ELSA GLADIAC ULTRA 64MB GeForce2 Ultra

Overclocking

When we first reviewed the GeForce2 Ultra we managed to get it to run at a 285MHz core clock and a 500MHz memory clock. At the combination of those two speeds it passed our overclocking tests flawlessly, for more information on how to properly test a video card's stability when overclocked read our quick one page Guide to Overclocking a Video Card.

We didn't expect the memory on the GLADIAC ULTRA to go much higher than its rated 500MHz level (250MHz DDR), simply because the yields on those 4ns SDRAM chips aren't nearly as high as they would need to be in order for 500MHz+ overclocks to be made possible. The GLADIAC ULTRA should shine in terms of its maximum core overclock since it is using a heatsink/fan combo that not only has a greater surface area (heatsink) but also more powerful cooling capabilities (larger fan) than the reference board we tested back in August.

Testing the memory revealed that our predictions were correct, the GLADIAC ULTRA wouldn't budge above 500MHz. However the core was good up to 310MHz, just 5MHz shy of the limit of NVIDIA's 'CoolBits' overclocking slider. Of course a lot of this is dependent on the luck of the draw when it comes to yield on the individual GeForce2 Ultra chips, however at least some of the GLADIAC ULTRA's core overclocking success can be attributed to the slightly larger heatsink and more powerful fan.

Unfortunately, as we've discovered time and time again, the benefits we get from overclocking the core of the GeForce2 aren't nearly as great as those attained by increasing the memory clock. Making the ability to hit 310MHz on the GLADIAC ULTRA not that impressive of a feat, as if the Ultra weren't fast enough already.

Chances are that you won't see any GeForce2 Ultra based cards that have extremely overclockable memory this soon, as the yields on the 4ns chips aren't high enough for that to happen. It will over time, as yields improve, but for now just be glad that you can hit 500MHz in some of these cases.