[SOLVED] Will adding case fans reduce GPU temps?

[RokoIvanis]

I have an old R7 250 that reaches up to 90-95C without being overclocked. Even underclocking the card to 800 Core and 850 Memory (From 1100 and 1150) reduced the temps by only 10C.

Some older games like Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and Black Ops 2 run fine at max settings at 60fps and don't go over 80C.

Others, like Metal Gear Solid V, still run at nearly 60fps@900 but push my GPU temps to 88-90 even underclocked.

To clarify, I bought a pre-build for general browsing and doing work, without the intention of gaming. A few months ago I decided to get a cheap old GPU since my PS4 died and getting a PS5 is damn near impossible.

There are no case fans in my system. Will buying case fans improve my temps, should I replace the thermal paste, or is something else the culprit?

System specs:
i3-9100
12GB RAM [1x8+1x4]
R7 250 1GB GDDR5
1TB WD Blue HDD & 128GB WD Green SSD.
Off-brand 500W PSU that I don't know the name of but has not yet exploded.

 

[prince_xaine]

I have an old R7 250 that reaches up to 90-95C without being overclocked. Even underclocking the card to 800 Core and 850 Memory (From 1100 and 1150) reduced the temps by only 10C.

Some older games like Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and Black Ops 2 run fine at max settings at 60fps and don't go over 80C.

Others, like Metal Gear Solid V, still run at nearly 60fps@900 but push my GPU temps to 88-90 even underclocked.

To clarify, I bought a pre-build for general browsing and doing work, without the intention of gaming. A few months ago I decided to get a cheap old GPU since my PS4 died and getting a PS5 is damn near impossible.

There are no case fans in my system. Will buying case fans improve my temps, should I replace the thermal paste, or is something else the culprit?

System specs:
i3-9100
12GB RAM [1x8+1x4]
R7 250 1GB GDDR5
1TB WD Blue HDD & 128GB WD Green SSD.
Off-brand 500W PSU that I don't know the name of but has not yet exploded.

Most likely, the card needs repasted. Additionally, it's a single fan card so this doesn't help the situation. It only draws 65W though, so it definitely shouldn't be seeing those temps.

I would re-paste the card and add some case fans. Keep in mind that card is more useful for 720p gaming, and that most modern titles will want more memory than the card can provide.

The answer to your question: Yes case fans will help - not only the GPU but your other components as well, and the card definitely could use some new paste - it has the same paste from 8 years ago.

 

[geofelt]

What is your case?
Perhaps a photo if you do not have the make/model.
If there are no fans at all, then certainly adding a fan would help.
Front intake if possible, rear exhaust if that is the only option.

Any cooler needs some airflow to let it do it's job.
Graphics cards do get hot, but they are built to tolerate heat.
80c. is a usual target.
90c. does seem high, particularly for a slow card.
So, yes, increasing airflow through your case should fix the problem.
As a temporary measure, take the case side cover off and direct a fan at the innards.

I might also ask, what is your cpu temperature at idle?
HWmonitor will give you the current, minimum, and maximum temperatures.
If your cooler is running at 10-15c. over ambient at idle, that is ok.
If you ever see 100c. at max, you have likely throttled and lost performance.

I might add that paste does not go really bad.
Better to fix the airflow issue first.

 

[RokoIvanis]

What is your case?
Perhaps a photo if you do not have the make/model.
If there are no fans at all, then certainly adding a fan would help.
Front intake if possible, rear exhaust if that is the only option.

Any cooler needs some airflow to let it do it's job.
Graphics cards do get hot, but they are built to tolerate heat.
80c. is a usual target.
90c. does seem high, particularly for a slow card.
So, yes, increasing airflow through your case should fix the problem.
As a temporary measure, take the case side cover off and direct a fan at the innards.

I might also ask, what is your cpu temperature at idle?
HWmonitor will give you the current, minimum, and maximum temperatures.
If your cooler is running at 10-15c. over ambient at idle, that is ok.
If you ever see 100c. at max, you have likely throttled and lost performance.

I might add that paste does not go really bad.
Better to fix the airflow issue first.

I don't know the exact model. Here is the image:

https://imgur.com/l1xWtkh

View: https://i.imgur.com/l1xWtkh.jpg


In addition to the problem, I also think that the problem is my desk as the case doesn't have much space and the wires are only a few cm away from the wall. I will be, however buying a new desk in the new future.

Also, which fans would you recommend? I live in Croatia where we have some, but not a lot of options. I found Corsairs AF120 for 87kn (~€11) but don't know how reputable it is. What price ranges should I be looking at?

 

[geofelt]

I don't see any front inlets in which to mount a fan.
Perhaps a photo of the back might show one.
Measure the diameter of the opening if you have one. Likely 92mm or 120mm.
On a gross level fan brands matter little. Yate loon has decent fans cheap.

With the case cover off, a photo of the innards could help/