MSI AMD R9 280X 3GB - Temps? Issues?

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Theo Varelas

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I built my first PC about 10 days ago with the video card in the subject above (paid around $320 for the R9). Along with the video card I purchased a Z87-G45 Motherboard. Excuse any of my ignorance as I am still new at all of this and am not quite sure about a lot of the technical stuff. The power supply is 850 watts.

My first question is, does anybody have any experience with the above card? I didn't look at newegg prior to purchasing it but it appears that it is getting trashed in newegg reviews due to fans not working properly (very concerning to me).

So my main question now - Running the MSI Kombustor program with my fan speed at min (18%) my idle temp is 54-55 Celsius. Running some of the stress tests I am getting anywhere from 75 to 88 Celsius. Is this normal? I have been looking around and it seems that these temps are a bit high? (idle should be in the 30's?)

Along with the stock fans for the R9 I also purchased cooling fans for the processor (i5-4590), I appear to have good airflow throughout the PC. When I turned the fan speed up to 75% I am getting idle temp of 44 Celsius and stress test 60-75 Celsius. Should I always run the fans at this speed when gaming or in idle?

I also went to go check the GPU fans and it looked like one of the fans wasn't working and I gave it a little push with my finger and it started working properly (I don't know if this was by coincidence, should the 2 fans always be running or maybe they alternate?) Now this was really concerning, since I have 15 days to return/exchange it (bought it at Fry's) should I exchange it (currently day 10 of when I purchased it)? Do you think I will have issues with this card if one of the fans already looks like it is having issues?

Can anyone give me some advice on perhaps the GPU itself or maybe the cooling options or any other part of my build that may have an impact on what I am experiencing?

Also some general/dumb questions:

Why does my Kombuster program say I have a AMD Radeon HD 7970? Is that the same thing as the R9 280x?

Should I consider overclocking the GPU or processor? is it worth it? Currently I have not really tested the card because I am just playing games that I always wanted to play that are a bit old (Half Life 2, Sim city, etc) so I don't think I have pushed it too much.

Should I consider any other cooling options and what are they? Case fans?

Sorry about the lengthy post but I spent ~2k and a whole weekend building and troubleshooting the PC so just ultra paranoid on my investment :) Appreciate any help/advice in advance and thanks for taking time to read.


 
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Shadowblade2652

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The R9 280x is a rebranded 7970. That is correct, since the GPU is the same between the two cards.

It was my belief that the fans would spin faster as the card got hotter and needed better cooling. And 90C is not good, but GPUs are meant to hit 100 and believe me, my old 5570 would not go below that and still runs today
 
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KyleADunn

KyleADunn

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Yes, the HD 7970 was branded as the r9 280x. Those temps are fairly normal for that GPU. 95c+ will cause it to throttle, but anything below that and you shouldn't notice much of any difference.

As for overclocking, it depends on your processor. What is it?

The GPU...there's actually a little switch on there that'll OC it to a higher preset, if you haven't looked into that yet. It's a very small switch; set it into the "2" position while the PC is powered down.
 
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Theo Varelas

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Thank you - I am getting about 60-70 C playing some medium intensity games, the stress test I ran was the Furry and Tessy Test (G4) I think it was one of the most intense test and the highest temp was 88 C. I was more worried the idle temp of 55 C was really high since I have seen mid 30s as what the idle temp should be. I guess my main question is about the Kombuster profiles, should I be running the fans higher than the min when playing games or should I get case fans?
 
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Shadowblade2652

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I'm curious: Is the card a reference design or an aftermarket cooler? If it's aftermarket, get case fans as the card spews hot air into the case and warms everything up. If it's reference, all the air goes out the back so the card doesn't need any cooling from the case.


Oh and my EVGA GTX 660TI Idles at 45C so 55C isn't that bad if your fans are only at 20% speed.
 
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Theo Varelas

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I have the Intel I5-4590 as the CPU. I will try the OC switch to #2 (would this be recommended with the temps I am getting currently?)
 
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Shadowblade2652

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What is your CPU Idling at? Loads?

If it's below 65 - 70C max under load, OCing may be possible.
There are many criteria you need to fit though:
1. Z97/Z87 Motherboard
2. Unlocked Processor (If you don't have this it's basically a waste of time)
3. A good heatsink - The stock one will do but it's not recommended generally because OC'ing will create oodles of heat.
 
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Theo Varelas

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Haha I missed out on all the old PC games growing up so I wanted to start there and work up to the new games today. I just wanted to make sure everything was normal with my hardware before attempting to play some of the more intense games in the future.
 
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Thelps

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First of all, your "dumb questions" :) :

AMD Radeon HD 7970 is indeed the same card as the R9 280X. AMD recently changed their naming system and rebranded a bunch of their cards in the process.

As for overclocking: Graphics Cards usually aren't very overclockable and you'd want a custom cooling setup if you did, so I wouldn't recommend it. CPU technology is ahead of the curve at the moment so most CPUs don't need to be overclocked and are only overclocked by enthusiasts who want to brag, not out of necessity.

As for your main question(s):

75-88C under load is indeed a bit high. You ideally don't want your GPU crossing the 80C threshold. A GPU can still reliably run at over 80C but this will shorten the component's lifespan if done regularly. I'd set your fan-speed to 'automatic' or at least higher than the minimum to keep temperatures at least in the mid 70s, if not lower. If you aren't afraid of tinkering with your GPU then a custom liquid-cooling unit such as the Kraken G10 will keep your GPU closer to 60C at maximum load, ruling out any heat concerns you could possibly have. Air-based options include the Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme which achieves the same effect, only without liquid. Don't worry however, all liquid cooling options listed are self-contained so safe for a first-timer to work with.

Your CPU is running hot for a CPU but in actuality is nowhere near a temperature that is dangerous to the component. If you want to consider overclocking in the future (say, a year or two from now) then you don't want it exceeding 55C under load while running at stock speeds. That means increasing the CPU's Cooling Unit's Fan Speed. You can also push temperatures down to rock-bottom by purchasing a liquid-cooling unit such as the Corsair H100i or Swiftech H220.

 
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KyleADunn

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Ah, not a 4590k? Won't be able to overclock much with it, as that's not an unlocked CPU. Still good though, nonetheless.

Your GPU has fail safes to prevent high-temperature damage, but you can never be too safe. I would try it out, just to see if there's much of a heat difference. If not, then great! If so, then consider reapplying new thermal compound (usually cools better than factory stuff by like 3c), maybe a custom heat sink/fan (Gelid Icy 2 or Accelero), and before that, ensure your case fans are in a good setup (push - pull).
 
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Theo Varelas

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Sorry reference means stock? In that case yeah, these are the fans the GPU came with, I didn't buy any additional ones. I bought cooling fans for the CPU though.
 
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Shadowblade2652

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I believe positive Air Presure is the best choice - which means more intake than exhaust :)

What's your case? If it's a <mod edit> mATX enclosure for all that high end stuff or a really shoddy atx case, you'll probably want to upgrade THAT as soon as you can.

<Mod Note: Watch your language in the forums>
 
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Shadowblade2652

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Reference means that it has the same cooler as the one that AMD or NVidia create when they first announce a graphics card. It's usually closed, has one fan on the end that's inside the PC, and a bunch of vents on the PCI covers.
 
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Theo Varelas

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I think the Kragen is the way I will go. Is this pretty easy to install? Do I have to remove the GPU and install the the Kragen on top of it or does it just go below the GPU?
 
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Shadowblade2652

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You need to:
1. Purchase a water cooling loop (or does it come with one?)
2. Remove the stock cooler on the gpu
3. Add new thermal paste to the GPU
4. Add the Kraken to the card.
5. Profit.


Edit:
Found this. It may help you with installation. http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/138-kraken-g10-gpu-bracket.html
 
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Thelps

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You will unscrew and remove the stock cooling unit attached to your GPU. You will then fasten the Kraken to the GPU just like in the video on the Kraken's website.

Shown here:http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/138-kraken-g10-gpu-bracket.html

The Kraken includes a pre-attached water cooling block that you will mount in one of your case's fan slots. The actual install process is very simple.
 
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sincreator

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If your MSI card is anything like mine was, you may need to replace the thermal paste. They had WAYYY to much on my card and I had similar temps as you currently have. Then once I replaced the thermal paste with the right amount, I was idling in the low 30's and would get to only the low 70's under load. There was that much paste on my GPU that it was even squat all over the PCB.

As for the cooler on your video card, it's most likely NOT a reference design cooler and it's a Twin Frozer IV cooler. I'm pretty sure there were no reference design 280x's from MSI.

Someone mentioned that video cards don't overclock well on air. Well that's not true at all since the newer cards from Nvidia and AMD easily go 20%+ or higher on air alone in most cases. As an example I have a MSI TF III 7950 that is 880/1250 stock and easily hits 1200/1650 on air. With water cooling I might get another 50-75mhz on the core, but the ram is pretty much at it's max. The tahiti based cards(HD7950/HD7970 and R9 280/280x) were known to be great overclockers, and still are. I have had my card overclocked to 1100/1500 for over a year now without any issues at all. So I'm 220mhz over on the core and 250mhz over on the memory. If I went to the max I would be 320mhz over on the core and 350mhz over on the memory. Since the 7970/7950/R9 280/R9 280x are all tahiti core GPU's they should overcock very similarly. Not every card overclocks the same I know. Some do more, and some do less.
 
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Theo Varelas

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I bought this case:

Cooler Master Cosmos SE - Full Tower Computer Case with High-End Water Cooling Support and Carrying Handles ($150). I think I will want to add water cooling I am just unsure what kind? The Kraken recommended here is only $30? Is that just for the bracket, I am confused. Sorry for the amateur hour on my part.
 
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Thelps

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You would need to purchase the Mounting Bracket and the Cooling Unit. Check Kraken's website for prices.
 
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coozie7

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Lets get a few points totally clear here, there seems to be some confusion (mine ;) ) about this card.
Please link to the card, just pop over to Newegg, find it and li link to it so we can see what we're actually dealing with.
Changing coolers or removing the heatsink/cooler WILL invalidate the warranty, if you're having problems with such a new part, either exchange it or start the RMA process, do NOT tamper with it if you value the warranty.
More than a few cards idle at higher temperatures, it's just the makers way to keep the noise down, in a few cases they can even turn one fan off as well.
If the card's hitting 88C at over 70% fan speed and both fans are working something may be wrong, but stress testers can do that, you need to run a test with an actual game to really check, give us a list of your more demanding games, we'll suggest which one/s to test with.
The case and fans sound fine to me but check they are: IN at the front and sides, OUT at the rear and top. Be aware, some card coolers have open sides (you can see the cooler fins exposed) and they vent hot air sideways, towards the case side itself, in this case side fans should either be turned off or operate as exhaust (OUT).
Top fans can actually increase the CPU temperature if the CPU cooler is pointed towards the normal rear exhaust fan, either realign the CPU cooler to point upwards and towards the top fan/s or turn the top fans down or off.
If you've connected the case fans to the motherboards 3 pin headers you can control their speed through BIOS BTW.
 
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Theo Varelas

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Coozie thank you for your reply.

Here is the Link to the exact card I bought:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127759&cm_re=msi_r9_280x-_-14-127-759-_-Product

Yeah I think you are right, I do not need to start changing coolers right now as I most likely do not know what I am doing with software at this point and maybe my case/fans are not optimized? I guess my most demanding game is Sim City 5? Is there a demo of a stressful game I download to test this? Is Battlefield 4 good, I will probably just buy this game anyways so maybe that one.

I will check how the fans are setup is there a good link to see what I am looking for regarding In and Out? I will also look at the side fans. I will also look at the case fans.

Another note would be that the temperature in my house ranges from 74-78F on a daily basis (I live by San Francisco so we don't have hot weather other than July and August so I do not have AC). My usual house temp outside these months is 60-65 F not sure if that is an issue.
 
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Shadowblade2652

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BF4 is the standard. Use that.
 
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sincreator

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@coozie

MSI "used" to still cover a card if you replaced the cooler and caused no damage. That was as long as you kept the cooler that originally came off it and returned with all original parts reinstalled. They recently changed this and started putting warranty stickers on the cards and changed their policies. Now if you do anything to the card you void the warranty.


I was actually going to post that it would still be covered as long as there was no damage, but I decided to recheck MSI's warranty page. They changed their policy over the last 6 months or so I guess because I had checked into this when I was wondering about my HD7950. I guess you learn something new everyday, lol. I wonder if my warranty would still be covered since my card should fall under their old warranty policies? Hmm makes me wonder how that would work now that I've removed the cooler a few times to clean it, and change the thermal paste, lol.
 
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