Cooling Overheating 480GTX

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by Parge, 22 Aug 2010.

  1. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

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    Hi guys,

    So after my last BFG card died on me, I was looking for a replacement. Some guy on Gumtree had a MSI 480GTX new in the box and wanted £300 for it. I managed to talk him down to £250, which seems like a pretty good deal (at least £100 less than retail, and it really was 'new')

    Anyway, the card is a beast. Which is fine, except that my case hasn't got the greatest cooling system in the world (NZXT M59)

    My problem is, every now and then the card overheats and shuts down, and the case temps are 40+, what with that thing and my 600w PSU kicking out shedloads of heat. I have a 12cm side fan at 1200rpm, a 12cm exhaust topfan at 1400rpm, and a fan on the H50 (sucking air from the outside into the case)

    I was thinking maybe something like this would help. But then, wouldn't that just pull the hot air from my PSU onto the GPU? Can't quite work out how that works.

    Does anyone else have any ideas, short of buying a new case?
     
  2. Slizza

    Slizza beautiful to demons

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  3. Reddoguk

    Reddoguk I Play WoW :(

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    His problem might be removing heat out of the case, so an aftermarket VGA cooler that pumps the heat inside the case might not help very much.

    I'm not sure an Internal PCI Cooler will be much help either, most cases are built to optimize air flow and adding the PCI cooler could kill any flow thats already there.

    I'm afraid if you get/use a highend and very hot 480 then you really need a highend case to deal with the added extra heat.

    It would also be a good idea to install HWMonitor, and leave it running while gaming, post the results cause it may not be a overheating issue at all.

    Its common for 480s to run @ 90-95C, i'm not sure wat the max temp is but i'm guessing around 110C.
    It could also be a cracked FHS/Paste jobbie, happens sometimes also.
     
    Last edited: 22 Aug 2010
  4. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

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    Its true, its not an ideal case, but I didn't originally buy the case with the idea of having a 480 in there so didn't really factor it in, plus the PSU has to work harder, so that gets pretty hot as well. Saying that, what are the symptoms of an overheating PSU - it could even be that?

    When it overheats, everything just goes black, and the power light flashes.

    If not, need something with a big side panel fan, and a big roof fan.
     
  5. DragunovHUN

    DragunovHUN Modder

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    Mod it! Not like NZXT cases are too precious to cut.
     
  6. Pete J

    Pete J Employed scum

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    My recommendation is to set up a custom fan profile using MSI Afterburner. Personally I find the default fan profile utter crap!

    Try setting the lowest fan setting to 50% at 50C and then setting 100% at 90C. Also, set the fan update to 1000ms (rather than 5000ms).
     
  7. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

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    You maybe onto something here. My case window has a big crack in the side of it anyway, so its not as if I can screw it up.

    What do I need to cut perspex neatly?
     
  8. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

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    Ok man! I'll try this as well! Thanks very much for your advice on the settings, never done that before.
     
  9. DragunovHUN

    DragunovHUN Modder

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    Dunno, i've cut a 120mm blowhole in a window with a dremel and that turned out pretty nice after a little cleanup. If you mess it up you can just buy another sheet of plexi, maybe even a pretty colored one :3
     
  10. *brian*

    *brian* What's a Dremel?

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    With my GT260s running folding@home I have to have a 120mm fan bringing cool air into the case directly at the graphics card, either from the front or the side.

    One case I have an 80mm in the front and a 120mm in the side. Another that has two cards in has 120mm in the front and 2x120mm in the side.

    With the type of cooler on that 480 it should do a good job of shoving the hot air out of the back of the case, but there is still going to be heat ratiating into the rest of the case, so an exhaust fan is recommended.

    Also, what wattage is your PSU and is it new and 80plus rated? Don't look past this, because an underpowered and inefficient PSU is likely to generate more heat than something that is efficient and can provide plently of power. Everything within the case that is generating heat is going to add to the temperature of the already hot graphics card.

    Really, if I was going to get one of these cards, I'd strongly consider watercooling it - from looking at professional PC builders in the Custom PC magazine who use them, it seems the only route to tame them.
     
  11. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

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    My PSU is 600w, which is within the recommended specifications for a 480, but I realise, at the lower end. It is an OCZ 600w ModXstream and is 80+ rated.

    I’ve tried to play around with the fan profile but it’s just too loud past about 70% speed. Case temps hit over 40C when gaming.

    As far as I can tell I have several options here

    1) Sell the GPU, and replace it with something that runs cooler and requires less power, maybe a 5870
    2) Mod the case – something I’ve realised I don’t really have the tools/time/skills to do where I am at the moment
    3) Buy some more fans and replace the PSU – but I don’t know if this will help, and I don’t really have any extra fan mounts in good positions
    4) Buy a new case.

    Anyone?
     
  12. murraynt

    murraynt Modder

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    Why dont you try it out side of the case and see if ventilation is the problem?
    Up the fan speed?
    get a new cooler?
     
  13. Bartaggio

    Bartaggio Minimodder

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    I would... add in a front fan, since you don't have one yet, possibly turn around the fan on the H50 so it blows out the hot air instead of pulling it in and check the temps then.

    Also, I assume the side fan is an intake fan? if it's not, turn it around too.

    Could be a cheap fix, if it doesn't work, meh, you never have enough fans :thumb:
     
  14. Teelzebub

    Teelzebub Up yours GOD,Whats best served cold

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    I seem to remember the first fermi had a bios problem with the fan speed being to low so I would check that out.

    I would use MSI after burner like pete says I do.

    I found the fans on my cards idle at 44% and temps around 54c But when I game the fans never go above 56% which seems a bit slow and at that speed they'r around 80c.

    I've set the fan speed for gaming at 70% and the temps never go over 74c

    On a side note I had a corsair hx1000w psu and with one card it was fine but with the two after a couple of hours gaming the psu was cooking, started to smell.
    They like a lot of juice, And once I changed the psu they performed better.
     
    Last edited: 24 Aug 2010
  15. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

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    OK, how about this:

    I reverse the flow of the H50, and stick another 12cm fan on the other side to increase airflow. (its a shame that the H50 will only fit on the rear fan mount because the mobo heatsink and RAM block it at the top.)

    I replace the 12cm Gentle Typhoon topfan with a 14cm exhaust fan, stick the G.Typh next to the GPU (getting rid of the stock fan)

    Get another 12cm fan for the front (only trouble is that it blows right into the hard drives which are mounted sideways, blocking most of the airflow)

    Right then, recommendations for powerful 12cm and 14cm fans please!
     
    Last edited: 23 Aug 2010
  16. Teelzebub

    Teelzebub Up yours GOD,Whats best served cold

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    If you have the solid PCI blanking plates on the unused ones remove them so you will get air flow through them it will vent some heat.
     
  17. rob the bank

    rob the bank What's a Dremel?

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  18. Pete J

    Pete J Employed scum

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    That's the cooler used on the Zotac Amp! edition. It did a very good job according to BT so it may be a very good move - of course, you'll still need to get all the hot air outside the case.
     
  19. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

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    I’ve been looking at that, but its incompatible, though it looks the same. The one used on the AMP edition is the ‘F’ version, which is supposedly available this month.

    I do get the impression that my PSU is straining a bit.
     
  20. rob the bank

    rob the bank What's a Dremel?

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    Yep sorry should of sent the link for the Fermi edition. oooooops.
     

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