Release 310 drivers introduce power-optimizing enhancements. As a result of these
enhancements, you may notice that GPU core clock speeds are different with this driver.
For example, the GPU core clock might be faster when the GPU is in idle mode than in
previous drivers. Or you may notice higher GPU core clock speeds after closing or
opening certain games than in previous drivers.
This is because the reported GPU core clock frequency is no longer correlated to GPU
power-saving states. Instead of lowering the GPU core clock frequency, the hardware and
software use other methods to put the GPU into a low power state when the GPU is idle
or in response to changing application requirements. This ensures optimum power use
while continuing to provide high graphics performance.