Question GPU hotspot issues ?

[peachey777]

Hey everyone,

I have a Gigabyte RX 6800 that has very nice average temps (50s and 60s) but is reaching very high hot spot temps (90 to over 110C) far too easily imo. This really only happens in some games though, mainly newer games like Jedi Survivor and UE5 games like Jusant. The main game I'm really playing right now is Jedi Survivor, I'm only playing at 1080p and easily reaching 60fps with a mix of high and medium settings, I feel I could push higher settings too and still get 60fps but I feel it would make the hotspot temps even worse. The only thing that really seems to help in this game is using FSR which will lower them into the 70s and 80s. And again this is only in some newer games, anything Unreal Engine 5 for sure. Older games like Mafia: Definitive Edition or other newish games like Hogwarts Legacy have the hot spot temps under control.

The case I'm using is a SAMA IM01 Pro. It has 2 120mm fans below the GPU and nothing below those fans that would block them. There's a 120mm fan behind the CPU and another above the CPU for exhaust (CPU temps are amazing). The other side of the case and the front of the case in front of the GPU are fully mesh. Here's a pic of it:

I feel like the airflow should be fine so this doesn't seem normal to me for the main temps and hot spot to be so different, and really for the hot spot to be that high based on my resolution and settings. Like I feel like this card should be able to play it at 1440p but if lowering the res using FSR helps than I can't imagine what 1440p would do to the hot spot temps. Anyways just checking with people who would know more about this than me to see if I'm overreacting or if I should be worried about it. I've never done it before but I'd be willing to try re-applying thermal paste or thermal pads etc, I just wouldn't know where to start there.

Thanks everyone

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Hey there,

How old is the card? hot spot temps can get high. But, the 6000 series are designed to run at up to 110c. I'd agree, I wouldn't want my card to have such high temps, but this is only because my hotspot doesn't aver go past mif 80's regardless of load or resolution.

What are your other PC specs?

The pic of the case isn't great, can yo do another one? All I can see is the reflection of an aeroplane and a game controller!

I don't think the fans underneath the GPU is a good idea. I'd rather it mounted at the front panel, where the air will flow in and around the GPU, and exhaust out the rear fan. Underneath the GPU is not optimal IMO.

 

[Phaaze88]

Please remove side panel glass next time. It makes images blurrier and causes reflections.

Large gap(more than 20C) between hot spot and gpu core under load generally means a repaste is needed - nothing more.
If NT-H2, MX-4, Hydronaut, or PK-3 are available, get one of those. Gpu die applications are a bit pickier than cpu IHS ones about paste.

 

[peachey777]

Hey there,

How old is the card? hot spot temps can get high. But, the 6000 series are designed to run at up to 110c. I'd agree, I wouldn't want my card to have such high temps, but this is only because my hotspot doesn't aver go past mif 80's regardless of load or resolution.

What are your other PC specs?

The pic of the case isn't great, can yo do another one? All I can see is the reflection of an aeroplane and a game controller!

I don't think the fans underneath the GPU is a good idea. I'd rather it mounted at the front panel, where the air will flow in and around the GPU, and exhaust out the rear fan. Underneath the GPU is not optimal IMO.

Ha sorry that was pretty stupid of me since the side panel just pops off. I've updated the picture.

It's an i7 10700, 16GB ram, a couple SSD's at the top and an NVME on the board, that's about it. The card itself is almost 3 years old or so. Not sure how long it's had this issue as older games just don't cause this amount of heat. I did read that 110 is it's max but I just didn't think it seemed right considering the settings and resolution I was running it at. As for the bottom fans it's just how the case is designed to work really, there isn't really a place at the front due to all the PSU wires

Please remove side panel glass next time. It makes images blurrier and causes reflections.

Large gap(more than 20C) between hot spot and gpu core under load generally means a repaste is needed - nothing more.
If NT-H2, MX-4, Hydronaut, or PK-3 are available, get one of those. Gpu die applications are a bit pickier than cpu IHS ones about paste.

Yes sorry that was dumb of me, I uploaded a new picture. I'm totally cool with trying to repaste it, that would be great if that's all it needed. I've never done that before with GPU but I'm assuming it's not a difficult thing to do? I'll try to find some videos on it..

The Hydronaut and PK-3 seem to be crazy expensive but the NT-H2 and MX-4 prices are really good, I've used MX-4 before on a CPU. I've also heard using a the PTM7950 thermal pad is a decent choice but I don't know if that's a good idea/better than paste

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Looking at it now, it would seem to me that there could be a bit of an airflow issue here. The fans on the bottom firing upwards, with limited colder air coming from below the chassis. This will be pushing the hot air from the GPU directly into the side of the CPU cooler. I would be almost sure that would impact the rear exhaust ability to expel the hot air. @Phaaze88 is more well versed in cooling than I am, so I'd like to see what he thinks about it. It just doesn't seem a natural flow to me if you get me.

I've tested NT-H2 on direct die contact, and it's good for GPU's and laptop CPU/GPU's.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Actually looking at the video of your case, the PSU is mounted to the front. I've not seen that before. Don't get it!

 

[peachey777]

Looking at it now, it would seem to me that there could be a bit of an airflow issue here. The fans on the bottom firing upwards, with limited colder air coming from below the chassis. This will be pushing the hot air from the GPU directly into the side of the CPU cooler. I would balmost sure that would impact the rear exhaust ability to expel the hot air. @Phaaze88 is more well versed in cooling than I am, so I'd like to see what he thinks about it. It just doesn't seem a natural flow to me if you get me.

I've tested NT-H2 on direct die contact, and it's good for GPU's and laptop CPU/GPU's.

Damn really? I figured that would have been a good place for fans. There's nothing under those fans, it's just an empty fully meshed/vented chamber I'm not sure what would be limiting the air. I do know it's an odd case though, a lot of new smaller matx cases seem to be going to a similar design like that with the PSU in the front. I'd be pretty upset if it was all just the cases fault as I didn't get it long ago. And I mean the main average temps seem to be very good at below 60C most of the time.. I don't know I really hope I can just re-paste it..

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Give the repaste a go, and see how it pans out. Let us know how it goes.

 

[peachey777]

Give the repaste a go, and see how it pans out. Let us know how it goes.

Will do, thanks again for your input

 

[Phaaze88]

Cooling is just my favorite subject of the DIYPC, that's all.


Inside a case, natural flow doesn't matter near as much as some will preach around, as it is weak as heck. Once it's outside the case, it's whatever at that point - as long as some fan isn't nearby to pull it right back in the case...
You can take a crappy Uphere fan, run it at 100rpm if possible, and it would still overpower the natural flow of things.

The fans on the bottom firing upwards, with limited colder air coming from below the chassis.

It should theoretically be better due to that mesh around the sides, but hey, sometimes things aren't what they appear at face value.
Bottom intakes should be given more attention, especially if it's the only intake, as it accumulates dust faster than other locations.

This will be pushing the hot air from the GPU directly into the side of the CPU cooler.

If those fans weren't there, it would still happen. The current trending gpu coolers take dumps inside cases, and the ones that don't aren't popular.

 

[peachey777]

Cooling is just my favorite subject of the DIYPC, that's all.

Inside a case, natural flow doesn't matter near as much as some will preach around, as it is weak as heck. Once it's outside the case, it's whatever at that point - as long as some fan isn't nearby to pull it right back in the case...
You can take a crappy Uphere fan, run it at 100rpm if possible, and it would still overpower the natural flow of things.

It should theoretically be better due to that mesh around the sides, but hey, sometimes things aren't what they appear at face value.
Bottom intakes should be given more attention, especially if it's the only intake, as it accumulates dust faster than other locations.

If those fans weren't there, it would still happen. The current trending gpu coolers take dumps inside cases, and the ones that don't aren't popular.

Thanks I really appreciate the answers. I have some thermal paste coming tomorrow and I'm going to give it a shot

 

[peachey777]

I replaced the thermal paste with MX-4 (already had some laying around) and it's made an enormous difference. It was pretty obvious it needed to be done, the old paste was super dry and flakey.

The highest hot spot temp I saw was 82C and only for a split second,. In the games that affected it the most the hot spot generally hovers between 65C to 73C and generally only about 7C higher than the main temps.

Very happy with results thanks again everyone for the advice.