GTX 670 Getting a Little Hot

paradoxeternal · Jul 1, 2013

Hey guys. I bought my Gigabyte NVIDIA Geforce GTX 670 Windforce 3X Edition last year. I bought it so that it would stay cool with those three fans, and I've never had a problem with it.

However, I wanted to overclock it this summer seeing as I have more free time. I ran MSI afterburner for the first time in a while, just to see the stats for the GPU... and I was shocked when I saw that the card was hitting a max temp of 78 C during a 2 hour session of Total War Shogun 2 (in a room with temps around 75 F or 24 C). I thought to myself, this is supposed to be a (literally) cool card, why is it so hot?

These are my questions: 1) Is it abnormal for the card to be getting that hot during a game like TWS2? and 2) If so, is it worth overclocking the card? I don't want it to go much past 80 C. 3) Could there be something wrong with my card, or is it just my set up? I have my Noctuah NHD-14 running right next to it, as my wireless card/sound card take up 2 other PCi-e slots. and I guess it could be that too. Here's a picture for reference:

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ayushde · Jul 1, 2013

paradoxeternal :

Hey guys. I bought my Gigabyte NVIDIA Geforce GTX 670 Windforce 3X Edition last year. I bought it so that it would stay cool with those three fans, and I've never had a problem with it.

However, I wanted to overclock it this summer seeing as I have more free time. I ran MSI afterburner for the first time in a while, just to see the stats for the GPU... and I was shocked when I saw that the card was hitting a max temp of 78 C during a 2 hour session of Total War Shogun 2 (in a room with temps around 75 F or 24 C). I thought to myself, this is supposed to be a (literally) cool card, why is it so hot?

These are my questions: 1) Is it abnormal for the card to be getting that hot during a game like TWS2? and 2) If so, is it worth overclocking the card? I don't want it to go much past 80 C. 3) Could there be something wrong with my card, or is it just my set up? I have my Noctuah NHD-14 running right next to it, as my wireless card/sound card take up 2 other PCi-e slots. and I guess it could be that too. Here's a picture for reference:

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78 degrees is not at all bad for a gpu your temps are perfectly alright...

paradoxeternal · Jul 1, 2013

ayushde :

paradoxeternal :

78 degrees is not at all bad for a gpu your temps are perfectly alright...

Not from what I've heard around the internet. Look at some of the numbers from this tomshardware review. If you look at the max temps, even when the card is overclocked and running max in bitmining, it hits 72 C, which is 6 C lower than mine when it's playing a game and not overclocked.

Madn3ss795 · Jul 1, 2013

It's a bit high. You should consider cleaning your vga's cooler and maybe reapply the thermal paste ( unless doing that void your warranty ). Also check the card's fan setting to see whether they're spinning too slow.

ayushde · Jul 1, 2013

paradoxeternal :

ayushde :

Not from what I've heard around the internet. Look at some of the numbers from this tomshardware review. If you look at the max temps, even when the card is overclocked and running max in bitmining, it hits 72 C, which is 6 C lower than mine when it's playing a game and not overclocked.

Don't worry my brother's gtx OCed 770 sometimes hits 90 degrees when gaming without any problems so you should be fine....

tushardehra · Jul 1, 2013

gtx770 90 r u kidding me?

paradoxeternal · Jul 1, 2013

Madn3ss795 :

I've never taken apart a GPU before. Would I have to buy new thermal paste to reapply, like with a CPU? Also, the fans get to max 55% on auto on MSI afterburner, don't know if that's good or bad. I use an ultra duster blow can to get the fans of the GPU, but there's usually still a bit of dust on them> I guess the only way to really clean them completely would be to take the plate off.

Madn3ss795 · Jul 1, 2013

Yes you'll need new thermal paste like with GPU. And try to set fan to 70-80% in MSI afterburner.

paradoxeternal · Jul 1, 2013

Madn3ss795 :

I imagine I can use the Arctic Silver thermal paste that I use to install CPUs, then? And the PC is due for a cleaning soon anyway, I will reapply the thermal paste, clean the fan blades. Do you think the proximity to that monstrous NH-D14 has anything to do with this, or would the effects be negligible anyway?

Madn3ss795 · Jul 1, 2013

No the D14 has nothing to do with this. And yes you can use Arctic Silver thermal paste for the GPU.

paradoxeternal · Jul 1, 2013

Madn3ss795 :

Quick question. I'm ready to re apply thermal paste, but the GPU on here looks different than the closest "how-to" video I could find, which was for a 500-series card. The GPU in the video was massive, while mine is pretty small. I'm guessing I just put thermal paste on the place where I found it, right? And the same methods that I would use on a CPU, like putting a dot in the center and then spreading it out with an old credit card, work? Also, will using the cleaning solution that came with my AS5 be fine, or is that only for CPUs?

Here's a picture of the GPU for reference:

And the heatsink for reference:

Madn3ss795 · Jul 1, 2013

The newer the technology, the smaller the die. The less the heat, too. GTX500 series use 40nm micro-architecture, while GTX600 series use 28nm, so now you know where's the different in size come from. Yes you can apply and clean thermal paste normally like what you did with a CPU. But I prefer nylon instead of a credit card to spread it ( just wrap one of your fingers with nylon and spread slowly ).

paradoxeternal · Jul 1, 2013

Madn3ss795 :

Yeah, I didn't think of the die shrink. I don't know if I have any nylon readily available -- the only thing I can think of is maybe some nylon shorts or something -- but I will have to check. Also, for cleaning the rest of the heatsink -- the fan blades, the back of the PCB, the heatsink fins, etc -- is it OK to use a paper towel or lint-free coffee filter? The ultra duster isn't getting a lot of the dust off some parts and I don't want to keep wiping my hands all over it.

Madn3ss795 · Jul 1, 2013

Just use a can of compressed air for those parts.

paradoxeternal · Jul 2, 2013

Madn3ss795 :

I cleaned the fans/heatsink, re applied thermal paste, and I think it actually now may be slightly worse. I was getting 76 C max temps in Crysis 2 before, but now I'm getting 78 C.

Madn3ss795 · Jul 2, 2013

I think you didn't line up your CPU cooler correctly during assembling... also check if fans are connected or not.

paradoxeternal · Jul 2, 2013

Madn3ss795 :

The fans are definitely connected. I actually had to do it twice because the first time, I had forgotten to connect the fans before installing the heatsink, and it can't be done when the heatsink is on the PCB. And I definitely heard them roaring at 70% speed while I was playing. As for whether or not I installed it wrong -- I doubt it. I lined up the screw holes with the screws, pressed down, then screwed the screws in, in diagonal formation, like I would a CPU heatsink.

Madn3ss795 · Jul 2, 2013

Ok this is weird. Normally, if done right, the temp at least stays the same. I'm just thinking, could it be the card you put below that blocked some air and generated some heat itself? And try to route all cables to behind the motherboard's tray.

paradoxeternal · Jul 2, 2013

Madn3ss795 :

This IS weird. I'm going to have a friend come over and do it himself -- he's got extremely steady hands, while I at my most careful do NOT have steady hands -- just so that I know it's not me. If the temps stay the same, I guess I will try to sell it and buy something else, because I don't want a card that runs this hot with that kind of heatsink and fan set up. If it's still under warranty, I'll RMA it, but I won't know if the warranty is up until i find the box.

As for my cabling, I've routed everything that can be routed through the back. The cables for my fan controller are the only ones hanging in the front -- but even THEY'RE not too close to the card. I've made sure to keep cables away from components (the mess in the bottom of the case is because I have nowhere to put those extra cables; it's not a modular PSU). The network wireless card has one PCI or PCIe slot seperating it from the GPU -- if that's blocking heat, there's nothing I can do. I don't get ethernet in my room and I need that wireless card. The sound card is also far away, but even if I took that out and put the wireless card in the farthest pci/pcie slot I don't think it would make much of a difference. Plus, I paid good money for that sound card too.

Thanks for your help. Since there's not much else I can do I guess I have to assume it's a bad card.

Madn3ss795 · Jul 2, 2013

I see. Lets expect the best.

GTX 670 Getting a Little Hot

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