Trying to find out if my graphics card is faulty or not

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Asherdude7

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Dec 25, 2013
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Hi all, first post here!

I built this PC almost a year ago. Recently (within the last week or 2) it has started to make a scratching sound after playing a graphically intense game for an hour to an hour and a half. The games I've found out it happens to have been Tomb Raider (2013), Sleeping Dogs and Saints Row IV. As soon as I hear the scratching sound I instantly quit the game and the noise stops.

I've tried using speedfan alongside games and also when idle. My CPUs stay fairly stable at 45-50 degrees when idle. When playing an intensive game for an hour or more it usually heads up towards 75-80 which is clearly trouble. Using speedfan I've done a few SMART tests as well and those have returned a 93% success on my hard drive so I imagine it isn't that.

I haven't dusted it yet which I'm planning to do once the compressed air arrives. Are there any general tips/tricks you guys would recommend?

 
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huilun02

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Feb 29, 2008
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The fan automatically speeds up as the GPU gets hotter. It's reaching a speed high enough to cause that noise.

Use a monitoring software like MSI Afterburner to set a custom fan curve such that it never reaches that speed.

But you don't want to do that for very long though, as it allows the card to get even hotter. Get rid of the dust asap.
 
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sincreator

sincreator

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May 27, 2009
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Most likely the bearing in your graphic cards cooler is getting noisy. You only notice it when the fan speed hits a certain speed. The longer you play a game the more it heats up and the faster the fan spins.

First try cleaning out the cooler, and then try manually adjusting the fan speed until you hear the scratching. Once you find out what speed the scratching starts, manually set the fan speed just below for more quiet operation. If you clean out the cooler first, you may not need touch the fan speed. Hope this helps.
 
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sincreator

sincreator

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May 27, 2009
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I actually use auto for idle, and set 65% manually when I game. My card never goes above 60 degrees. I used to do the same with my HD5870. Never had any temp problems, but that is because 65/70% fan speed starts the card off cooler and doesn't allow for the temperature to go high at all. On auto I would hit in the mid 70's. Manual 65% and I never go above the low 60's. Oh and my stock clocks are 880/1200 and I am sitting at 1070/1600 for 24/7 use(I could go higher). Gotta love bios mods, lol. I guess my manual setting is plenty high to keep the card cool at that speed. That said, not every card will benefit from my methods. Some just run hot because of dirt, poor ventilation, or just because of a garbage cooler.

 
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sincreator

sincreator

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Bad advice and good advice in one post. You should NEVER blow hard on any computer component. Saliva could get spit into the card, and could cause a short.... OP I recommend the second suggestion in his post.

 
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swifty_morgan

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Feb 10, 2006
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only a moron would slobber on his pc components.
 
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sincreator

sincreator

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May 27, 2009
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Do it proper or don't do it at all, IMO. Besides, blowing out todays coolers are not as cut and dry as you make it seem. Maybe a reference design since they vent out the back of the case, but it's still a long shot. Usually there is a big heat sink that gets clogged all the way through, or at least on both sides, and blowing into the card only will solve the problem temporarily since a lot of the dust will still remain. You also have no idea of the conditions where he lives. If anyone smokes in his household the dust will be sticky, and blowing will do nothing at all in that case.



 
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sincreator

sincreator

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No actually I didn't miss your second suggestion. If you go back and read my first response to you, you will see that I said that was the best idea. lol. Your first suggestion was what I had a problem with...
 
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Asherdude7

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Dec 25, 2013
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PSU: Corsair TX550M ENTHUSIAST 550W
GPU: 2GB GByte GTX660 OC WindForce2

And yeah when I first heard the scratching sound I got pretty worried, luckily everything is backed up just in case.



Oh I did forget to mention this. I live mostly at uni where my pc has more space in the open and has average ventilation, not amazing by any stretch of the imagination. I came home for christmas a week ago and it's in a pretty enclosed area under my desk in the corner of the room, needless to say its ventilation is significantly worse than at uni.

edit: I seem to have messed up the second quote somehow :ange:
 
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