Graphics 6870 is hot.

My 6870 appears to be far to hot.

Idling at 56 Deg C with the fan at 27% and during Crysis hitting 85. I am now running it with the fan at 100% and the card is stuck at 46 Deg at 1% activity. Ambient is 25.

I'm in Somerset so its not exactly hot here.

Any ideas Bit?

Edit: It's this one by the way.

 

Really need to know your ambient temperature to help.

 

Of course. 25 Deg C at the moment.

 

Cool ok, so at 100% fan the card is idling at 21deg above ambient.

How old is the card? Has it been this way since new?

 

I can't tell you if it's been like that since new but I got it November/December 2010 just after it came out.

 

is that the ambient temp in the room or in the case?

Simply that, naturally, the case temps will be higher than the room ones - so a lack of air flow combined with an increase in room temps will reduce heat dispersion/cause everything to get hotter in the case...

Next up, the h/s & fan thing on the card could be full of dust & whatnot - increasing temps d.t. less efficient cooling...

& otherwise, it's looking at replacing the tim (using AS5 has made a significant difference on a number of gfx & raid cards in my personal experience) &/or aftermarket cooling (personally watercool, so don't know about 3rd party air options).

 

strip it ..blow it through with high pressure air ... re sit the heat sink with a good Thermal Paste (or grease) and get some decent thermal pads
Should result in a drop in temps

 

That was outside. Inside is 25.6.
I've just run out of compressed air and thermal paste so I'll order some more and see how I get on. I shall try these before I look at alternative cooling solutions.

AS5 or MX-4?

 

Personally i've always used AS5 & had no issues whatsoever using it on either the gpu, memory or any of the capacitors/resistors... ...just about making sure that there's contact between the tim on the components & the h/s fan thing (or w/c block in my case)...

...however, admittedly, it is conductive so you 'might' be better with something else on everything but the gpu for safety's sake - unless you throw the stuff around, using it on the gpu isn't of concern imho.

Yeah, i did try ceramique (or whatever it's called) on a cpu & the temps weren't great... ...& didn't really get on with MX-2...

We all have our preferences for things though & i'm happy 'living dangerously' - not exactly extreme sports or something i know, but...

 

Don't use AS5, It doesn't seem that hot you will probably take 5 degrees off it by changing the paste to MX2 or MX4

 

Also, check your vram cooling. Most HD6850s didnt have much if any vram cooling. It might be the same for your 6870z

 

What case have you got and what fan configuration do you use? (how many fans, intake/exhaust etc)

It could just be general lack of air flow

 

Bitfenix Colossus
230mm that came with the case Front Intake, Top Exhaust
120mm 1850rpm Gentle Typhoons Bottom Intake and Rear Exhaust

 

OK well the VRAM doesn't have any cooling whatsoever. Not sure what to do about this as the heatsink doesn't reach touch the VRAM.

Thanks

Edit:

 

FYI idle temps :

Here is your answer. Two displays, different resolutions and/or models. That equals to increased idle clocks and voltages, resulting in higher idle temperatures.

 

Its at 300MHz on the GPU clock and 1050Mhz on the Mem Clock. I'll unplug the 17" and see what happens.

Edit: Well memory clock went down to 300Mhz and Temps have dropped 10 degrees.

 

One monitor - 100/300.
More than one monitor at diff. resolution or model - 300/1050.
3D - 900/1050.

 

If I had, lets say, Crysis open on the 23" and the other monitor had Skype open would this increase my temps in games as well?

And now I'm at one monitor its at 300/300.

Edit: What about 2 of the same monitor?

 

No, it wouldn't increase your load temps, that is a different story altogether. But your idle temps are higher due the increased clocks/voltages needed to drive two displays. It is a unfortunate technology limitation present on all current graphics cards. That is why i do have two identical ZR2740w's on my GTX670.

Edit: 300/300 is the new idle clock for your card since Catalyst 11.1a according to the internet due some issues with the lower clock.

 

Thank you. Card has now dropped 15 degrees at idle. Looks like I'm going to be on the lookout for another U2311h then.