[SOLVED] ITX build with high temperatures

[Hazelwood14]

Hi all,

I'm looking for some cooling advise. Main issue is my GPU that reaches up to 80 degrees and CPU is in the low 70s when gaming. My case is the cougar QBX, GPU is 1080 with two 120m fans directly underneath the GPU. I'm a keen gamer and my concerns are that I'll shorten the life of my GPU at these temperatures. I'm thinking about investing in a new case with better air flow? Will a new case resolve my high temperatures?

Here is picture of the inside of my case.
https://ibb.co/1MBkfXh
Just a side note that in this picture my PC is not permanently on carpet 😄.

any advise would be greatly appreciated,
Thank you in advance.

 

[Phaaze88]

1)80C isn't harmful to the GTX 1080 at all, though that's warmer than I'd expect for this model - again, still not dangerous; start getting like 85C+, then panic - actually don't.
Just remove the bottom fans - they are in the way, IMO. The gpu's fans are likely stronger than those bottom fans anyway.

2)70C is far from dangerous to the cpu.

Bottom line: Remove the bottom fans. Thermals on both are fine.


EDIT: I forgot to ask if that is just 1 stick of ram in that PC?

 

[Hazelwood14]

Hi,

Thank you for the reply. So not to worry about my current temps, even for long periods of time? The outside of my case feels hot to touch. I'll remove the fans to see if that makes a difference.

I Have two sticks of ram 8GB.

 

[Phaaze88]

So not to worry about my current temps, even for long periods of time?

Correct.
They don't sit at those thermals when you're not gaming, and cpu and gpu loads will vary across different titles.

The outside of my case feels hot to touch.

That should be a given:
-axial fan cooled gpus dump the majority of their heat from all sides
-the proximity of the side panels to the gpu

I Have two sticks of ram 8GB.

All good then!
It just looks like 1 in the picture.

 

[Phaaze88]

I should add that the 2 bottom fans DO have a benefit, which is cooling the gpu when running it's fans at lower rpms.
But once you put a nice load on the gpu and need to maximize cooling: the gpu's fans at max rpm, at least, should be able to pull more air than what the 2 bottom fans are capable of, thus they end up getting in the way.

I understand some models have louder fans than some, but when the tradeoff for noise is cooling - in most cases - whatcha gonna do?

 

[rubix_1011]

Easy process to tell if you have cooler problems, or airflow problems:



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AIO Troubleshooting and Questions


High CPU and GPU temperatures:

This could be caused by a few different things, please don't automatically assume 'the cooler is not working' without also checking if the case airflow is sufficient.

Remove the side panel of the PC case. Orient a house fan (desk or box style fan) to blow air into the case, directly over components at the highest setting.

This will represent a case with the best possible airflow possible. For reference, the fans I am providing as examples would look like the items below (just to clarify for anyone who might want reference)

Re-test as you have normally done - play games, run benchmarks, etc. to get to where temperatures were normally seen to be higher than they should. Normal room temperature is usually between 20-24C or 68-75F. Please note that every air or liquid cooler operates as a product of delta-T over ambient, meaning that if the PC is operational (simply turned on), it is impossible for the CPU to display a temperature below ambient room temperatures. If it is, this is likely a bug in software temperature reporting either from the desktop UI or the BIOS reading it incorrectly.

With the fan running at full speed, if temperatures drop by 5-7C or more, case airflow is one major issue to contend with. You will need additional fans or better fans for your setup in order to optimize air in and out of the chassis. This might even require consideration for a new PC case or leaving the side panel partially open during sessions of heavier computing until these items are corrected.

If your temperatures remain relatively the same (difference less than 1-2C), then you likely have an issue with the cooler in question (if CPU is hot, CPU cooler, if GPU is hot, GPU cooler). It would be good to then approach the next steps by thoroughly cleaning the cooler with compressed or canned air and ensuring there are not large blockages in cooling fins or on fans, etc. This might require the cooling fans to be removed from the heatsink or radiator to ensure there is not a buildup of pet hair, dust or even carpet fibers which can trap additional debris. Please ensure the PC is turned off and unplugged during this process to prevent unwanted startup to keep fingers safe from fan blades or accidental shorting if you happen to drop a screw onto other components during fan removal.

Removal of the cooler and re-application of thermal paste & re-seating the cooler can also be beneficial once cleaning of the cooler is ruled out by retesting the steps above.