290x Windforce high idle temp

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
G

gingerbreadfred

Reputable
Jun 19, 2014
5
0
4,510
Hello everyone, I just got the honor of having a horrible problem rear is hideous visage! Let me start from the beginning, When I first got this card, I was bouncing up and down ready to play the latest games! I installed it, everything worked like a charm! Idle temps were 32C, the highest being 35C. That was perfectly reasonable for my case. well, now its time to upgrade! I went ahead and upgraded my CPU, Motherboard, and CPU cooler. To an Asus Sabertooth 990FX R2.0, FX 8350, and a Zalman CNPS5X. CPU Temps are always nice and average, full load is 48-50C on core temp and most of the time CPU temp as well. So thats good too! But I noticed that my 290x is now idling at 40, sometimes 50C... Thats not right! I took off the case side and its much of the same... The card is functional, no real issues, (aside from last night 7/27/2014, I got a video driver crash idling on desktop, whole screen glyphed. everything a jumbled artifacted mess! Rebooting the PC did fix this, but now I'm curious if my card requires an RMA... I do seem to have a theme of every card I buy I need to RMA it at least once before the new one lasts forever. I mean, it is a possibility, and its certainly not hot enough in my room and house to be idling at that high of a temp. 50C is ridiculous. So I ask you guys! Would Gigabyte replace this card? or send it back. its at 45C idling at this moment of typing. (I just got my new parts about a week and a half ago) -Edit- I should probably post the rest of my hardware specs, I have 8 GB of Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 1333, and a Rosewill Lightning 800W for my Power Supply. my pc does have led and cathodes but They are always off anymore. there are two I-Flash mini's as my exhaust and right now the side is open for the extra heat dissipation for the windforce card, it lowered temps about 3C
 
Solution
jnewegger23
Wow, this is unusual then. If I can think of anything else I'll run it by you but I too am now stumped. Sorry.

Do you have an older card you can put in and see if there's a difference? Maybe that can help rule out that it's another system component making it easier to justify a decision to rma your current card.
Sort by date Sort by votes
jnewegger23

jnewegger23

Distinguished
Aug 13, 2013
1,166
1
19,965
That is a bit high for idle. I had the same issue when I added a monitor or two. Did you do that? When I shut down the extra monitors idle temps go right back down to the 30s. With all 4 monitors on (3 at desktop plus 1 HDTV connection for the home theater) idle temps shoot right back up to the mid 40s low 50s just fyi.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
G

gingerbreadfred

Reputable
Jun 19, 2014
5
0
4,510


No sir, I run 1 monitor right now.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
jnewegger23

jnewegger23

Distinguished
Aug 13, 2013
1,166
1
19,965
Wow, this is unusual then. If I can think of anything else I'll run it by you but I too am now stumped. Sorry.

Do you have an older card you can put in and see if there's a difference? Maybe that can help rule out that it's another system component making it easier to justify a decision to rma your current card.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
G

gingerbreadfred

Reputable
Jun 19, 2014
5
0
4,510


Unfortunately, I don't have anything current. My 550 Ti is out of town, and in another rig, he is paying me for it. The best I have here, is a GT 420. which is in another unused computer down stairs. I do have an older 290X windforce model. I have heard that the early ones had issues, but Im not sure if those ones ever hit retail, The card works other than it has a strangly high idle temp, which it didnt used to have. so this is brand new. So was the out of the blue driver crash and desktop artifacting. it hasnt done that again, yet. But I was certainly going to ask for an RMA to be processed if it happened again. though the temps are bothering me to no end! I know this card will idle at 32 Ive seen it do it before... the highest its gone to idle is 59C which was about half an hour ago and its back at 45C now. My computer has zero dust build up, I dusted the thing real good a few days ago after re applying some better thermal paste to the proccessor. ( I can also set up my old board and proc and reinstall the card, Since one HDD is set to run on that board and driver set. Was an A8-3850 and an Asus F1a75M Pro R2.0 board. Solid set up. Not high performance, ran fine for generally all games. But Wasnt satisfied with the outdated North Bridge hindering performance on recent titles)



UPDATE: I called up Gigabyte and asked about RMA, and I now have a request being processed. I will receive a number in about 2 business days. Hopefully, they will agree that 40-60C idle temperatures is strange for a Windforce card in a 20C air conditioned room. the driver crash and artifacting bugged me too, but I'm pretty sure that was a fluke. Thanks for giving me your opinion Newegger.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
G

gingerbreadfred

Reputable
Jun 19, 2014
5
0
4,510
Update on RMA. Status: Case closed!

Alrighty, After almost a month of running a GT 420 in my pc, as Gigabyte has an incredibly slow RMA time. I installed it, And massive screen flickering due to bugged drivers (easy fix) After I get everything set up, I do notice that temps are down, but heres whats confusing me, They told me they found not a thing wrong with the card, and it will be sent back as is. So I wait nearly 2 and a half weeks after that email, and they put the card in not the Windforce box, but a white one, and they gave me new connectors like Crossfire bridges, which I'm not even sure the 290X comes with as that card doesn't even use the bridges. They also gave me a Mini DP to DP adapter, and a box full of packing peanuts. (thanks Gigabyte...) I guess I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Temps are normalized again, and I got a free crossfire bridge. I guess the RMA went smoothly. But if they went ahead and gave me all new extras, like Molex to 8 pin connectors, I don't see why they couldn't have just given me the windforce box. Oh, and they taxed me with my DVI and DP covers. those are missing now. lol. But the short answer, RMA worked. Card is fully functional, idle is 34C and browsing the web is around 38C (before it was a 45C idle and 60+ when web browsing.) I will go ahead and assume that gaming temps are also below 80C.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom