There's no consensus or understanding online about what the options truly do and what to set, other than 'Power Management Mode' at Adaptive or Optimal Power. Especially as descriptions for each feature can just be marketing spin. "Turn X on to make your image better" is subjective. I always left it at default. Seems like something you fuss forever tweaking, then never notice a difference really. But maybe smarter people here will know what's good. EDIT: Woah just discovered there's a colour option that's set to limited that should be set to full...
Power management - Prefer max performance G-sync - on V-sync - on (linked to g-sync) RGB - Full Everything else is on default or whatever the driver selects on install.
Choosing 'Prefer maximum performance' means the GPU is going overkill even when it's idle or just on desktop, drawing more power (which also means a higher electricity bill) and naturally reduces the lifespan. So people keep it on 'Optimal power' or put it on 'Adaptive', and only put it on max if it's struggling with a game. I think my recently dead GPU was on prefer max performance too.
It won't go completely full beans all the time, it will still calm things down when not much is happening. Unless your cooling is horrendously inadequate and you've overclocked the nut's off it, it won't do the card any harm.
Not that it'll be as if on max load, but that it'll be higher temps and usage when it doesn't need it, like just opening a browser.
With modern Nvidia (and AMD I believe) gpus they adjust clocks regardless, setting to max performance shouldn't lock it in the max boost state (have to use other tools if you want that).
Yup: According to "PowerMizer" on this 'ere Linux box, setting Preferred Mode to Prefer Maximum Performance has the thing clock between 300MHz and 2.1GHz with the memory transfer rate locked at 1.4GHz; setting it to Adaptive or Auto (which just uses Adaptive anyway) lets it clock the memory transfer rate down to 810MHz. Loading up Green With Envy, you're looking at 32.16W power draw at idle when set to Prefer Maximum Performance, dropping to 1.06W spiking to 9W when set to Auto/Adaptive. So, you could probably save 25-30W by not using Prefer Maximum Performance, but if you *do* use Prefer Maximum Performance then you're not making the poor card idle at 250W or whatever the TDP is.
I've always left the default global settings and changed things on a per game basis depending on whether there's a need for better looking graphics or higher FPS beyond what's offered in the games settings.
Perhaps, but i like to err on the side of max. Edit: TBH in reality I think you can select what you want and the control panel will decide what it feels like it wants to do that day anyway.
I generally don't fanny about with these settings unless something obviously goes awry (which, tbf, it never does). I just leave it to do its thing.
Oh right. Well my GPU sits at idle clocks (very low from memory) and 26c when not doing anything 3d or taxing and hits a balmy 55c under load with 123% power limit set in Afterburner (Water cooled). I have never had a GPU die by changing such a setting in the control panel.
