60fps vs 72fps cap on a 144Hz G-Sync monitor

[nasryus]

tl;dr: Should I use a 60fps or a 72fps cap on my 144Hz G-Sync monitor?

Hi all,

My specs relevant to this thread:

ASUS GTX 780
Acer XB270H G-Sync Monitor 1080p @144hz 1ms RT

Problem: I have heat issues when I let my FPS loose. The GPU easily reaches 95C (the GPU's max-rated temp according to Nvidia) when playing The Vanishing of Ethan Carter at ~130fps (highest settings). It not only worries me that the lifespan of the GPU would be slashed; when the temp is too high and throttling kicks in, the fps varies from 130fps to 50 or 30fps, stuttering the hell out.

So I figured I should cap the fps to something lower as to lower the temp, using Dxtory. I'm thinking maybe 60fps.

However, some say 60fps capping is only good for 60Hz or 120Hz displays and we should instead use 72fps for 144Hz displays, for some reason. I don't know any better.

Also, some people say that at 60fps or lower, there's no benefit at all from having a 144Hz display--it's exactly the same as 60fps @60Hz, putting my 144Hz monitor to waste. At this point, I'm stumped.

So experts, please give me some pointers here, especially regarding the last 2 paragraphs above. If those 2 statements are false, then I'll definitely cap at 60fps because it'd strain my GPU less than a 72fps would. I just need a 'go-ahead', and maybe some factual explanation. Also, it'd be great if you could let me in on any tricks to lower GPU temp too.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Karadjgne]

What could be causing the stuttering now could very well be the detail settings with the physX. There are by a few games, like batman arkham, that are very heavy physX, and if detail settings are too high there, has been shown to cause some stuttering, even on relatively simple screens.

If Ethan Carter turns out to be another heavy physX game, you'll have 2 options, turn your physX settings like smoke etc down some, or run a dedicated physX card, which can be any cheaper card from a gt240 on up, although you'll see better results from a gtx560 or better.

Turn the details down, see if the stutter goes away, make sure you are up to date on drivers and bios, and I'd hit 100% fan at a 70°C good curve vrs 80°C.
Also you can adjust the case fans for a sharper curve at closer settings, hitting 100% @ 40°C case temps, since case temps will change in the area of the cpu/gpu faster than the rest of the case will show.

 

[JP7PlaysMC]

78.º C is still a bit high, but it's well within the threshold of what I'd consider bearable

 

[bystander]

78C is not at problem at all for a GPU. It is a big problem for a CPU.

 

[nasryus]

What could be causing the stuttering now could very well be the detail settings with the physX. There are by a few games, like batman arkham, that are very heavy physX, and if detail settings are too high there, has been shown to cause some stuttering, even on relatively simple screens.

If Ethan Carter turns out to be another heavy physX game, you'll have 2 options, turn your physX settings like smoke etc down some, or run a dedicated physX card, which can be any cheaper card from a gt240 on up, although you'll see better results from a gtx560 or better.

Turn the details down, see if the stutter goes away, make sure you are up to date on drivers and bios, and I'd hit 100% fan at a 70°C good curve vrs 80°C.
Also you can adjust the case fans for a sharper curve at closer settings, hitting 100% @ 40°C case temps, since case temps will change in the area of the cpu/gpu faster than the rest of the case will show.

Wow never heard of using another GPU solely for physX. Thanks for that. I've pretty much given up hope on Ethan Carter though. I just accept it now, and still play it with passion lol.

To discuss PhysX more, which is more important to it: (GPU & memory clock) vs (memory bandwidth)?

Also, I'm actually gonna make 85% as max fan load. It's too loud at 100%, and 85% seems adequate to keep it under 80C.

You're pointing me in an interesting direction with the case fan. All my case fans are controlled by a 3-speed switch on the case, which I have to manually flick when I want to. Now what do I do to make them auto, and follow a fan profile like the GPU fan does? It's a pain to manually adjust the case fans.

 

[nasryus]

78C is not at problem at all for a GPU. It is a big problem for a CPU.

Your comment on CPU temp reminds me of an age old question I have. I understand there are 2 temps for the CPU, one normally about ~10C higher than the other. So when people say CPU temp, do they generally refer to the higher or the lower of the two?

 

[nasryus]

78.º C is still a bit high, but it's well within the threshold of what I'd consider bearable

I mean 78C is pretty good, especially when you look at my temp

What's your bearable temp threshold, if you don't mind? I'll try to match it with the power of the fan. lol

 

[Karadjgne]

To use fans automatically you need to connect them either through the motherboard, which uses the board mounted temp sensors, same as a cpu, or put them through an aftermarket fan controller that has automatic capability not just manual switches.

 

[nasryus]

To use fans automatically you need to connect them either through the motherboard, which uses the board mounted temp sensors, same as a cpu, or put them through an aftermarket fan controller that has automatic capability not just manual switches.

Thank you! I'll look into those

Edit: I just looked it up in my mobo's manual. There are only 3 slots for the case fans on the motherboard. For the other 2 I'd have to use the switch on the case, but that's good enough.

The question now is, which 3 of those 5 case fans should I connect to the mobo? In other words, which 3 fans are the most important? 2 of them are front intakes, 2 top exhausts, and 1 rear exhaust. Thanks in advance