Just got my system back, some questions about the video card

[DarkstarOne]

Ok, so I just got my system back from warranty service at MicroCenter. I have a Dell 435MT--they replaced the stock 360W PSU and ATI 4850 video card with a 500W Coolermaster PSU and an 1GB Gigabyte HD 6750 OC. 6 GB RAM, i7-920.

Few questions I have:

(1) I'm using CPU-ID's HWMonitor to monitor the video card. It's showing the card idling at 42C with the card's fan at 35%.
Is this idle temp ok? Should I raise the fan speed a bit more? What kind of effect does higher fan speed have on the life of the card?

(2) What kind of temps should I be seeing, at most, during heavy 3D gaming? I played about 10-15 minutes of Oblivion, and noticed the card got to 61C, but that was before I set it to let me control the fan speed on the video card. What fan speed should I set it to for heavy gaming?

I really appreciate the help, and the help I've gotten before. This is a great place, and one of the few forums like it where a newbie doesn't get his head chewed off for what some jerks think are stupid questions. I'm glad it's not like that here.

 

[christop]

Just leave your fan on auto and it will be fine.

 

[DarkstarOne]

I had it on auto when playing Oblivion and the card was running at 61C, as I said above...and the fan speed had never budged during play.

 

[RetiredChief]

Download furmark, open your CCC and monitor your temps/fanspeed run furmark in a window. What does temp and fanspeed go to. If over 65 and fanspeed is low, up it to bring the temps down. For Idle I adjust fan speed for min temp while not having the fan to load. For load I try to keep around 60->65 C. But even 70c possibly 80 C is OK.

 

[DarkstarOne]

Download furmark, open your CCC and monitor your temps/fanspeed run furmark in a window. What does temp and fanspeed go to. If over 65 and fanspeed is low, up it to bring the temps down. For Idle I adjust fan speed for min temp while not having the fan to load. For load I try to keep around 60->65 C. But even 70c possibly 80 C is OK.

I downloaded and ran the Furmark benchmark test. With the system handling the card's fan speed, the temp maxed out at 64C with the fan speed going to 42%.

 

[RetiredChief]

Sounds OK, Myself I'd up the fan speed to maybe 60% - The cooler the better.

 

[DarkstarOne]

Sounds OK, Myself I'd up the fan speed to maybe 60% - The cooler the better.

The higher fan speed won't shorten the life of the video card/or it's fan?

 

[RetiredChief]

The difference between 47% and 60% - no reall effect on fan longevity, But GPU will Like it.