# GPU temp too high



## bm23 (Apr 2, 2009)

im running a palit 8400gs 512mb. the temperature on idle is around 70. can anyone tell me how i can lower it? or is it normal for this card? thanks


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## mtb211 (Apr 2, 2009)

well you could buy something like this if your broke like me
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835192007



you can try speedfan here

http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

honestly.. didnt do shit for me

hope this helps...


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## Zatharus (Apr 2, 2009)

bm23 said:


> im running a palit 8400gs 512mb. the temperature on idle is around 70. can anyone tell me how i can lower it? or is it normal for this card? thanks



This is on the high side.  Most of the nVidia cards I have owned rarely get into the 60's Celsius.  You are talking Celsius right?

You can grab RivaTuner and use it to adjust your GPU's fan speed.  Or try SpeedFan as mtb211 suggested.


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## kookooshortman55 (Apr 3, 2009)

The size of the fan on the 8400GS is ridiculous.  My friend had one and it used to run 80C.

If your case doesn't allow very good airflow, you could check one of these out.
Exhaust:
http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=ODU=

Intake:
http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=ODQ=


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## Kesava (Apr 3, 2009)

When I game my 8800GT goes up to 110*C 

Usually sits on around 70 idle. It has some problem, I was thinking of replacing the heatsink but I don't have enough money and I don't really care about it.

In theory, the card is only in danger at around 120*C or so... but anyway.

I tried cleaning it and reapplying TP and stuff, didn't help. Actually made it worse.


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## kookooshortman55 (Apr 3, 2009)

Did you apply it right?  The stock 8800GT cooler sucks.  Look into the VF1000 or DuOrb if you don't mind the noise.  I was lucky enough to find the Akimbo cooler for $30.

Stock: 62C Idle, 80C Max
Akimbo: 54C Idle, 64C Max

It's amazing!  As for the 8400GS, I don't think there's much you can do besides add a slot fan for ventilation or to get a new card.  Those temps are not desirable but not dangerous.


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## Kesava (Apr 3, 2009)

I'm pretty sure I applied it right. I mean I have tried twice. The second time I made sure all the ram chips and stuff made contact with the heatsink as well. No luck. It never used to be like this... but now something has changed and no matter what I do I can't make it run cooler. I was gong to get the VF1000, but I don't really care that much anymore. The fan speed is set to auto so I can run games on highest graphics and it will go up to 110*C sometimes but that temp won't fry the card.

I would love to have cooler temps but it's not worth my spending money on, especially because where I live right now it would be very hard to get parts like GPU heatsinks.


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## bm23 (Apr 3, 2009)

thanks for the replies guys. i will try tuning the fan speed. if that still doesnt work then i'll wait for it to spoil. then i'd give my mom my current 9600gt (the 8400gs is in her com, which my bro uses for less intensive gaming). then i would get for myself a 4850


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## kookooshortman55 (Apr 3, 2009)

@ Kesava
Try dusting out the GPU heatsink then, that's the only thing that I think would explain the sudden increase in temps.  And I'm pretty sure 110C is considered hot.  I've heard 90C is bad, and you should get worried around 100C.  Do you have bad airflow around the card?  If you ever get the chance to, I would look between the VF900, VF1000, and DuOrb.  I did quite a bit of research on these coolers before finally finding the Akimbo on eBay.

@bm23
Yeah I don't consider the 8400GS to be considered a gaming video card.  Maybe for streaming YouTube videos at best   I would just wait for it to die too haha


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## Kesava (Apr 3, 2009)

I dusted it out both times when I reapplied the TP.

And yes it is very hot. Most people have very low temps for their gpu. However as far as I know, it isn't in any immediate danger. Usually i'd recommend to people to get an aftermarket heatsink if their gpu was running that hot, but so far I have had no actual problems and I think it needs to be hotter then that before it starts to fry so I don't feel like finding the money to replace the heatsink. It's not really a priority.


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## kookooshortman55 (Apr 3, 2009)

Haha that's still insane though, 110C?  What fan speed are you running it at?  Download RivaTuner or EVGA Precision.


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## Zatharus (Apr 3, 2009)

kookooshortman55 said:


> Haha that's still insane though, 110C?  What fan speed are you running it at?  Download RivaTuner or EVGA Precision.



Quite! 

GPUs do run fairly hot, but you are looking at some damage to the IC there.

Sheesh...  My brother has an old 8800GTX that doesn't go into the 70's.  And I thought that ran hot...


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## Kesava (Apr 3, 2009)

The fan is set to auto with Rivatuner. It runs at 100% when I'm gaming.


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## kookooshortman55 (Apr 3, 2009)

Wow, okay I have no idea then.  I was going to suggest making a custom fan profile on RivaTuner.  100% fan speed is unbearable for me and my card never got that hot.  Is your ambient room temp like 90C?   That's the only explanation left.


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## Zatharus (Apr 3, 2009)

kookooshortman55 said:


> ...Is your ambient room temp like 90C?   That's the only explanation left.



Either that or the heatsink is not coupled to the GPU properly.  You could try re-seating it/re-applying some thermal paste.

I know the cheaper cards usually have poor cooling solutions, but that's awful!


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## Kesava (Apr 3, 2009)

Nah it's some problem with my card. The temp used to be a little high because of the terrible stick cooler, but around 9 months ago it starting acting up and running really hot. I haven't been able to find a way to fix it even with reapplying thermal paste and stuff so I think its a problem with something else. Not sure what. I mean I have made sure that the gpu chip makes good contact with the heatsink and that there is the perfect amount of thermal paste in between and I also checked and fixed any ram chips that weren't making contact properly but believe it or not, after I did this the temps worsened.

So basically I have up. I mean I don't believe that the card will fry until it gets to around 120*C or so and although I am at a dangerous temp nothing has happened so far. It has been running like that for 9 months with quite alot of gaming and nothing has gone wrong. Granted the fan running 100% is rather annoying and gives away the fact that I'm gaming when I tell me dad I'm doing work, but still 

I don't really want to try and fix it because it works fine as it is and I really don't think that a new heatsink will help as when I made the current one make contact as best it could things got worse. I think there has to be some other problem.

Anyway it's about time I got a new card so I may as well just use this one until it dies and then get a newer one.


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## Zatharus (Apr 3, 2009)

Kesava said:


> ...I don't really want to try and fix it because it works fine as it is and I really don't think that a new heatsink will help as when I made the current one make contact as best it could things got worse. I think there has to be some other problem.
> 
> Anyway it's about time I got a new card so I may as well just use this one until it dies and then get a newer one.



 I don't blame you.

It could just be a faulty temp sensor, too.  Have you felt the card after it has been running for a while?


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## Kesava (Apr 3, 2009)

Yeah it feels pretty hot. In fact one time I felt it running it was too hot to keep my hand on there for too long. Now that I think about it, there has only been one time it has stuffed up. I'm not even sure if the graphics card was to blame. I woke up for some reason in the middle of the night and suddenly heard my computer turn off. The fans are loud at night. And because I had left it overnight to download I got out of bed and turned it back on. But nothing showed on the monitor even though the computer itself turned on. Anyway I freaked out and thought I had ruined my graphics card and had trouble going back to sleep. But it worked fine again in the morning and as been working ever since.

I don't know why I bothered telling you all that. It just came to mind so I thought I would.


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## Zatharus (Apr 3, 2009)

Kesava said:


> I don't know why I bothered telling you all that. It just came to mind so I thought I would.



I've noticed you tend to say what's going through your mind. 


The shutdown you experienced was most likely due to a thermal shutdown.


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