Overclocking a graphics card increases its performance.
Overclocking a GeForce 7300GT can improve its performance, essentially making it function like a more expensive video card. The process requires some understanding of how a graphics card works. A graphics card is essentially a separate processor dedicated to processing graphics. It has its own processing unit, the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), which can be set to a higher speed. Additionally, a graphics card typically has its own on-board RAM and a fan, both of which can be set to function at a higher speed.
Instructions
1. Download and install Riva Tools (see Resources).
2. Open Riva Tools, click the arrow under "Driver Settings" and select "System Settings." This will open a dialog box that allows you to adjust the graphics processor and memory settings. Please note that all NVIDIA cards, such as the GeForce 7300GT, have separate settings for the "Shader" and "Core" frequencies. Both are adjustments of the graphics processor.
3. Increase the shader and core frequencies by moving the sliders under the box. Test the new frequencies by opening a graphics intensive program, such as a game and looking for "artifacts," which are images that do not transition fast enough or have pixilation in images. Another sign that the new settings are too high is that a graphics-heavy program will simply crash.
4. Repeat the process for memory by increasing the slider under the "memory clock" setting. Test the settings by opening a graphics intensive program and looking for artifacts or program crashes.
5. Select the "fan" option from the tabbed list at the top of the dialog box. Increase the fan speed to compensate for the increased heat output of the overclocked GeForce 7300GT.
Tags: graphics card, GeForce 7300GT, graphics intensive, graphics intensive program, graphics processor