GTX 470 Cooling

[jackofhearts495]

My EVGA GTX470 SC is running 80C+ at stock settings under load (Crysis, etc.), not even in programs like Furmark. Ambient temperatures are gonna rise this summer, and I want to cool it off, and hopefully overclock it.

I'm thinking about a Zalman after-market air cooler:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118065&Tpk=zalman%20gtx%20470

Is it worth it? Any other (cheaper?) solutions to cooling a 470?

 

[kajabla]

Case/ambients? Got a case pic?

 

[rubix_1011]

Address your case airflow before you buy a cooler.

Open the side of your case and blow a house/desk fan on high into the case. Game/benchmark/etc...note temps.

If your temps go down, you have an airflow problem...that would be the real issue...not the cooler.

If you still see 80C temps with this method...you need to address your cooler.

 

[jackofhearts495]

I would (and will when I get a chance), but would you mind humoring me?

I'm thinking a Magma 120mm case fan and PCI blower/fan if my case flow is to blame, and the Zalman if it's the card.

Reference 470s run notoriously hot anyway, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[jackofhearts495]

(I don't have immediate access to the comp, as it's a rig I built for a relative)

 

[ggman]

I would also suggest to check your case airflow as it can change the temps my as much as 10C

 

[homegun]

My EVGA GTX470 SC is running 80C+ at stock settings under load (Crysis, etc.), not even in programs like Furmark.

So what are your Furmark temps? I have twin 470s in SLI, and in Furmark under full stress they run between 80C and 85C. They are OC'd up to 750MHz, so they will run a little hotter. They tend to run 70C to 75C in games where the load is uneven. I have a non-reference card (Galaxy), and the fans make a ton of noise, but do a decent job of cooling.

P.S. - I did a lot of work on the case airflow. It helped my CPU temps by a few degrees, and the GPU temps by 6 to 8 degrees.

 

[Pearlmam]

80 degrees is a little hot and case airflow will lower the temps like everyone has said. My GPU ran at around 70 degrees with case fans on high and 73 degrees with fans on low, so airflow makes a difference. And also note that too many fans can be bad. For example, if you have fans blowing front to back and one from the side, this could RAISE your temps a little. That sort of setup raise my temps a few degrees. You want a clean flow of air more than lots of fans blowing in all directions. Moving the GPU to another PCI slot could help too.

Another thing you can do before buying a new cooler is use a program like MSI Afterburn or EVGA precision to control the GPU fan. If your GPU is like mine, the fan is probably running at 30-45% fan speed. Kick that up and that will lower your temps 10-15 degrees. For example, my GPU runs at < 60 degrees now just by raising the fan to 80%

good luck