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gpu core clock keeps bouncing and a couple of other questions

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  • Core
  • Graphics
  • GPUs
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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October 1, 2014 11:16:13 AM

I bought a pre-built system back in late 2011 or early 2012, but I'm sure most of the components were made in late 2011. Anyways I have a Radeon HD 6670 with 1GB of DDR5 memory and a core clock speed of 800 MHz and while playing games it will constantly jump from 800MHz to 400MHz cutting my frames by half. Is there a way to keep my card from going down while gaming? Also my PC shuts off when playing a game or looking at YouTube. I use to be able to play a game and have a few videos running, but now if I try to attempt that my PC shuts off and when looking in the event view log it just says that the system shut down unexpectedly. Finally I sometimes use MSI Afterburner to monitor some things and I have a CPU that has hyper threading and in the program it lists CPUs 1-8 and I want to know what are the actual cores.

Here's a link to the computer's specs from the manufacture's website
http://tinyurl.com/lmqgvsa

More about : gpu core clock bouncing couple questions

October 1, 2014 11:22:18 AM

Hi there,
The problems you mentioned seem to come from high hardware temps. When a graphic card runs to hot, it will drop the core frequency in order to use less power (and then eventually run colder). CPU's have more drastic methods and just shut the system down when it reaches a certain temp.

What you should do 1st is to download HWmonitor and check what the temps of your hardware look like.
Then you should open the system, clean all the dust, remove cpu cooler and reapply TIM.
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October 1, 2014 12:26:25 PM

When playing a game my CPU temps are usually between 64-67 celsius and my GPU usually sits at 100% usage at 105 celsius, but I have noticed it going up to 108. I'll clean out the dust and look into reapplying thermal paste (assuming that's what you mean by TIM).
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October 1, 2014 1:26:07 PM

105* C is a SERIOUS temperature, your graphic card is cooking I'd immediately stop and clean it. Also apply thermal paste and check temps again.

PS. Hope you didn't do that multiple times as that temperature could harm your graphic card, if the vrams got cooked your card may die (artifacts and unstable card and crashes are the symptoms)
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October 1, 2014 2:31:52 PM

Ok clearly your temps are WAY to high.
Tutorial for reapply thermal paste : http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/333968-28-thermal-pas...

For the dust in your case, turn off your computer, open both side pannels and unscrew your fans. Use compress air can and shoot quick shots everywhere you see dust. Be careful not to shoot for too long or the CO2 will condense on your hardware and might damage it. Clean your fans with dry towel. Don't forget to check under your PSU!
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October 2, 2014 2:37:35 PM

I dusted out my system and started playing some game I normally play and my CPU temps seem to be max around 50-57C now while in game and my GPU still goes to 105 or over. I use MSI Afterburner to monitor my system and even if I manage to get the card to use 70%-80% of it's power with less than 600mb of it's memory being used, it still reaches 105 rather quickly. When I had finish dusting it and replugged everything back in and started it up, my CPU temps were at about 42-46C at idle and my GPU at around 63C at idle. From what I've gather from the net the card is rather old and I believe mine is a reference model.
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October 2, 2014 2:48:43 PM

Seems like your GPU cooler isn't doing its job. Pull the side panel off and verify that the fan is actually spinning. Sapphire made a passively cooled 6670 so it shouldn't take much airflow to keep your temps in check even if you are the standard cooler, it seems the only thing limiting you to 105C is thermal protection on the chip throttling you down.
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October 3, 2014 1:00:38 PM

The fan is spinning and according to MSI Afterburner the fan usage is at 100% and it sounds like a mini jet, just not as loud. Also I'm not sure what's causing it, but something in my computer is moving so fast I can feel it through the floor. I'm also about maybe 6 inches from the computer. It's not on the floor, but on the lower part of my desk (opened, not closed off).
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October 3, 2014 3:51:30 PM

When you dusted your system did you use compressed air to blast the dust out of your GPU heatsink? It is possible all the space between the fins is clogged with dust so while the fan is spinning at 100% none of that air can make it between the fins to actually absorb any heat. Your high idle temps are also suspicious and could be caused by this same issue. Whats the fan speed at idle at 60C? 65%?
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October 4, 2014 2:49:30 AM

No, I didn't take out the card to clean it; I'll do that and see if it works. When I clean my computer I'm on tile, but to avoid any static shock should I be touching the metal parts on the case before or during the removal of my card? At idle the fan speed is somewhere between 36-44. Also I didn't wipe down my computer, I just used a few cans of compressed air to get most of the dust out.

Also if I do remove the GPU to clean it will simply putting it back in be enough or will I have to mess with the BIOS or something or get it working?
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October 4, 2014 8:27:13 AM

If you remove it and put it back in while the computer remains off the computer will never know it left the system so you shouldn't need to touch bios.

To reduce static:
Work in a humid environment
Don't work on carpet
Discharge yourself to a grounded item. While your computer is plugged in the case is tied to earth ground so that generally works well enough, Anti-Static straps just have metal contacting your wrist and get plugged into the ground port on an outlet so it is similar and good enough for occasional maintenance.
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October 4, 2014 11:35:59 AM

So leave the computer plugged in and touch the metal part on the case will discharge any static build up I may have? Do I only have to touch it once or every time I'm about to touch inside the case or any component?
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October 7, 2014 8:22:47 AM

I didn't open or remove the cooler on my GPU, but I got as much dust out from it that I was able to with compressed air and re-dusted my PC. I tested a few games that I normally play and the hottest the card got was about 89C with the fan speed going up to 88% and at idle it getting up to 61C with 39% of the fan being utilized. When I would set the fan to be at 100% the hottest it got in game was 77C and 44C at idle. The room where I have my PC is usually around 76F. For future reference does it matter if a case fan or the heatsink or the GPU fan turns from the compressed air?
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October 7, 2014 2:21:01 PM

Those are much improved temperatures, and its good that your fan still has some space left in its speed range.

Generally you don't want to let the fan spin, there isn't much difference between a motor and a generator so you could generate harmful voltages upstream. Its generally not a problem, but its just good practice to keep it from spinning while you clean the system.
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October 8, 2014 7:04:08 AM

Thank everyone who helped I appreciate it.
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!