Got a good deal. How to keep this card cool

[ohiou_grad_2006]

So guys, I think I got a good deal. Friend of mine had upgraded to the 1080ti, but had previously been using an RX 480 8gb card for 2-3 months. Otherwise it just sat I think. It's still got over a year of Microcenter warranty on it which is good, so if I have any issues, he'll go back with me to trade it in.

It's actually this card. Ended up getting it for 250 which seems better than I could even have picked up a 1060 for.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202223

I recently upgraded to a Ryzen 5 1600(mild overclock to 3.7ghz)
Cooler master vortex plus cooler--http://www.coolermaster.com/cooling/cpu-air-cooler/vortex-plus/
8gb crucial ballistix ddr4 2400
ASRock AB350m Pro 4
EVGA 600B PSU(leftover from old build)
1tb western digital standard hard drive
250gb Samsung 960 evo nvme drive
DeepCool D Shield case--http://www.deepcool.com/product/case/2016-10/9_6152.shtml

The case was kind of a downgrade from my old storm scout, but wanted a change of scenery.

The deepcool is more cramped, can't even fit a dvd drive in with a micro atx board, cable management is good though. I like the basement they give you to hide your wires.

Anyway, my old 7950 was quite happy, but the 480 definitely runs a bit warmer. I saw that it got to 86 while I was playing modern warfare 3. So I rigged some things. Cooling setup is as follows.

Front of case-2 120 mm fans mounted, 1 where dvd drive would be(I have an external dvd drive on the way), and one directly below that in the middle. I have room to add a 3rd below which I may do.

Back has a 120mm at the top. I removed all the remaining pci slot covers and zip tied an 80mm fan directly under the gpu to pull air out. I also noticed I have room to add a couple of fans to the bottom of my case on top of the basement so to speak, one would be positioned to blow directly into my gpu. Just need to find my longer screws that go to them.

But card still ran 86 while playing mw3 according to hwmonitor. Is that just normal for these cards? I did install msi afterburner, any tips on using that? I think I successfully set a fan profile and that seemed to bring temps down a bit. Any other suggestions?

Forgot to mention, running 1080p at 60hz.

 

[Sedivy]

Intake fans at the level/slightly below your card at the front will cool it the most. As will the bottom fan blowing cool air directly into its fans. The 80mm fan is below the card and that's not much helpful because on those types of cards, the air is getting sucked in by its fans and blown out the sides and back mostly, so above the level where that fan is. Once it is blown into the case, it rises, as warm air does, so the top and back fans likely to more for this dissipation than your 80mm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OmkmluAYAQ
Good video on fan positioning and effects on temps. If you add intakes, below or front (or both), try and keep it somewhat balanced with exhaust so to keep the air flowing in a direction. Like so https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/attachments/upload_2016-1-18_13-56-17-png.71169/

 

[shrapnel_indie]

The 480 cards to tend to run a bit hotter, especially in comparison to an old upper-mid-level card. It's operating within its thermal limits, so no issues there. If you want it cooler, you can try to adjust the fan profile on the card to be more aggressive (run faster quicker, based on temps) which might help some at the cost of being noisier. If your skills are good, you can try to undervolt it too, which will help it run cooler. (too low of voltage will destabilize the GPU, so use caution if you do this.)

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

Yeah, one drawback, the case has a mount for a 140mm fan on top, so I actually bought one for it, but the way the board sits, the heatsink on the vrms on the top of the board are just high enough to prevent the fan being there unfortunately. So the only option for exhaust on top is literally the single 120mm. I did order a pci slot cooler fan before I did the 80mm fan idea. I think I have an unused pci e x1 slot right above the card. When that slot cooler arrives I may install it there just to help pull a little more air out.

Thanks for the link, I actually did see that one the other day.

 

[Sedivy]

Don't forget that you can mount a fan outside the case as well. It may look weird but it'll work (as long as there's no shroud in the way up top.
You don't mention the back fan. I'm assuming you do have one?

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

Yep. so if you look at the link to my case I put up above, I've actually got a 120 up top, then another 80mm exhaust directly under the card. Like I said, I ordered previously a pci slot cooler fan like this one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-High-Quality-4-Pins-System-Blower-CPU-Case-PCI-Slot-Fan-Cooler-for-MAC-PC/380601530657?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

So I think I'll try to add that on the lone slot directly above the card.

Then 2 120mm are mounted in the front of the case pushing air into the case. There are mounts for a couple of 120mm on the bottom of the case to, I just need to find screws to mount fans there(need longer ones).

 

[Sedivy]

Oh. I see. I think I imagined that 80mm sitting flush with back, like the regular back fan above it. Ok, well above the card it's not going to hurt if it's blowing hot air up and it's not bad below it either though I think bottom case fans would help more. Can you fit it above the card though? Usually space between cpu cooler and the gpu is rather tight?

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

Right now as it is there's a 120mm pulling out back on top. Space is tight above I think. But that slot cooling fan I put a link to should fit above the card. So on back I'd have 120 on top of back panel, slot cooling fan in slot directly above GPU, then all pci slot covers punched out, and an 80mm zip tied there, pulling air out from under the card.

 

[Sedivy]

Keep in mind below the card, you want that cool air to get to the fans on the bottom of the gpu.Then again these things you can try out yourself. Run the monitor in all of these combinations and see for yourself what actually lowers the temp and is worth it.

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

Hm. Wonder if I should flip the 80mm to pull air into the case then. May try that and have the slot cooler pull air out above the card and see if that creates a little bit of a vacuum effect.

 

[Sedivy]

I...am getting lost I think. But as long as you monitor each configuration for both mobo gpu and cpu temps you should have a good idea what works. Use hwmonitor or hwinfo (in case I haven't mentioned that).