overclocking is when you manually increase your graphic card’s core and memory clock. It results in higher power consumption and a higher temperature. So how does overclocking affect the base and boost clock?
Overclocking increases the base and the boost clock of the graphics card. But there’s an ultimate boost limit beyond which you can’t go. Otherwise, your PC will crash or stop working.
What Is Self-Boosting on a GPU?
Until recently, gamers had to download complicated software to overclock their graphics card. But with the new technology rolling in daily, the process has become much more straightforward. In fact, Nvidia has introduced a self-boosting algorithm that automates the overclocking bit of the process.
The mechanism of these self-boosting algorithms is that they actively analyze different factors and change the clock speed accordingly in a narrow time frame. Using this simple strategy, these smart algorithms can take the GPU far beyond its standard clock speed mentioned on the specs sheet.
The determining factors used by these algorithms include temperature, power supply, and voltage. Hence, to optimize the working of the auto-boosting algorithm, you can manage a steady temperature reduction system, a steady power supply, and a well-maintained voltage level.
The significant advantage of this self-boosting over overclocking is that it can avoid damage to the system by lowering the clock speed on its own.
Conclusion
In short, boost clock has different usage on AMD and Nvidia cards. For AMD graphic cards, the boost clock is the maximum speed the graphics card can obtain. On the other hand, for Nvidia graphic cards, the boost clock is the speed at which the graphics card runs during an intense activity session. AMD’s game clock is similar in spirit to Nvidia’s boost clock. Lastly, the base clock is the speed at which a graphics card runs on normal activity. You can think of the base and the boost clock as a working range.
