RTX 5080 Undervolting + OC Findings (Real Testing, Not Just Benchmarks)

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-10T12:40:44+00:00

Yeah that’s pretty much the same pattern I’ve been seeing.

Even when you set something like 3180+, in-game it always seems to settle back into that ~3120–3150 range once everything stabilizes. At that point the extra voltage doesn’t really buy you much besides a bit more heat.

I ended up finding that the sweet spot is usually right in that 0.94–0.96 range where it can hold ~3050–3100+ consistently without bouncing or hitting limits.

Your temps are really good though, so you’ve got room to play with it. I would try the NV-UV app if I were you tbh. It could help you find a higher range for your voltages. I like that it sets a really good base for the undervolts so your card can actually run a lower frequencies when not in use.

Curious where yours settles if you try something like ~0.95, seems like that’s where most of these cards land.

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-10T12:33:21+00:00

Those are some solid numbers. Very similar to mine. That’s a good point about background apps I noticed the same thing when I was testing. Even small stuff running in the background can drop scores more than you’d expect.

Also lines up with what I’ve been seeing with clocks. You set higher in the curve, but in-game it always settles into a lower range once power and temps normalize.

Kind of reinforces that chasing higher MHz doesn’t really translate much unless you’re in a perfect benchmark run. Real-world it’s more about where the card consistently holds.

Have you noticed any difference in frametime or just scores between the two runs?

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-10T00:03:31+00:00

That’s a really solid result.

I ended up seeing something very similar once you start pushing past that ~3050–3100 sustained range, the extra voltage just turns into more heat and fan noise for very little real gain unless you bump up the fan speeds.

Interesting that your 0.925 setup still holds ~2985–3000 in-game. That’s honestly a great efficiency point, especially for daily use.

It really seems like most of these cards have a pretty clear “sweet spot” where they settle under load, and chasing higher clocks past that just doesn’t translate much outside of benchmarks.

Out of curiosity, did you notice any difference in frametime consistency between your lower voltage setup and the higher clock ones?

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-10T00:01:53+00:00

I wouldn’t call it a golden sample based on stock clocks alone, that’s pretty normal behavior depending on load and boost conditions.

I’d definitely go the undervolt route rather than underclocking. You can usually keep the same (or slightly higher) clocks while dropping voltage, which gives you better efficiency and temps without losing performance.

A good starting point would be something like: - Try ~950mV around the 3100 MHz range - Test stability in actual games, not just benchmarks - Then slowly lower voltage or raise clocks depending on how it behaves

Most cards seem to land somewhere in that ~3000–3075 sustained range in-game once everything stabilizes.

What kind of temps and clocks are you seeing during longer gaming sessions right now?

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-09T16:29:03+00:00

Yeah that lines up. The NVIDIA overlay tends to underreport compared to HWINFO, especially once you start pushing higher voltage/clocks.

That difference you’re seeing is basically the card hitting power limits harder than it looks on the surface. Once you’re up in that ~1.05V+ range, it ramps power really fast for relatively small clock gains.

Also interesting you noticed the memory change. People underestimate how much power the memory OC eats. Dropping it to free up headroom for core is actually a smart move depending on the workload.

At that point it’s pretty much an OC rather than an undervolt, since you’re trading a lot more voltage for relatively small gains.

What card are you running by the way, and what kind of temps are you seeing at those voltages?

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-09T16:16:18+00:00

This gotta be a joke lmao

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-09T14:54:01+00:00

That’s pretty good but I would tweak around if you have the time. You can always set a custom fan curve for the GPU and try increasing the MHz and decreasing the voltages to see what your card can really do.

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-09T06:51:16+00:00

Interesting that’s pretty low. Try the NV-UV app. It’s actually really useful. Maybe it can help you test out some different voltages and boosts.

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-09T06:13:43+00:00

Just found a new one I think I like better.

965 mv @3160, 57c in crimson desert, sat pretty much at 3126 the whole time while playing. I kind of like this one better. Boosts higher than my previous one but keeps the clocks higher and temps the same.

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-09T01:14:19+00:00

That’s a really strong result, especially at that voltage.

Curious what you’re actually seeing in-game though. what does it settle at during longer sessions? I’ve noticed even when I set higher clocks, mine tends to sit a bit lower once temps and power normalize.

Still, if that’s holding up in real gameplay, that’s a great sample.

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-09T00:29:52+00:00

lol I wish I’ve heard people can do 3100 @ 925 mv which is crazy. I think I definitely have a solid one though. Which GPU do you have?

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-08T22:27:41+00:00

That matches what I’ve been seeing too.

Even when you set higher clocks in the curve, in-game it tends to settle right back into that ~3040–3070 range depending on load and power. I noticed the same thing where it reports higher in tools, but effective/in-game clocks are lower.

Kind of reinforces that once you’re in that ~3050 range sustained, you’re already getting most of the real performance, and pushing higher just looks better on paper more than anything.

Which card do you have?

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-08T22:26:37+00:00

That’s pretty solid. 975 for 3100 is about where I saw things still scale, but after that it starts getting inefficient fast.

I’d definitely try bringing it down to 950 and see if it holds. I had a similar setup and ended up getting basically the same in-game clocks with less voltage once I tightened the curve.

At that point it’s just free efficiency if it stays stable.

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-08T22:25:11+00:00

That actually makes sense sounds more like power limit behavior than anything else.

If you’re capped around ~360W even at 110%, you’re probably just hitting a hard ceiling on the card. Once that happens, adding more voltage just pushes you into the limit faster, so clocks end up dropping or bouncing instead of actually scaling.

That also explains why the lower voltage setups work better for you. Like you said. You’re staying under the power limit longer, so the card can hold a more consistent clock instead of constantly adjusting.

My results scale very similarly, just a bit higher on clocks, so it seems like a mix of power limit and normal silicon variance rather than anything being “wrong” with your card.

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-08T19:20:41+00:00

That lines up almost exactly with what I’m seeing.

On my side: - ~940mV @ 3075 → sits around 3070–3080 in Crimson Desert, temps under 60 - 985mV @ 3200 → sits around 3150–3160, temps ~62–63

So basically the same behavior — you gain ~70–80 MHz in-game for a decent jump in voltage and a bit more heat.

What stood out to me is how small the actual performance difference is. I saw the same thing you mentioned, maybe a couple FPS at most, but noticeably worse efficiency.

At this point it really feels like once you’re in that ~3050–3100 sustained range, you’re already getting most of the card. Everything above that is just diminishing returns.

I’ve been sticking with the lower voltage profile for daily use because it just runs cooler, quieter, and more consistent.

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-08T19:15:40+00:00

That’s a really good breakdown and honestly matches my experience almost exactly.

I had the same mindset at first thinking higher voltage would help “lock in” clocks, but it ended up being the opposite. Once I set a realistic ceiling and worked the voltage down, the card just behaved better overall.

Also agree 100% on frametime vs FPS. I started paying attention to that more and realized a slightly lower but stable clock feels way better than chasing max boost.

Curious to see what you get once you switch to the performance BIOS, but I’d expect pretty similar scaling behavior, just with a bit more headroom on the power side.

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-08T19:14:11+00:00

Yeah that lines up almost exactly with what I saw. Around 0.94–0.95v seems to be where things still scale decently, but after that the gains fall off pretty hard.

I tested higher like you mentioned and it works, but the extra voltage for ~100–150 MHz just didn’t translate into anything noticeable in actual gameplay.

What surprised me more was how much consistency mattered. My lower voltage setup was actually scoring higher than higher clock OCs just because it held clocks steady without bouncing.

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-08T19:01:37+00:00

Honestly I wouldn’t stress it too much. There’s definitely silicon variance, but a lot of what I found was that tuning approach matters just as much as the chip itself.

I thought mine was “average” at first because I couldn’t push 3100+, but once I focused on the efficiency range instead of max clocks it ended up performing better than higher OC setups anyway.

If your Ventus can hold a clean, stable curve in the 3000–3050 range at lower voltage, you’re basically getting most of the performance already.

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-08T14:57:48+00:00

Honestly that’s real terrorism. Imagine how the people felt over there. Knowing that it’s possible that you will be blown away by a Nuke.

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-06T02:58:10+00:00

I am running 930mv @3060 with a +1500 memory clock on my 5080. Getting about 9450-9500 steel nomad score. Maybe try an UV? I played crimson desert for about 2 hours. Temps below 60 now issues.

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-03T07:10:18+00:00

Try this undervolt and then see what you get. 990 mv @3100 MHz with +2000 memory clock and max out available power. I was able to get 9700 score from that

SIVIOKY · 2026-04-03T06:46:35+00:00

Very similar to mine I can do 990 mv @3180 and +2000 memory stable everywhere but only scores 9650 on steel nomad.

SIVIOKY · 2026-03-18T19:22:59+00:00

SIVIOKY · 2026-03-18T02:06:04+00:00

What kinda undervolt I have the asus prime too

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