Hello everyone.  Searched the internet for days now and maybe I'm not wording my search correctly but I cannot seem to find an answer to my issue.
 
As it stands, perhaps I'm just incredibly unlucky with the silicon lottery, but I cannot overclock my card without crashing in multiple games (Metro Exodus, Destiny 2, Doom Eternal, Outer Worlds).  Either the game freezes or suddenly screen goes black and monitor says "no signal", but PC is still on.  Even had spotify running in the background and was able to control it using keys on my keyboard, but no display/signal.
 
It was working with a small overclock provided by OC scanner in Afterburner for a couple of weeks but now nothing I do is stable.  even if scanner says 90% confidence (which I take with a grain of salt) it crashes.  Only way to not crash is keep the card at default settings, power limit only at 100%.  Even if I only increase voltage, power limit to max (100%, 130% respectively) to let the card boost itself and keep core clock and mem clock at +0, my game will crash within a minute or two.
 
GPU temperature is 55C at default at full load and does not go above 60C at full load with the minor overclock from a couple of weeks ago, so the crashing isn't thermal related.
 
My CPU (8700K) overclock is stable, but I went to stock speeds just to verify it wasn't an issue, it didn't change the outcome.
 
I've tested my RAM (4x8 GB @ 3000mhz) and it's also fine.
 
I've tried multiple monitors.  increased and decreased refresh rate to default 100 hz.  No change.
 
I turned off almost all background programs except my virus program and it still crashed (was making sure no application conflict).
 
I've tried different cables. (display port).
 
Windows power management settings is set to performance.  Nvidia control panel setting is for high performance.
 
Installed newest driver 456.38 (though I didn't do a clean install), but it didn't help.
 
Am I just that unlucky or is something else the matter?  is it my PSU (EVGA P2 1000 watt) going bad after only 2 years?  1000w should be more than enough for my setup.  I am using a riser, could it be causing this (GPU-Z shows cards running at proper transfer rates at full load though)?  Would a bad riser even cause these issues?  What in the heck is going on here???  Please help!

I’m not sure overclocking a graphics card is worth the trouble.

Definitely remove the riser and retry.

I wanted to give an update because I'm a bit perplexed.
 
I haven't had the opportunity to install a new riser yet, however I was playing with some settings in afterburner.  Currently I have core voltage at 100%, power limit to 105%, core clock +100, and mem clock +500.  I'm able to play several hours without a crash, though game just crashed again so I suppose I still can't consider that "stable".
 
in HWinfo, the voltage maxes at 1.050v, GPU power maxes at 276.995W, core clock maxes at 2,055 mhz, and max temperature is 52C.  To me, all of these numbers are well within the capability of the 2080 TI and nothing "dangerous".  But what I don't understand, is that if I keep all settings BUT the power limit the same, and increase power limit to 130%, games crash immediately upon loading into the game.
 
Wouldn't giving more power to the GPU allow for a more stable overlock as long as thermal limits aren't exceeded?  Perhaps when I set the power limit that high it boosts beyond a stable core clock I'm guessing?  I just feel quite unlucky if my 2080 ti can't even stay stable at 2,055 mhz.  I fully understand that the overclock from EVGA gets me to 1650 mhz without changing anything and that the card further boosts itself higher than that when underload.  What am I missing here?  Did I pull the short straw and nothing is actually wrong, it's just that my card cannot handle it??

Currently I have 2 cables going into the card, both cables taking up their own spot on the PSU (spots are labeled GPU). So 2 separate cables. This is correct way to set it up right, for what you're talking about?

deepseamk21
I wanted to give an update because I'm a bit perplexed.
 
I haven't had the opportunity to install a new riser yet, however I was playing with some settings in afterburner.  Currently I have core voltage at 100%, power limit to 105%, core clock +100, and mem clock +500.  I'm able to play several hours without a crash, though game just crashed again so I suppose I still can't consider that "stable".
 
in HWinfo, the voltage maxes at 1.050v, GPU power maxes at 276.995W, core clock maxes at 2,055 mhz, and max temperature is 52C.  To me, all of these numbers are well within the capability of the 2080 TI and nothing "dangerous".  But what I don't understand, is that if I keep all settings BUT the power limit the same, and increase power limit to 130%, games crash immediately upon loading into the game.
 
Wouldn't giving more power to the GPU allow for a more stable overlock as long as thermal limits aren't exceeded?  Perhaps when I set the power limit that high it boosts beyond a stable core clock I'm guessing?  I just feel quite unlucky if my 2080 ti can't even stay stable at 2,055 mhz.  I fully understand that the overclock from EVGA gets me to 1650 mhz without changing anything and that the card further boosts itself higher than that when underload.  What am I missing here?  Did I pull the short straw and nothing is actually wrong, it's just that my card cannot handle it??

Based on what you're describing here, I'd say your OC isn't totally stable.  Try setting the core back to stock and test with the power limit at max again.  If you don't crash, then slowly increase the core OC (15 MHz increments) until you're not stable (crash).  +100 on the core could just be too high for your card.
 
Just as an example, my 2080 Super XC Ultra can run totally stable with a +15 OC on the core.  +30 for most games/benches, but not all.  +45 on the core is instant crashing when loading a game.

An update.  I'm not going to start celebrating yet, but maybe I found the issue?
 
I was sorting through posts and found one from 2018 that Sajin made.  It was in regard to putting a yellow line on the curve in Afterburner according to the voltage you want to run at then adjusting the clocks to get a stable overclock.
 
I picked 1.093v and set the card to run at 2055 mhz.  I matched the white line and followed the guide as Sajin specified.  I noticed a couple of things:
 
First, in HWInfo, Max operating voltage in the past it said "yes".  However, now it says no.  I found a few other posts stating you do NOT want to hit the limit because that's where instability will occur and overclock will fail.  So perhaps that is a good thing?
 
Temperature is a little warmer, naturally, as now card is actually running at 1.093v, when before it never would get to that voltage to begin with.  Again, maybe that's why the overclock wasn't stable, it simply wasn't getting the juice.
 
The clock does go down and does not stay consistently at the 2,055mhz I set it to @ 1.093v.  Is this stepping due to temperature?  I'm maxing out at 62c, mainly because my fan curve needs adjustment and I believe if I adjust it I can keep the temps in the mid to high 50's.  I am on water, obviously not setting low temp records here though lol.
 
With all that being said, what is VDDC for the EVGA 2080 TI XC Ultra that I should be going for?