GPU driver timeouts and GPU frequency limits

Computer Type: Desktop

GPU: steel legend 9070xt

CPU: 9600x

Motherboard: asus tuf b850m plus wifi

BIOS Version: 1640

RAM: 32gb gskill flare x 6000mt/s cl32

PSU: corsair rm1000x (2024)

Case: okinos mirage 4

Operating System & Version: windows 11 pro

GPU Drivers: 26.2.2

Chipset Drivers: not sure, it's up to date though

Background Applications: steel series gg, adrenaline, asus driver hub, steam, msi afterburner/rtss (no overclocking control, overlay only)

Description of Original Problem: amd card shooting way past stock frequency limits

Troubleshooting:

first amd card, been using it since mid december and it's been relatively trouble free.. that is until resident evil requiem. getting driver timeouts roughly around the 70 minute mark give or take.

i do have my card tuned -100mv offset, 2618 on vram with fast timing, +10% power limit.

card passes all stress tests, multi hour long furmark 1 and 2, steel nomad, port royal etc

now what I noticed, my card shoots WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY past stock clock speeds.

at the above tuning settings, run furmark 1 at 3840x2160 8x msaa, card shoots right to 3420mhz (amd max is supposed to be 2970) removing the +10% power limit, still shoots right to 3395mhz

i have to set a -450mhz max frequency offset to land anywhere near the 2970 and it still overshoots a bit.

now here's the weird thing, set the -450mhz offset, but keeping all the other tuned settings, now furmark 1 won't drive the card past 215w but i land right around the 2970mhz max the card should run at

furmark 2 shoots right to 334w but stays right around 2100mhz with the -450mhz offset

i'm well aware that my driver issues could be related to the undervolt i'm running, still in the process of sorting that out, but in the process i noticed this stuff and figured i'd make a post about it, the cards going sometimes 500mhz past the amd defined limits probably has a lot of something to do with the driver timeout errors. (i also imagine people with chonkier cards and more power available are seeing more than +500mhz over stock limits)

my major gripe with this, if it is a frequency issue, limiting the card to land in a healthy frequency range in one benchmark/game severely gimps the cards performance in games and applications that aren't already pushing the card to it's actual limit.