I've got an nVidia 8800gts, and for a few years now it would freeze the computer when playing any game. The only thing I can do when it's in this state is to push the reset button on the case.
Until now I figured it was probably a graphics driver bug or something else out of my hands, but it recently occurred to me that it might be overheating. I downloaded something called Speedfan to chek the temperatures and apparently the graphics card runs at 67-68C when I'm not playing a game. Which sounds far too high.
I remembered another fan that came with my case, which I plugged in and it seems like it now runs at 61-63C when not playing a game. I would give a reading for when it's rendering a game but I obviously don't want to damage it any further.
If it makes a difference, [url=http://www.priceinspector.co.uk/d/27492692/Computer-Cases/Atrix-9001C4-BLACK-Gaming-Case-520W-PSU-Mesh-Side-and-Top-12cm-Fan-LCD-Temp-Display-ATX-compare-prices]here is my case[/url]
If it makes a difference, the processor is apparently running at 54C as well. Should I try to bring down these temperatures further? I'm using all the fans in the case at standard settings. Is there any extra hardware I should buy to help cool them down?
Check the temps with [url=http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html]something more reliable[/url]
SpeedFan always gives me bad readings. Your temps are normal-high for idle, run something like Furmark to stress your card and check your temps.
70C is fine for a graphics card, it's over 85-90 you should start to worry
and up to 70C is fine for a CPU
[editline]20th March 2011[/editline]
oh those are idle temps, get a can of compressed and and clean built up dust out of the heatsinks
Thanks - HWMonitor shows 60C for the graphics card right now, same as Speedfan. I hope this is solely due to the extra fan being in operation, but it is also with the window open on a cool day and one of the side panels taken off so I could check and make sure the fans were all running.
For the compressed air, I found a [url=http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Fans%2C+Heatsinks%2C+Coolers/Accessories/Hi+Point+Air+Duster+-+Blast+away+dust+and+crumbs+from+your+keyboard+?productId=38843]Hi Point Air Duster[/url] on the website for a local computer shop - would that do?
Should I bring it down from 60C as soon as possible? It might well have to stay at these temperatures for a while, although I definitely won't be playing any games during that time. Would setting the fan to a higher speed help, and if so, what is the recommended way to go about it?
Unless it starts to break 95°C (load) you should be alright.
I played Borderlands for about 2 minutes and it got up to 87*C for the graphcis card and 74*C for the processor, which can't be healthy. I'll look into getting the air can and blowing dust out of the fans, thanks - but if that doesn't help enough, would it be the next step to get some kind of special hardware to regulate the temperature?
[QUOTE=Jake_Steel;28712640]Unless it starts to break 95°C (load) you should be alright.[/QUOTE]
This. That 80c or 90c propaganda is bullshit, you could run a card safely at over 100c for a while with no significant damage.
I got a can of air and just now blew some dust out of the computer - a few rather big clumps of dust came out of the graphics card fan and the heatsink on the CPU. Unfortunately the temperatures don't seem to have changed at all on the graphics card, although I think the CPU is now a couple of degrees cooler. At this point should I try making the fan spin a bit faster?
Also I think there was some dust quite tightly packed between the heatsink fins, such that a blast of air couldn't dislodge it. Should I try and prod it out with a cotton bud or something?
Get a Knife or something equally thin and slide it out.
Okay - I'll probably try that a bit later. The CPU seems fine, on idle at least.
Maybe it would be a good idea to get a new case fan? All the ones I see look very affordable, it just depends how much I stand to benefit from any of them.
[QUOTE=TheNetwork;28808288]This. That 80c or 90c propaganda is bullshit, you could run a card safely at over 100c for a while with no significant damage.[/QUOTE]
Just because a GPU 'can' run at 100c, doesn't mean it's good for it. Running at those extreme temperatures reduces the life of the GPU.
[QUOTE=MegaJohnny;29018935]Okay - I'll probably try that a bit later. The CPU seems fine, on idle at least.
Maybe it would be a good idea to get a new case fan? All the ones I see look very affordable, it just depends how much I stand to benefit from any of them.[/QUOTE]
Good airflow in a case is crucial to keep things cool, however just adding fans everywhere isn't going to solve the heat problem. If you have a wad of cables obstructing airflow, or fans blowing the wrong direction, your heat problem could just get worse.
Generally, you want to try and keep a vacuum inside the case (more fans blowing out than pulling in) and have the air come from the front of the case and vent out the back (to reduce heat recycling in the case.)
At the moment the graphics card's fan is just pointing down a short distance from the floor of the case. How can I tell which way a fan is blowing, should I just feel the air around it and try to figure it out that way?
[QUOTE=MegaJohnny;29032457]At the moment the graphics card's fan is just pointing down a short distance from the floor of the case. How can I tell which way a fan is blowing, should I just feel the air around it and try to figure it out that way?[/QUOTE]
They have arrows on one of the sides of them.
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