[SOLVED] Worrisome temperatures in my GPU. Is my cooling responsible for this?

[sammael1984]

Hello, guys. I know this might be a stupid question, but I have a very limited knowledge in this particular aspect. Please help me.

I have an H440 NZXT case, which comes with three 120mm front intake fans. The three of them gave up on me, one by one. I have been over four years with this PC, so I guess it was bound to happen at some point.

This is my set up:

Processor: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0 GHz Quad-Core Processor
Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming
Memory: 16.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 799MHz
Hard Drive: 1TB Western Digital WDC (SATA )
SSD: Samsung SSD 850 EVO 120GB
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 4GB

Here is the exact GPU model:

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/gigabyte-gtx-980-g1-gaming.b3071

PSU: EVGA 850 G2 80 Plus Gold

I don't really know how airflow works, so I might be risking the satefty of my other components by ignoring this situation.

Everything had been working “normally” until last night. As I was playing Diablo III, I noticed a lot of fan noise, but I wasn’t sure if it was the back exhaust fan of the case or the GPU fans though. Diablo III is not exactly the most demanding title out there, so I checked my temps at load, and I realized that the max temperature was 84 degrees celsius. I had only been playing for over an hour, and my room temperature wasn’t particularly hot, so I decided to suspend my gaming session until I could investigate the matter further. The CPU temps and everything else was fine though. It was just the GPU.

My questions are:

Is the absence of front intake fans causing this rise in GPU temperature? If so, by how many degrees would you say it is affecting the temps?

Which fans would you recommend to replace the old ones? I am looking for something that offer the best value in terms of cost and real benefit.

Am I overlooking something here?

I really appreciate your support, guys.

Sincerely, Paul.

PS: Here are some pictures of the case:

Front view
Rear view
Side view

 

[rickypicky5]

What specific (model) Gigabyte GTX 980 do you have? If it's a 'blower' model the front fans will have less of an effect on the GPU cooling. If it's not a 'blower' model, then the front fans are more significant as the airflow they generate will carry heat away from the GPU to rear and/or top of the case. How many exhaust fans do you have and where are they located?

 

[sammael1984]

What specific (model) Gigabyte GTX 980 do you have? If it's a 'blower' model the front fans will have less of an effect on the GPU cooling. If it's not a 'blower' model, then the front fans are more significant as the airflow they generate will carry heat away from the GPU to rear and/or top of the case. How many exhaust fans do you have and where are they located?

Hey, Ricky! I have just updated the GPU information on the original post. Now it shows the specific GTX 980 model. It is the gaming 1 from Gigabyte.

As for the exhaust fans, it only has a 140mm fan in the upper rear. I added some pics of the case on the original post as well.

I appreciate your help, man.

 

[rickypicky5]

You GPU has three fans, that's a good thing. The bad thing is without cool air being drawn into the case (from the front fans that aren't working), the GPU fans are recycling the hot air that's in the case from all your components. The back fan is limited in it's ability to exhaust the hot air without the airflow provided by your front fans.

You need to replace the front fans and make sure they're facing the correct way so they draw air from the outside, into the case. It looks like the front fans are 120mm fans? I know Noctua has a good reputation for fans but their fans are a bit pricey. Do some googling my friend for case fans and find some in your price range.

BTW, you might want to consider another exhaust fan or two as well and put them in the top of your case.

From Newegg website for your case:
Front: 2 x 140mm or 3 x 120mm (3 x 120mm included)
Top: 2 x 140mm or 3 x 120mm
Rear: 1 x 140mm or 1 x 120mm (1 x 140mm included)

 

[sammael1984]

You GPU has three fans, that's a good thing. The bad thing is without cool air being drawn into the case (from the front fans that aren't working), the GPU fans are recycling the hot air that's in the case from all your components. The back fan is limited in it's ability to exhaust the hot air without the airflow provided by your front fans.

You need to replace the front fans and make sure they're facing the correct way so they draw air from the outside, into the case. It looks like the front fans are 120mm fans? I know Noctua has a good reputation for fans but their fans are a bit pricey. Do some googling my friend for case fans and find some in your price range.

BTW, you might want to consider another exhaust fan or two as well and put them in the top of your case.

From Newegg website for your case:
Front: 2 x 140mm or 3 x 120mm (3 x 120mm included)
Top: 2 x 140mm or 3 x 120mm
Rear: 1 x 140mm or 1 x 120mm (1 x 140mm included)

The front fans are, indeed, 120mm. I hadn't thought about the top of the case, it does have room for more fans. Now I see that the hot air from all the components is being recycled and the back fan is just not enough to keep up with all that heat. I truly appreciate your help, man. I will start researching some decent fans to replace the dead ones. Take care, brother.