I think my video card is overheating and causing my computer to freeze

[Draco856]

I think my video card is overheating, causing my computer to lock up completely to the point where I have to do a forced reset, either by using the button, or pulling the plug. The computer isn't even a year old yet, I bought the parts and had someone put it together for me. I've ruled out most everything else. I've done a stress test recently and the temps on the card kept going up, even at 100% fan speed. So what can I do? I really need some help with this.

 

Operating System

MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1

 

CPU

AMD Phenom II X4 965

Deneb 45nm Technology

 

RAM

8.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 666MHz (9-9-9-24)

 

Motherboard

ASUSTeK Computer INC. M4A79XTD EVO (AM3)

 

Graphics

E182H @ 1366x768

AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series

 

Hard Drives

977GB Hitachi - ATA Device (SATA)

 

Audio

AMD High Definition Audio Device

 

My video card is sitting at about 40 degrees celsius right now, at 100% fan speed., everything else is also in that range,

 

Hard Drive: 30 - 35

 

CPU: 40 - 45

 

 

Since this is likely a cooling problem, what should I do? I have room in my case for more fans, but should I also replace the fan on the card itself with an aftermarket one?

 

My case:

 

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811119233

 

----

 

I haven't added any fans, so I have just the ones it came with.

[Draco856]

I'm thinking about this fan for my GPU:

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186048

 

And this one for the top slot in my case:

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103072

 

 

Only thing is I don't know if they will even work with what I've got...this is the first computer I've ever chosen all the parts for, and I'm not savvy enough about computer parts to know what the hell I'm doing...

[Septfox]

Don't cards these days come with a manufacturer's warranty...? If it's less than a year old (that is, the card itself was manufactured less than a year ago), get the info you need from your friend and ship it off to AMD for replacement.

Edit: Go here.

 

If you got it used or something and it has no warranty, well, hrm. What I'd check is whether one of the clips on the heatsink/fan assembly has come undone. Lack of proper contact and pressure means ineffective heatsink. If you find that a clip has come undone, you might as well take the 'sink completely off, clean it and the core, and apply new thermal paste.

 

 

And lastly...unless you're overclocking it, the factory cooler should be able to at least keep the card at functional temperatures, provided it's not choked with dust or whatever. You shouldn't need to replace the cooler to run the card in stock form. The only exception I can think of to this rule would be "silent" low-power cards that don't have a fan on their heatsinks, they (at least used to) overheat if you even think about doing something involving 3d rendering.

 

woo 200th post

Edited February 7, 2012 by Septfox

[Draco856]

Yeah, the card is brand new, but I don't want to send it back if it's simply a heat problem. I only have two fans, one intake and 1 exhaust. They are the stock fans for the case, and I'm sure dust is a factor as well cause of the location my computer is in. I try and keep it clean, but it's not easy.

 

So if it's just a heat problem, I need more fans anyway, cause I don't want heat problems to show up later either.

[Septfox]

Well, simple way to test: open up the access side of your computer, then lay your computer down on its opposite side. This'll help heat from other sources rise up and out the open side, rather than be regurgitated by the graphics card cooler. Then run your stress testing.

 

If it uncontrollably heats up the same as before, it's probably defective somehow, and improving the airflow through your case is going to do little good. In this case, you should definitely send it in for a replacement. I mean, all you're out is a bit of time without the card and maybe a few bucks for shipping, and you'll get either a repaired or brand new card in return. There's really no reason not to.

 

If it rises to a point and then holds steady, then it's probably an airflow issue after all. I would guess that, based on what you've said, there's more exhaust than intake in your case; one main intake, one main exhaust, but you have to also consider that the power supply probably has an exhaust fan on it as well. If the case is decently sealed then the card's cooler might have trouble exhausting air because there's literally not enough air coming into the case to exhaust.

I've seen a couple pretty neat passive graphics card heatsinks that rely on the inside of the case being under a slight vacuum, actually. They appear to work surprisingly well. Not sure if you can buy pre-fabbed ones though, the ones I saw were custom-made.

 

...'course, the above is just a guess. I've never actually paid much attention to optimizing case airflow, the side of my tower is always off for various reasons. Still, sounds like a reasonable enough theory, eh?

 

 

So yea, take the access side of your case off, lay the case on its side so heat can rise out, give it a shot. Not like it can hurt anything at this point, unless you get all fidgety and drop a paperclip in there or something. Don't do that :\

[FMod]

Install MSI Afterburner and monitor the temperature in real time. Exact temperatures are required to tell more.

Also, what *exact* make and model of video card do you have.

 

Up to about 85C GPU temp should not cause problems. 80C is desirable, but not required.

You can almost always undervolt your GPU, via Afterburner as well.

[Draco856]

My video card:

 

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814121418

 

 

I have no clue about any computer hardware, so some of what you are saying is going right over my head. And I did a stress test, at max load the temp just kept going up. It would stay steady for about a minute then go up again, and do the same thing. And I can't really survive without my computer, even for a day...and I know returns take longer then that unless you go to a store.

 

I can tell the temp of my card by just looking at it in CCC. It sits at about 40 just doing things in Windows. But if I play a game, it will likely hit max load and go up. I stopped the test when it hit about 72 degrees.

 

Also, my intake fan is in the front of my case, which is then blocked by a hard drive rack, so the in-flow of air isn't very good to begin with. My power supply mounts on the bottom of my case, so not very good airflow there either. and the exhaust fan is on the back at the top, so it doesn't do much to keep the card cool, which is below it. These fans are both 120mm fans, stock with the case. So I plan on getting the other fans the case can fit...only problem I'm having with that is which ones to get. I have room for:

 

1 200mm fan

2 120mm fans

[FMod]

From what you said, your GPU does NOT suffer from an overheating problem.

It's a three-slot height DirectCU, your cooling system is well adequate with headroom to go. 72C is a very acceptable temperature. You need more exhaust airflow and less intake airflow, but it's not the problem.

 

However your card is factory-overclocked. Install MSI Afterburner (or stock o/c utility) and drop the clock rates about 10%. See how it goes.

http://event.msi.com/vga/afterburner/download.htm

[Vecna6667]

From what you said, your GPU does NOT suffer from an overheating problem.

It's a three-slot height DirectCU, your cooling system is well adequate with headroom to go. 72C is a very acceptable temperature. You need more exhaust airflow and less intake airflow, but it's not the problem.

 

However your card is factory-overclocked. Install MSI Afterburner (or stock o/c utility) and drop the clock rates about 10%. See how it goes.

http://event.msi.com/vga/afterburner/download.htm

 

The 6870 Direct CU is a two slot card, not a three slot card like the Direct CU II's of the 2GB Radeon HD 6950, 6970, GeForce GTX 570, and 580. The 1GB Radeon HD 6950 and GeForce GTX 560 TI Direct CU II's are also 2 slot carts. Otherwise, you are right about the temperatures not being the problem.

[Draco856]

The cards temps were steady at 50 when playing a game this time, but still it froze...I have to take it to a computer store or something and hope they can tell me what is wrong...