[SOLVED] 3090, Higher temps and less fan speed or lower temps and more fan speed

[Adam Jelinek]

So I've been wondering for a while and looked up different stuff but I'd really appreciate hearing from you fellow folks. I set a custom fan curve in msi afterburner to basically match the fan speed of my gpu to the temp its at, so its basically like when its at 60c the fans are at 60%. And if I don't use afterburner then the card just does whatever it wants to and reaches temps like 68c usually. My max when using afterburner are usually 65c or lower. So my main question is, is it better to have lower temps for the card but ramp up the fans, or is it better to have higher temps but less fan usage.

 

[Phaaze88]

So my main question is, is it better to have lower temps for the card but ramp up the fans, or is it better to have higher temps but less fan usage.

Just some points to keep in mind, because I think the answer to your question isn't a simple one.
A)Gpu Boost is reliant on the card's parameters, such as power and thermals - especially the latter one; the cooler it runs, the higher the sustained boost clocks will be - bar power limits.
B)A static fan curve, or one that's high, yet steady, is slightly easier on the motor. It's also easier on the ears.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

anything under 70°C can be considered a "good" max temp by a lot of users.
i usually try to stay as close to 60° max as i can with a decent overclock. but when in heavy usage(gaming, video conversion, etc) this can lead to pretty loud fans in a lot of setups without as good airflow.

your question mostly comes down to personal preference;
do you want the max performance with the higher noise ratio?
or do you want a quieter operation, possibly sacrificing a few fps?

 

[Karadjgne]

I personally prefer a more concave curve, fans will stay lower, maybe 25-35% upto @ 60°, then a sharper curve from 60-70° at 35%-60% an only hitting 100% at 80°C.

This keeps gpu fans at minimal volume when just doing office stuff, websurfing, video watching etc, but increases fan speeds under heavier gaming. My gpu at the time never went above 65° anyway, so was at roughly 50% fans.

But your actual curve will be highly dependent on your ears, tolerances, airflow or lack of. Some cases and setups just require more, some less.

 

[Adam Jelinek]

anything under 70°C can be considered a "good" max temp by a lot of users.
i usually try to stay as close to 60° max as i can with a decent overclock. but when in heavy usage(gaming, video conversion, etc) this can lead to pretty loud fans in a lot of setups without as good airflow.

your question mostly comes down to personal preference;
do you want the max performance with the higher noise ratio?
or do you want a quieter operation, possibly sacrificing a few fps?

Honestly I have an o11 dynamic with 9 fans so noise doesn't bother me at all haha. I mainly ask because I don't want to A cause the fans to wear faster, and B overheat my card or cause any heat stress.

 

[Adam Jelinek]

Just some points to keep in mind, because I think the answer to your question isn't a simple one.
A)Gpu Boost is reliant on the card's parameters, such as power and thermals - especially the latter one; the cooler it runs, the higher the sustained boost clocks will be - bar power limits.
B)A static fan curve, or one that's high, yet steady, is slightly easier on the motor. It's also easier on the ears.

So what kind of a static fan curve would you think is best? Like percentage wise

 

[Adam Jelinek]

I personally prefer a more concave curve, fans will stay lower, maybe 25-35% upto @ 60°, then a sharper curve from 60-70° at 35%-60% an only hitting 100% at 80°C.

This keeps gpu fans at minimal volume when just doing office stuff, websurfing, video watching etc, but increases fan speeds under heavier gaming. My gpu at the time never went above 65° anyway, so was at roughly 50% fans.

But your actual curve will be highly dependent on your ears, tolerances, airflow or lack of. Some cases and setups just require more, some less.

Ah I see. I might try that config out. Thank you

 

[Phaaze88]

So what kind of a static fan curve would you think is best? Like percentage wise

Ok, this is just my 2 cents now...
Before I removed my 1080Ti Gaming OC's cooler and replaced it with a Kraken G12 + FD Celsius S36, when I got ready to start up a game, I would open Afterburner and fix the fans at 100%.
The fans do have a minor impact on the board's power budget, but I figure cooler gpu thermals overshadowed that easily.
Noise? Nah, I couldn't hear 'em unless there wasn't music playing.
When done, pull up Afterburner and click the restore to defaults button.