Both the Inno3D 8800GT OC Edition and the XFX 8800GT Alpha Dog Edition are already overclocked. That doesn't mean you can't give them a further boost. The easiest way to do so, is by using RivaTuner. We managed to get a 700/1790/1000 (core/shader/memory) stable system with 3D Mark 06. However, with the Crysis benchmark, the system froze, always.

Looking through the various forums, we did see various, successful attempts reaching up to 758 / 1880 / 1040. However, we suspect that this requires a BIOS flashing and the installation of a more advanced cooling system, which most users don't have in mind when buying a new graphics card.

The temperatures of the core/memory/shaders is an issue with the 8800GT series due to the single slot cooling system. While running the Crysis benchmark, we used Everest Ultimate Edition 2007 and got the lowest/average/highest temperatures for various PC components as follows:

The GPU core under full load reaches 75° Celsius, which is really high. Because our testing time durations are relatively short in comparison with say a 2 hour marathon game session, we didn't encounter any real problems with the stock cooling system as provided on both the Inno3D and XFX graphics cards. But experienced users and certainly those who want to perform overclocking, will require something extra in terms of cooling. Lastly, the noise levels were measured with a Precision Gold N09AQ environment meter and showed at full fan speed, 62dB, at idle 44dB, while at full load 51dB. The resulting noise levels can be characterized as moderate.