How does one maintain a graphics card?

[redness]

I know the title is vague so let me ask more specific questions:

-How do I keep my card's temps from degrading? I've heard that cards eventually getting hotter and hotter temps as they get older. How do I stop this from happening?

-Does the performance of video card degrade as well? What causes this and how do I stop it from happening too?

-How long do GPU's usually last?

I ask all this because I just bought a brand new card and I need it to last for a long time. Thank you for any help.

 

[Devildjinn]

Cards can get hotter over a long period of time if the manufacturer used crap thermal paste. You can replace this if you witness high temps after you have owned the card 4+ years. Some people think this is unessesscery.
Gpus dont degrade anymore than other consumer electronics. Games gradually demand more graphical power over time, making your gpu less effective.
A gpu may last 2-4 years depending on the card.

 

[Gallarian]

Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44JqNJq-PC0 - It's Linus talking about and testing for performance degradation.

Graphics cards will last for years on average. It's impossible to give an actual figure due to the amount of variables, but you can reasonably expect a well looked after card to give at least 4 years.

As for 'looking after', heres a few tips:

1) Try to keep temps in your environment low. The cooler your room is, the cooler the air around your case is, the cooler the air inside the case is, and the cooler your card is.

2) Every month or so, take a new non-synthetic paintbrush and a can of air and clean the card of dust and debris.

3) If you are moving the system in a vehicle, take the card out and package it separately (ideally in its original packaging). A graphics card in a PCIE slot is one the most vulnerable parts to movement damage.

4) If you are going to overclock, research well and do it safely.

5) After a year or so, if you notice temps have increased, it might be time to reapply some new thermal paste.

 

[redness]

Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44JqNJq-PC0 - It's Linus talking about and testing for performance degradation.

Graphics cards will last for years on average. It's impossible to give an actual figure due to the amount of variables, but you can reasonably expect a well looked after card to give at least 4 years.

As for 'looking after', heres a few tips:

1) Try to keep temps in your environment low. The cooler your room is, the cooler the air around your case is, the cooler the air inside the case is, and the cooler your card is.

2) Every month or so, take a new non-synthetic paintbrush and a can of air and clean the card of dust and debris.

3) If you are moving the system in a vehicle, take the card out and package it separately (ideally in its original packaging). A graphics card in a PCIE slot is one the most vulnerable parts to movement damage.

4) If you are going to overclock, research well and do it safely.

5) After a year or so, if you notice temps have increased, it might be time to reapply some new thermal paste.

Sadly I don't have much control over my room temperature and it is very hot where I live 🙁

Why does the brush have to be non-synthetic?

Is it hard to reapply thermal paste to a GPU? I don't know how. I have an MSI GTX 1070.

 

[Gallarian]

Sadly I don't have much control over my room temperature and it is very hot where I live 🙁

Why does the brush have to be non-synthetic?

Is it hard to reapply thermal paste to a GPU? I don't know how. I have an MSI GTX 1070.

Thats ok, it's not necessarily about room temperature, but includes things like making sure the case is in a went ventilated place such as on top of an uncluttered desk rather than tucked away in a wardrobe. As long as the case has room to breath, it will be fine.

The bristles of the brush have to be non-synthetic as to avoid the build up of static electricity which could damage system components if discharged on to them.

It's not hard to do, youve just got to take your time. In simple terms, all you have to do is:

1) Remove the card from the system
2) Unscrew the screws that hold the cooler on to the PCB and unplug it from the board
3) Wipe the old paste off the GPU with an alcohol based cleaner
4) Reapply new paste
5) Plug the cooler back in and screw it back on to the PCB
6) Reinstall the card into the system

There are plenty of videos on youtube and guides on this website that will talk you through it in much more detail - but it really isnt a complex job at all

One thing I did forget to mention in my original reply was: Make sure you are always running the latest Nvidia drivers. New drivers come out every month or so and often bring better performance and support for new software. Easiest thing to do is download the 'Nvidia GeForce Experience' app, which will tell you when new drivers are out and what they do, and then install them for you.