[SOLVED] GTX970 temps SOARING

[KnightsCross]

I have a Zotac GTX970 that I have had either since '13 or '14. I can't remember which year it was released, I purchased it brand new around the time of the cards debut. Anyway, I have started to notice the card is getting STUPIDLY hot playing some of the most minimally demanding games, such as Fallout New Vegas, Skyrim, Company of Heroes 2, Starcraft II, etc. At idle it typically hangs around 32-35c. Under demand the average temp gets to 80-85c, but the most concerning aspect for me is the "Hotspot that CPUID Hardware monitor points out that it is getting up to 96.5c. I recently repasted and put new thermal pads on, but I admit the thermal pads I got are trash. They are generic, only capable of dissipating 3w/mk (or less), although I know my repaste job is good. Should I be worried about this "hotspot temp", and where can I buy new thermal pads that are decent brands? Any advice to cool this off would be much appreciated. I cant afford to replace it for 4-6 weeks.

Please help, I am sinking fast.

 

[Ralston18]

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

Include PSU: make, model, wattage, age, condition? Past history of heavy gaming use - correct?

Cooling system?

When you installed the new thermal pads was the motherboard,all components, and case cleaned to remove dust and debris?

Also verify by sight and feel that all connectors, cards, RAM and jumpers are all fully and firmly in place.

Use a bright flashlight and magnifying glass to inspect for signs of damage. Bare conductor showing, melted insulation, pinched or kinked wires, browned or blackened components/PCBs.

All fans working, no air flow obstructions?

Could simply be that the GPU is nearing its' designed in EOL (End of Life).

 

[KnightsCross]

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

Include PSU: make, model, wattage, age, condition? Past history of heavy gaming use - correct?

Cooling system?

When you installed the new thermal pads was the motherboard,all components, and case cleaned to remove dust and debris?

Also verify by sight and feel that all connectors, cards, RAM and jumpers are all fully and firmly in place.

Use a bright flashlight and magnifying glass to inspect for signs of damage. Bare conductor showing, melted insulation, pinched or kinked wires, browned or blackened components/PCBs.

All fans working, no air flow obstructions?

Could simply be that the GPU is nearing its' designed in EOL (End of Life).

CPU: Ryzen 2700x
PSU: EVGA 850 GQ (less than 1 year old)
Cooling system: Corsair AIO cpu cooler 240mm
RAM: 32GB Corsair 3200Ghz

Yes tower is cleaned of debris and spacious. Everything is pristine and in place. Nothing is browned or blackened, and my card has NEVER been overclocked in its entire 8+ year life. All fans working, my cpu never even gets over about 42c even when heavy gaming. I suspect the card is in it's final days but I am hoping to squeeze out 4-6 more weeks. I have to because I can't replace it yet. I ordered some good thermal pads and waiting for them to arrive by mail. Do you think it is just dying from old age?

 

[Ralston18]

Heat is an enemy of electronics and 8+ years of use means lots of thermal cycles - heating up and cooling down.

Even with good care and maintenance the designed in EOL (End of Life) will eventually be reached.

If the GPU fails it could cause a cascade of problems. Or if something else fails the GPU could be more vulnerable and go down with the proverbial ship.

You can hope, try to keep GPU etc. cool but there is no way to know what may suddenly happen and when.

Be sure that all system data is backed up at least 2 x to locations off of the current host computer. Verify that the backups are recoverable and readable.

Just in case......

 

[jaz2018]

I replaced the fans on my GTX970 (fairly easy to do) and
that solved all my problems with it - Amazon had some good ones
at the time. Might be worth the effort for you. (Be careful with fan cable routing on the board if you do this - it squeaks like the devil if you dont tuck them in!)