Best way to cool a hot graphics card

[Rugnir_Viking]

I recently bought a HD7870 graphics card, and to my surprise, it turned out to be the rare 'strange edition'
(http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-1755548/xfx-radeon-7870-double-dissipation-strange-edition-pin-pin.html)
However, the main problem I have found is that even when I set fans to 100% and open the windows etc.. it still gets extremely hot. Its different each day but generally with intensive games it can hover between 85-100 degrees.
So i'd like to know the best way to cool this graphics card. It's not exactly a problem with the card it would appear, at least not in terms of hardware, but the factory overclock seems to be causing it to overheat a fair bit. I've not had many problems other than the heat, although one time it did get to just shy of 110 degrees when the pc was pushed up against the wall so it couldn't exhaust heat as well and I saw artefacts so I closed it off, moved it and let it cool.

For anyone wondering I have to corsair 200r with stock fans, and the fx-6300 cpu

Anyway thanks for reading, any suggestions?

 

[blockhead78]

ugh another xfx issue

it seems xfx gpus are plagued with cooling issues

what ambient case or rooms temps do you have and how hot does your CPU run in comparison?

I'm seeing more and more problems with people keeping xfx gpus at good temps, or problems with the cooling failing all together

to be honest, if you've got good temps everywhere else other than the GPU and have good airflow, you might be better looking for an aftermarket cooler if you're comfortable fitting it

alternatively, if it's purely the gpu running that hot, you could RMA it

 

[plaintuts]

That is indeed bad. If you can still can get your card replaced and you feel that what you have is bad gpu, then by all means do it.

But for other solutions, heat dissipation in factory overclocked gpu should not be an issue because they come with non reference coolers.
Then proper air circulation may be the culprit, proper cable mangement and putting a case fan on the side panel directly over the gpu will definitely help.

 

[RobCrezz]

It looks like it has a good cooler. I would RMA it.

If not, you could remove the cooler and re apply some better thermal paste - many manufactures apply the thermal paste pretty badly, usually way too much.

 

[blockhead78]

It looks like it has a good cooler. I would RMA it.

If not, you could remove the cooler and re apply some better thermal paste - many manufactures apply the thermal paste pretty badly, usually way too much.

I disagree... while on paper it might be a good cooler, it seems like it's unreliable as hell

I've seen a lot of posts over time on various forums from people with overheating issues with xfx gpus

On overclock.net, 2 users have had the cooling fail in the last month and the vapor chambers literally exploded form the heat that was generated

 

[trawetSluaP]

This may not be helpful but I'd replace it with a better card. I've only heard bad things about XFX and avoid them completely.

 

[RobCrezz]

It looks like it has a good cooler. I would RMA it.

If not, you could remove the cooler and re apply some better thermal paste - many manufactures apply the thermal paste pretty badly, usually way too much.

I disagree... while on paper it might be a good cooler, it seems like it's unreliable as hell

I've seen a lot of posts over time on various forums from people with overheating issues with xfx gpus

On overclock.net, 2 users have had the cooling fail in the last month and the vapor chambers literally exploded form the heat that was generated

Exploding vapor chambers sounds bad!

 

[Rugnir_Viking]

ugh another xfx issue

it seems xfx gpus are plagued with cooling issues

what ambient case or rooms temps do you have and how hot does your CPU run in comparison?

I'm seeing more and more problems with people keeping xfx gpus at good temps, or problems with the cooling failing all together

to be honest, if you've got good temps everywhere else other than the GPU and have good airflow, you might be better looking for an aftermarket cooler if you're comfortable fitting it

alternatively, if it's purely the gpu running that hot, you could RMA it

Thanks all, sorry I took a while to get back to you.

Perhaps I will RMA the card if it begins to have problems. It still has it's warranty so I might wait it out because if I don't do anything to the coolers and there's a problem, I'll use the warranty. As for now, I might install a fan on the case door.

Out of interest, what is the best solution for that? Pushing air into the side of the card or pulling it out of the case at the side? I ask because if I make it push out then all but the front fan would be pushing outward, and the front fan on the corsair 200r is (seemingly) useless.

I have no major problem with other temps, the fx6300 gets to about 43 degrees under load. the only thing I would say is that I have also once had a problem with the power supply shutting down because the computer sits on the floor with a long carpet and it couldn't exhaust properly. I put a bit of balsa wood under the legs of the computer and I haven't had any shutdowns since, but perhaps that's not enough? If so any tips on that?

Finally, airflow.
I can't say i'm the best builder in the world and indeed with the gpu sitting in the first pci-e slot all the wires coming out of the power supply are under it's fans about an inch away. I did think of putting a cable tie there but idk how effective that would be.

EDIT:
Also, note that the card has had no major problems other than the heat itself, bar that one instance of artefacts when I had it against the wall. It performs great and I don't see much problems at these temperatures, and it does everything I expected and more, due to receiving the 'strange version' 7870

 

[blockhead78]

normally, the standard best airflow method is:
Intake: front and sides
Exhaust: Rear and top

as far as your PSU issue, you've probably already solved it with the balsa wood, but yeah... never ever put a PC that intakes for the PSU from below on a carpet

 

[Rugnir_Viking]

normally, the standard best airflow method is:
Intake: front and sides
Exhaust: Rear and top

as far as your PSU issue, you've probably already solved it with the balsa wood, but yeah... never ever put a PC that intakes for the PSU from below on a carpet

Thank you. I'll have a look at fans then. So would you say I should get something like 1 case door fan blowing onto the gpu, and one top fan to exhaust, and a triple fan splitter for the four pin fan socket? To go with the stock one front bottom and one at the top back

 

[blockhead78]

normally, the standard best airflow method is:
Intake: front and sides
Exhaust: Rear and top

as far as your PSU issue, you've probably already solved it with the balsa wood, but yeah... never ever put a PC that intakes for the PSU from below on a carpet

Thank you. I'll have a look at fans then. So would you say I should get something like 1 case door fan blowing onto the gpu, and one top fan to exhaust, and a triple fan splitter for the four pin fan socket? To go with the stock one front bottom and one at the top back

yup, on my previous case I had a side fan blowing directly on to my GPUs and it noticeably help cool them

as far as the rest of the case, the more fans the merrier

I'm not sure which mobo you have, but how many fan headers does your mobo have?

If you don't have enough, then yes, a splitter will be fine and 1 intake on the front and 2 exhausts top and rear will be fine in addition to a side intake

That will keep all the air moving in the most efficient way, in through the front and sides, out through the rear and top

 

[Rugnir_Viking]

normally, the standard best airflow method is:
Intake: front and sides
Exhaust: Rear and top

as far as your PSU issue, you've probably already solved it with the balsa wood, but yeah... never ever put a PC that intakes for the PSU from below on a carpet

Thank you. I'll have a look at fans then. So would you say I should get something like 1 case door fan blowing onto the gpu, and one top fan to exhaust, and a triple fan splitter for the four pin fan socket? To go with the stock one front bottom and one at the top back

yup, on my previous case I had a side fan blowing directly on to my GPUs and it noticeably help cool them

as far as the rest of the case, the more fans the merrier

I'm not sure which mobo you have, but how many fan headers does your mobo have?

If you don't have enough, then yes, a splitter will be fine and 1 intake on the front and 2 exhausts top and rear will be fine in addition to a side intake

That will keep all the air moving in the most efficient way, in through the front and sides, out through the rear and top

Okay many thanks I'll get back to you with how that goes soon

 

[pdasterly]

kraken g10 bracket with corsair h55, $75 total