Is this card overly hot?

[barlow078]

Dell Dimension E510
5 GB ram 3.2 Ghz Pentium 4
OCZ 500w PSU

XFX Geforce 8800 GT 512MB GPU


I just recently installed this card....upgrading from a 6800GS which I had for about three years and had no problems with.

I've been playing Oblivion some lately and had just finished playing and was surfing the net for about an hour and I thought I suddenly noticed something smelling like something was burning..i was like..wtf!!!

So I checked my Nvidia monitor and it said my GPU was running at 81 degrees celsius.

I jumped up and opened the case and got a small fan and put it on my unit...to try to cool it down....now it's been dropping..its down to 64 degreees while I type this thing up (about ten mins later than when I checked it at 81 degrees)




Normal?
Problem?

Please help

 

[Whitemilk661]

That seems pretty hot. My GTX 260 usually runs at about 60 degrees when the fan is at 40%. If I turn it up to 60% fan it usually drops to 49-50.

 

[barlow078]

Yeah I'm not sure.

I just googled it and one site I found said it runs in the 80s on load time...

Mine has been steady between 64-65 degrees since the incident (small fan still on it).

If my system can't handle the card, then I can always re-install my 6800 GS..but I'd rather not since I paid $183 for this 8800 GT

Anybody with any input?

 

[jerreece]

I have a single 8800GTS (512MB) which uses the same chipset as the 8800GT basically. However, mine is a dual-slot card (vents air out rear of case). With the fan on its default/factory speed settings it idles at desktop @ 72c. Pretty reidiculous really.

You probably need to manually bump up the fan speed setting on your video card. If I bump mine up to 60% (think default is something like 25% on mine) it cools way down, and isn't extremely obnoxious.

 

[jerreece]

If my system can't handle the card, then I can always re-install my 6800 GS..but I'd rather not since I paid $183 for this 8800 GT

Anybody with any input?

$183 is pretty steep for an 8800GT, considering the 9800GT (same card) can be had for quite a bit cheaper if you can order it online.

EVGA 9800GT Superclocked $119.99
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4035113&SRCCODE=PRICEGRABBER&cm_mmc_o=2mHCjCVybgwTyz__wyCjCVqHCjCdwwp

BFG 8800GTS (512MB) OC for $159.99 @ Best Buy.com
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8654262&type=product&id=1195600207509&&DCMP=KNC-TLC&ref=25&loc=PGR&srccode=cii_5784816&cpncode=21-2565178-2

Faster card, and cheaper than yours.

EVGA 9800GTX+ 512MB $174.99 - $20 MIR = $154.99 + Free Shipping
Free Call of Duty: World at War w/ purchase, limited offer
(9800GTX = 8800GTS, but the"+" has more processing units)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130416&nm_mc=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r&cm_mmc=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r-_-Video+Cards-_-EVGA-_-14130416

For the money, you could have a faster card than the 8800GT. However, your current processor probably won't allow you to get the better performance out of a faster card. You'd likely see a significant bottle neck.

 

[barlow078]

I have a single 8800GTS (512MB) which uses the same chipset as the 8800GT basically. However, mine is a dual-slot card (vents air out rear of case). With the fan on its default/factory speed settings it idles at desktop @ 72c. Pretty reidiculous really.

You probably need to manually bump up the fan speed setting on your video card. If I bump mine up to 60% (think default is something like 25% on mine) it cools way down, and isn't extremely obnoxious.

How do I change the fan settings?

 

[jerreece]

I've used RivaTuner. You can download the latest version from Guru3d.com

http://www.guru3d.com/category/rivatuner/

Careful with this program though. It will also allow you to OverClock the video card (which probably won't benefit you with your current CPU).

 

[Outlander_04]

How are your case fans?

If the temp dropped when you opened the case that suggests that not enough air flow through the case to get rid of the heat

 

[barlow078]

I don't know if there are any case fans or what..it's a stock Dell case...

I used that rivatuner software and fixed my fans to 65%...the card hasn't gotten over 70 degrees since..even in gameplay (Oblivion)

It's running at 61-62 steadily otherwise.....

Should I keep the fans fixed at 65% or go higher?

thoughts?

 

[efeat]

You should be ok. 60-70c under load isn't going to impress anyone, but it's certainly within acceptable range. I have a couple eVGA 8800 GTs myself, and one of them runs in the 80-85 range under full load. I've had that card for about a year now and it still works flawlessly.

It's kind of odd, since both my cards are identical and one constantly runs like 20C warmer than the other regardless of the slot it's in. Both fans are on 90%, and I reseated the heatsink on the warmer card. Anyway, the point here is that your current temperatures with the increased fan speed should be fine for that chip. If you would feel more comfortable with lower temperatures yet, increase the fan speed to as high as it can go before the noise starts bothering you. If you continue to smell something burning, then something's fundamentally wrong with the card.

 

[barlow078]

I put my fan on 90% fixed....I have one question.

If my fan is running this much, does it affect the life of the card?

 

[efeat]

I doubt it. Been a year for me at 90% and it's still working fine. Even if the fan does break down, it's better to replace the cooling than the card itself.

 

[barlow078]

This trick seemed to do the job guys..thanks a lot!

My card hasn't gotten over 63 degrees C since I turned up the fan to 90%

problem solved

 

[Finger13]

One suggestion would be to not leave the fan at that speed though. By all means, crank it up to 90% or whatever you have found suits you when you're gaming. But when you're just farting around on the net or doing anything that's not graphically demanding, I would turn it back down to 30% or 40% as long as it idles at a reasonable temperature. That way you don't have to listen to it drone on endlessly, and I don't know if it really makes a difference, but it should be easier on the fan instead of running at 90% nonstop.

My old 8800GTS would hit temperatures of over 80C without tampering with the fan settings.

I usually don't raise my GTX 260 past 70% because it stays below 65C, and idling with the fan at 30% it's 50C.