Overheating GPU

[stinkiusminkius]

Hello,

I recently seem to keep having a problem where (typically during playing Call of Duty 5) I get a pop up window saying something about the temperature being too high (fan or heatsink problem).

Ive got an application called SIW which gives me all the bumph about my PC including the temp, and after this message the temps are typically as follows:

CPU core 1 and 2 and HDD about 40 degrees c, but the GPU is up to 95.

Ive opened the case and all the fans seem to be working, but theres clearly something not right. Would it be jut a GPU fan problem - Im thinking of getting a new GPU so if I do would this problem then go, or would I probably still have the same problem?

Thanks

[jlreich]

From the temps you listed it is the GPU. But I would like to know where or what program you are getting the warning from??

Do you use any programs to control the fan speed? What video card? Many modern video cards stock fan speeds are way too slow and need to be bumped up to properly cool the card.

[stinkiusminkius]

Cheers jlreich.

Im not sure where I get the warning from - the exact wording is "Warning! Temperature too high. Please check your fan and heatsink." and it comes on a normal windows style pop up window. Im not aware of any program im using thats not the standard??

And no, I dont know anything about programs to control the fan speed or how to do this. Is it easy? My GPU is an NVidia 7600GT.

Also, for info, my typical temperatures when just surfing normally are:
cpu core 0 temp 30 deg c
cpu core 1 temp 30
gpu 60
hdd 30

but after only about 5 or 10 mins of Call of Duty 5 they are:
cpu core 0 temp 38
cpu core 1 temp 41
gpu 95
hdd 33.

Are the general increases normal? Obviously the GPU appears extreme.

Sorry - im a bit basic when it comes to all this PC stuff.

Cheers.

[jlreich]

Yes those increases in temps from idle to full load are normal.

Your CPU temp is good. But yes, the GPU is way too hot.

You can use Riva Tuner (http://www.guru3d.com/index.php?page=rivatuner) to control the fan speed. Set it to start with windows. Fiddle around with the speed % to find the spot that will both cool and not be too noisy.

If you need any help with it post back.

[stinkiusminkius]

Hi jlreich,

I downloaded Riva, but unsurprisingly I cant make sense of it (I told you I was basic :-) ). Is there an idiots guide simple way of sorting the fan?

Although, the fan on my GPU does seem to be spinning, but obviously not enough. And also I never had this problem before (could play Call of Duty for hours with no probs) so am thinking it maybe broken.

[jlreich]

Start Riva, on the main screen click on the small triangle next to "customize" right underneath the dropbox in the top portion of the screen. That will bring up some icons, hover your mouse and click the one that says "low level system settings" > enable low level fan control > and set it maybe at 45% to start with > click the apply at windows startup box and OK your way out, or leave it up so you can mess with it until you get your GPU at a decent temp.

Check your temps and see if the GPU is getting cooler. If needed adjust the fan speed until you get it where you want it. Preferably you want your GPU to run45-50c at idle, and high 50's-60's under load, 70c max.

Hope that helps, if not post back with questions.

[stinkiusminkius]

Thanks again jlreich - ive done all the above and tweaked the settings but it doesnt seem to help, even with the fan up to 100%. Im assuming that the gpu fan is just broken / not working properly.

I was actually seriously considering getting a better gpu anyway, so this may have helped make my mind up. One of my concerns was whether it was only the gpu that was broken or if there was something else and that i wouldnt end up with exactly the same problem even with a new gpu, but it sounds like it is just the gpu.

Now i just need to find out the best (reasonably priced) card that will go with my current set up (Mobo Asus M2N4 sli, athlon 3800+ 64 x2 cpu, 4gb ram). Theres no need me getting a beast of a card if its going to be held up by the rest of my set up.

[jlreich]

Meant to say this earlier, but open the case and verify that the fan on the card is spinning. Pull out the card and clean it, it may just be totally blocked with dust.

If you want a new card what is your budget?

[stinkiusminkius]

Hello again jlreich,

I opened the case and it is spinning. Also took it out and gave it a v good dusting. The good news is that I got rid of all sorts of dust from everywhere, not just the GPU (ooops, some serious neglect going on), and all other temperatures appear to have dropped. The bad news is that the GPU is still getting into the 90's. So, it does seem as though a new card is the way ahead.

Budget is about £150, give or take a little, depending on whether spending that bit extra will make a lot of difference. People have suggested NVidia 9600GT for about £80 or ATI 3870 for £100 so far (before I gave my budget).

Also, someone has suggested that I upgrade my CPU too - to an Athlon x2 7850 was mentioned for £55 (which would be compatible with my current mobo - an ASUS M2N4 sli). I currently have an Athlon 64 x2 3800+ dual core. Is that a good worthwhile upgrade or should I not bother with the CPU too?

Sorry - so many questions. But on the plus side, the performance is increasing (i noticed a lot less lag last night on Lord of the Rings after my RAM upgrade :-) ). Thanks again

[jlreich]

The bad news is that the GPU is still getting into the 90's.
Well then the fan is either going bad and won't spin as fast as it should, or the thermal compound is just gone bad and heat is not being transfered to the heat sink as it should. If you want you can take off the heat sink and reapply some thermal compound to see if that helps, but it seems like you are ready for a new card anyway.

Budget is about £150, give or take a little, depending on whether spending that bit extra will make a lot of difference. People have suggested NVidia 9600GT for about £80 or ATI 3870 for £100 so far (before I gave my budget).

You can probably get a newer card in the same price range and comparable performance but has better shader support. Something in the GTX2xx series for nVidia or the 4xxx series for ATI. If you want post a link to an online store that you shop at I would be happy to have a look at what they have for your budget and make a recommendation.

I do need to know your power supply specs though. That could greatly effect my recommendation. Total wattage and +12v rail/s amps. This info should be on the side of the power supply.

Also, someone has suggested that I upgrade my CPU too - to an Athlon x2 7850 was mentioned for £55 (which would be compatible with my current mobo - an ASUS M2N4 sli). I currently have an Athlon 64 x2 3800+ dual core. Is that a good worthwhile upgrade or should I not bother with the CPU too?
Not sure where they got their information at but the CPU support list (http://support.asus.com/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=M2N4-SLI&product=1) for your board does not show that CPU. That being said you could move up to an 6400+, which would give you a rather nice boost. If you plan to keep this system for a while then a CPU upgrade would be in order. But a new video card is going to make a huge difference in gaming performance, so I would do that first and worry about the CPU later.

But on the plus side, the performance is increasing (i noticed a lot less lag last night on Lord of the Rings after my RAM upgrade
Glad to hear the ram helped. :)

[stinkiusminkius]

I am most impressed by this forum and your helpfulness :)

To tell you the truth, I havent really used any online shops for upgrading before (got this pc all built by pcspecialist.co.uk and got my RAM from Crucial last week.)

Have been looking at www.ebuyer.com but am happy to shop anywhere.

Power supply (as far as I could tell) is 400W. Its a FSP Group ATX 400 PNF. Theres all sorts of bumph about voltages, ranging from +3.3v, +5v and +12v. At the end of all this it does say +12v1 & +12v2 = 348w max - if that helps.

I do think I'll sort the GPU now then, and maybe consider upgrading the CPU at a later date. So, from £100 to £150, that will fit my set up and not bottleneck anywhere, and hopefully make a noticeable difference. Hopefully it will feel like having a brand new machine. :)

[jlreich]

Power supply (as far as I could tell) is 400W. Its a FSP Group ATX 400 PNF.
400W. Ouch! You are going to need to get a new power supply for any new video card. 400W isn't going to cut it. But don't worry too much with your budget you can do it.

600W PSU (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/127861)

ATI 4870 1GB (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164557)

That puts you slightly over your budget (not including shipping if any) so if you can't swing it here is a nice 4850 1GB (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/161308) that will also do well.

For your consideration here is an nVidia GTS250 (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/160711). Decent card comparable to the 4850 but with only 512MB ram. I like the 1GB ATI cards better. The extra ram does make a difference with modern games.

To tell you the truth, I havent really used any online shops for upgrading before (got this pc all built by pcspecialist.co.uk and got my RAM from Crucial last week.)

Shopping in a brick and mortar is fine, just make sure your are getting comparable prices. You can always print out the above and take them with you, if the store has a higher price show them the printout and see if they will match it. ;) And I really just wanted the link to see some prices in your side of the pond to get an idea of what to recommend within your budget.

[stinkiusminkius]

Hi jlreich,

Am going for an XFX Radeon 4890 1gb for £140 in the end. Seems like a very good deal. A couple of people I know both recommended the same card.

Will be upgrading my power supply to a 550w cooler master. One small question though - I need 2 x 6pin connectors but this psu (which I can get cheap for £30) only has 1 - is it fine to use one of these 4pin to 6pin adaptors for the second 6 pin connect?

Cheers

[jlreich]

Yeah a 4890 is even better. :cool: I was just trying to keep you in budget. :)

You can use the adapter no problem. It does worry me a bit since the unit doesn't have two connectors that it may not be able to handle the card properly. This is not necessarily the case, but it does worry me. Cooler Master makes excellent cases, but I have never had them on my good PSU list.

[stinkiusminkius]

Yep, I probably went slightly over budget in the end (especially with needing a psu) but the reviews of the 4890 eased my worries. Cant wait til it all arrives now. Fingers crossed with the psu situation.

Thanks for all your help throughout - its made me consider things that i didnt even think i had to consider, and redirected me to look at what i need in a different way.

I may well be back on in a few months if I decide to upgrade my cpu.

Cheers again.

[stinkiusminkius]

Hi again jlreich,

Having now received the Radeon 4890 card, it says in the bumph that I should NOT use 4pin to 6pin for any power (I know that you had your doubts about this and I just went ahead anyway - ooops.). Anyway, ive started a new thread as below to get guidance on this power supply issue.

http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=70514