JoeMez wrote:
I'm sure that across all the forums here I'd be able to find the information I want, but I want it all collected here, as well as get answers to other questions about overclocking my 660M.
1)First off, what constraints limit the level of overclocking that can be done? I understand heat buildup is one of, if not the major, issue- are there other results that need to be kept in check? Related to the heat buildup, what temperature ranges are safe to prevent damage to the 660M? Can anyone suggest a program or such to keep tabs of the gpu temperature over a long range of time, to help make track of the heat level? Or even cause an alarm if the temperature gets too high?

The GPU its self will shut down before it gets to hot. ITs been like that for years. All of them have temp cut offs like CPU's

2)I played around with nVidia Inspector when I first looked into overclocking- for the memory clock it can alter, is that the GDDR3 (or whatever) that is the VRAM on the 660M gpu unit? Or is it the regular RAM for the system?

That is the ram for your card.

3)I noticed the nVidia Inspector allowed for clock shortcuts- could I just set one shortcut for stock 660M, use that for the games- or everyday use- I have that wouldn't benefit from overclocking- League of Legends, Portal 2, etc-,then switch to the increased clock for a more intensive game, like Skyrim or Battlefield 3? Would switching back and forth between the two clock levels cause concernable strain on the gpu? Even if the clock level I decide on is entirely safe for 24/7 use, I'd probably want to set the clock to the stock levels when not in use, just to be extra safe.

Nvidia inspector you make a few desktop shortcuts and just click your oc to game and force the oc pstate or you just click your low power on and use that to save power. I ran a GTX 660m at 1300mhz on the core for 4 months solid heavy use with no problems.

4)I think I'd feel safest clocking up to the level of a stock 670M- about how much would that be? If I were to use the nVidia Inspector again, would that be +75, +100, or what? and how much would be added to the memory clock?

Dapends. But its going to be in the 800-900mhz range on the core.

5)Overclocked to the level of the 670M, would I need to worry much about the increased heat levels? I understand that the 660M is much cooler than the 670M, due to the 660M being newer architecture or something. I assume that the G75's cooling system is the same regardless of wither there's a 660M or 670M inside, so would an overclocked 660M, to the level of a stock 670M, produce enough heat to overcome the level of a stock 670M- overcoming the cooling abilities of my G75VW?

Kepler is the fonz of gpu's. Very cool so when i had my GTX 660m overclocked to 1,100mhz it ran cooler then my old fermi gtx 670m at stock clocks. My card at 1300 on the core was 5c hotter then a stock GTX 670m. But temps vary from system to system.

6)If I feel brave and exceed the level of the stock 670M, what is a 'maximum' clock that would be safe for the 660M? What clock levels are the absolute maximum it can handle while used in a game that really strains the gpu, like Battlefield 3, over several hours? Some of what I've read talks about altering the BIOS to exceed an increased clock of +135- I will in no way do that. I'll stay within the limits of the nVidia Inspector- or what ever program is suggested as preferable.

You will max out before you go higher enought to kill the card. You can push it to about 1300-1400 if your lucky without needing more voltage for the card. For most people they top out at 1,100-1,200 the higher ones are people who got lucky and got really good clocking cards.

7)Really the only game I have that would be affected by overclocking is Battlefield 3, and I intend to get Skyrim soon. How much of an improvement would I get on Battlefield 3? Currently I get around 35-40 fps in smaller areas, dipping to 30 or even 25 in really big, detailed areas. Using Skyrim's HD texture pack, about how much improvement would be expected when the 660M is overclocked compared to a stock 660M? Playing either game over a period of several hours, would the heat buildup go to a level that might damage the gpu?

This depends on drivers and what not. But overclocked with a good clock by the numbers you posted you can fix your lag problem.

8)How much do I risk by overclocking? If the cooling system can compensate for the increase, over periods of several hours, do I need to be concerned in any way? I wouldn't leave the system at the increased clock 24/7, of course- after I'm done playing a game it'd be right back to stock levels. Or might it be that first time trying an unknown defect in my gpu causes it to shatter? What are the chances of damage, and in what ways? What will I need to watch for to prevent any damage, at any overclock level?

High overclocks make heat. So you run the risk fo heat. It increase power draw on the system so you can damage your psu or mobo. I can it heavly overclocks and the system can power it pretty good. It can handle a oc'ed GTX 670mx thats pulling about 95w of power. Your GTX 660m wont ever go past about 75w unless you voltmod it and clock it to some crazy clock that i dont even think it will pull.

9)Finally, would the risk of overclocking be worth it? Would I get a significant upgrade in fps - something in the range of the same fps at noticeably higher quality, or +15 fps at the same level-, or will the increase be an insignificant 1-2 fps difference for the same graphic quality level?

To each his own. Safe overclocks there is no risk. This has a pretty big window for kepler. I mean some games you can gain 15-20fps very easy others dont respond as well to overclock but still show improvement.

I hope that the answers to all my questions leave me with an idea of the level of clock that can be turned on to play BF3 or Skyrim, for a few hours, without me needing to worry every few minutes about how the 660M is taking any increased strain, then set back to stock when I'm done playing with no decrease done to the gpu's integrity.

Thank you in advance to anyone who responds and helps out.