Should I worry about 99% gpu usage @ 74 deg. C

[Tavis01]

During gaming with High gfx settings it is not uncommon for my card to hover right around 99% usage with a constant temp of about 74 degrees C. Is that dangerous for this card?

PNY GTX 580
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133395

Thanks

 

[dish_moose]

Looks fine - gpus are meant to handle temps well past that.
From what I've read at 97C the card will lower it's clock.
-Bruce

 

[terryd75]

During gaming with High gfx settings it is not uncommon for my card to hover right around 99% usage with a constant temp of about 74 degrees C. Is that dangerous for this card?

PNY GTX 580
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133395

Thanks

I'm afraid I have to completely disagree with Dish_Moose. 74 degrees Celcius is 164 degrees f, and is REALLY HOT! I would be very concerned if it were mine. I've never seen mine go above 60 c. At the very least, this will shorten the life of the card. I seriously doubt if it was meant to run at that high of a temp.........I suggest you find ways to lower it. There is a great program from EVGA that is a free download, and it works on most NVIDIA cards. It will give you the ability to control the fan speeds on your GPU. I leave mine set to high speed and it lowered my GPU temp by nearly 20 degrees. I believe it is called Precision X. If you are already using something like that and have the fun running at high speed, then look for ways to move air through your case. make sure it's as unobstructed as possible. Heat rises, so it's a great idea to have a fan on top of your case. U might even want to see if a better fan or heatsink is available for your card. By the way, if you're overclockig this card...STOP! Good luck!

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Gpu's run hotter than Cpu's and can handle it, I would not be concerned to see aircooled cards gaming at 74'c
as mentioned, make sure your overall airflow is good though
Moto

 

[terryd75]

No argument there.......But! That does not mean that it's a good thing! And, heat kills! Making it run as coolas possible is in no way a bad thing......... No offense to you either.......But you could be a little more open minded b4 spouting.

 

[terryd75]

it most certainly will, over time.

 

[vmem]

Keep telling yourself that
Proof or it did not happen.

Really depends on how long you run it for... over 5-8 years, it certainly will

That aside, seeing as the OP bought a gtx680, he'll probably change within 5 years, probably in 2 or 3, in which case 75C is plenty cool for the GPU to last... to be honest, to get a modern GPU under 60C under load, you prett ymuch have to run a water loop

 

[willard]

it most certainly will, over time.

I'm sorry buddy, but you're just wrong here.

GPUs are designed to handle temps up to 90c or so without any issues, even over long term use. Even with top of the line aftermarket air coolers, high end GPUs are going to hit 75-80 under load (and some GeForce cards get much hotter than that even). This is totally normal, and not cause for alarm.

 

[terryd75]

Yes, that all sounds good. All i am saying is that you cannot argue with the fact that "Heat Kills" and that it's just plain "Smart" to try and protect a $500.00 graphics card, if you can. And, that just because the label says it can run at 90 degrees C.......Why would you settle for that, unless there was no choice? Also.....where do you get the 5 or 6 years figure? Is there anything documented to prove that? of, is it an experienced guess? because, if you're right.....i agree with you that a serious gamer would probably get a new card anyway in thet period of time. Most of us want the latest and greatest. But, I have my doubts as to whether or not it would indeed last that long.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

check the response from Nvidia here,
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=185190

GTX 580 will generally sit in the low 80C's while gaming in 3D.

**We have thermal protection mechanisms on all our cards to throttle in an overtempurature situation -- this protects your hardware in the off case something goes wrong. However, we design the cards to operate well under the temp limit, so this is a backup/safety feature, not something you should experience while gaming**

and 3d is harder work for a card, so again, 74'C whilst gaming, not an issue
Moto

 

[Motopsychojdn]

You live in an igloo and as such are immune to overheating? that must be the only logical explanation
I'm glad my gfx cards idle at the same temps as my Cpu or I'd be in trouble as well hehe
Moto

 

[Tavis01]

Best answer selected by Tavis01.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Happy to help man, happy gaming and thank you for B.A.
Moto

 

[dish_moose]

Heat kills..... so ominous. Wouldn't it be great if gpus ran at 30C - not going to happen. Do you actually know what is hot to electronics/semiconductors? Just because something is hot to the touch for a human in no way means hot for electronics. Read the specs before you start giving info that you don't know anything about. 74C for a high performance gpu is very good certainly if it's crankin' at 99%. Just glad to see there are some reasonable and knowledgeable people on this forum to set misinformed straight. Moto & Recon)
-Bruce

 

[Motopsychojdn]

**Wouldn't it be great if gpus ran at 30C - not going to happen**
40'c is doable though, and he's had 35'c at load as well
**Quote from thread**
Rad Box GPU cooling testing:


For the record; The stock temperatures of the air cooled 580GTX cards were Idle = 34c, Load = 80c.


The 580s cooled by the ice cooler with a water temperature of 19c, Idle = 23c, Load = 35c.


The 580s now cooled by the Rad Box, Idle = 27c, Load = 40c

Near the bottom of the third post, Ryan outlines his gfx cards temps
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/275185-11-exploring-ambient-water-cooling

but unfortunately most of the overclocking (and indeed W/c) community don't have the dedication/insanity that Ryan has, and have to endure slightly higher temps (Double Hehe)
but it IS possible
and thank you for the compliment Dish
Moto

 

[loremiles]

Nothing to worry about at all.... my laptop gpu is 60º celsius right now and all i'm doing is browsing. It goes up to 92º gaming , like crysis 3 . Maximum is 100º i guess, at least what says in specs.

Saying "heat kills over time " is retarded, heat kills nobody, if the components of gpu don't melt at 90º degrees once they won't melt at 90º degrees after 5 years of use . That's just physics, nothing else. Obviously use will cause other problems and eventually you'll need to change it , but that's with all things i guess.

Good luck