GTX260 - strange GPU overheating

[bozia2012]

This one will be long

Since two months I'm having a strange overheating issue with my EVGA GTX260.

For over 7 months the card was running fine - 40-60°C (fan at 40-50%) even when doing heavy work (Age of Conan, Oblivion).

Then, around December'09, the gpu fan suddenly started to speed up and the PC started crashing. I've installed Speedfan (later replaced it with EVGA Precision) and saw that when playing games the GPU temp goes to 110°C. So I started to force 100% fan speed, but even then there are times I have to alt-tab and wait for the GPU temp to drop. Right now the temp is ca. 40°C when doing some office work or surfing the internets and ca. 55°C when watching movies. For games I have to speed up the fan to 100% and then the temp ranges from 50-110°C.

Now the "strange" comes in - the temp can go up to 75°C even when I'm just working with Open Office or Mozilla. I can speed up the fan and bring the temp down to 39°C, but when I slow the fan back to 40% the temp also goes back to 75°C (even if I restart the PC when the GPU has cooled off)

It's even stranger when playing games - the temp doesn't seem to be connected to what is happening on the screen.

Some examples:

Age of Conan: when I start the updater (just a window that shows the server status and updates the files) the temp starts to go up to 80°C! How the hell? When log in to the game the temp drops to 55°C, but now and then goes very fast to 100°C (then I have to alt-tab and wait 15-20sec). During a raid (when the system has the most to do) the temp can be 55°C and 100°C when I'm standing in the village and looking at my feet. Can't see any pattern here

Oblivion: when looking from somewhere high at the landscape (with view distance at max - thousands of meters!) or going through a dungeon (lots of dynamic shadows and lighting) the temp is usually at ca. 50°C, but every time I speak to an NPC or fight enemies with invisiblity on the temp goes to 100°C. A close-up of an NPC's face overheats the card, but rendering a massive landscape is not a problem?

I have these games installed on this PC from the beginning and they always ran fine (Oblivion was also running fine on my previous PC with GF 6600GT). I've tried running some older games and even Arcanum (2D, 2001) can melt the GPU if the fan is not at 100%.

It depends on the game, but now I get artifacts when the temp goes over 60°C.

I've:
- cleaned the PC from the dust
- opened and cleaned from the dust the GFX card, cleaned the old thermal compound and put a new (Arctic Silver Ceramique)
- upgraded and downgraded the drivers

Nothing has changed.

My system specs:
Win XP Home SP3
c2d 2,8GHz
2x2GBs RAM
Gigabyte MB
550W Tagan PSU

Like I said - everything was running fine. I didn't change anything with the hardware (just updated the gfx drivers from time to time).

Maybe someone had a similar problem or knows what's going on?

 

[Rustyy117]

You could put the card in a friends PC (providing the friend has a 500W or greater PSU) and see if the problem remains, if it does then you know its the card at fault. If it doesn't then you can be pretty sure that the problem lies else where.

 

[bozia2012]

None of my friends has PCI-Express or a PSU greater than 350 My warranty is also gone. Most likely I'll have to buy a new one (I plan to buy a new PC anyway), but before that I had to ask the interwebs

 

[tuesday0180]

Hey isn't the EVGA warranty lifetime? I have the same gtx 260, but mine is the 216shader one.

 

[bozia2012]

Yeah, but only if I register the product at http://www.evga.com/register/ within 30 days?

Thanks for fast replies, btw

 

[tuesday0180]

Damn that sucks. Hey maybe give them a call and explain your situation. Doesn't hurt to try.

 

[nforce4max]

Take the card out and blow into the vent at the slot to loosen up any dust. I assume that you use this box for every day use then if so regular maintenance is nonnegotiable. Clean the dust out and see if things get any better then if not then you might need to replace the old stock compound.

 

[bozia2012]

@tuesday0180: I've checked with EVGA and the retailer from which I bought the PC and they say I broke the warranty (I can't even check what's my S/N because I destroyed the label). Eh, the more you know...

@nforce4max: I wrote that I already cleaned the whole PC and the gfx and put new thermal compound - nothing has changed.

 

[nforce4max]

@tuesday0180: I've checked with EVGA and the retailer from which I bought the PC and they say I broke the warranty (I can't even check what's my S/N because I destroyed the label). Eh, the more you know...

@nforce4max: I wrote that I already cleaned the whole PC and the gfx and put new thermal compound - nothing has changed.

Did you clean the fan on the card? You must have crappy air flow in your box or it is a sauna in the room that has this rig.

 

[bozia2012]

I've open the card, cleaned the fan and the ducts and replaced the thermal compound. The box is made of mesh and has 3x120mm fans. Like I said - never had any problems with the temp, even in summer.

Right now when I'm typing the temp on the GPU is 75 and it's been that the whole night - even though there was only Mozilla running.

 

[magneezo]

The 550 w Tagan PSU may be the problem. You need 38a on the dual 12v+ rail to run the GTX 260. It says so on the specifications/system requirements.
I have a 550 watt Thermaltake Black Widow gaming PSU and it only supplies its dual 12v+ to 35, so I'm assuming yours is going to be around the same.
It's just a guess that this could be your problem, but with the rebooting and temp issues I would check the power supply first.
I just don't think your Tagan's dual 12v+ rating is high enough to run the GTX 260.

 

[bozia2012]

Hmm I have to check the specifications then - but it was running flawlessly for 7-8 months! I just remembered that shortly after/before the temp issues the system started to randomly hang up (shortly after booting or after launching a game) and sometimes I have to reset it twice (after the first one it's still frozen). Happens several times a week.

I'll try getting another GFX and then I will check the PSU and the MB...

 

[nforce4max]

Load speed fan or pcwizard and check your volts in os then go into the bios and again check the volts. Report back when you do before spending a dime. Did you change or move any thing in the case prior to the cooling problems that would have changed however small to ware warm air is blowing on the card? If not then checking the volts might be of some use.

 

[bozia2012]

Ha, I'll do it when I'm back home. Which "volts" exactly should I check?

No, I didn't change anything with the box and I'm running the same software/games as before.

 

[nforce4max]

The 12v source.

 

[bozia2012]

Will do, thanks!

 

[bozia2012]

Here's a screenshot from Speedfan after running Titan Quest for 10min.:

And here's what I found in the BIOS:

Vcore = 1.252V
DDR18V = 1.888V
+3.3V = 3.280V
+12V = 12.048V

 

[bozia2012]

BTW: the PSU is a TG600-U33II

 

[nforce4max]

The volts seam good and should be so when observing them did they fluctuate greatly or more or less stayed the same? Is the psu running hot or make odd sounds?

 

[bozia2012]

The 550 w Tagan PSU may be the problem. You need 38a on the dual 12v+ rail to run the GTX 260. It says so on the specifications/system requirements.
I have a 550 watt Thermaltake Black Widow gaming PSU and it only supplies its dual 12v+ to 35, so I'm assuming yours is going to be around the same.
It's just a guess that this could be your problem, but with the rebooting and temp issues I would check the power supply first.
I just don't think your Tagan's dual 12v+ rating is high enough to run the GTX 260.

[Gah, can't edit my own posts!]

Just checked the papers - my PSU is 600W and the cables on the dual 12+ rail have 25A each (it's 50A?). EVGA states that the card needs min. 36A - so it's cool, eh?

 

[bozia2012]

Nope, the PSU is quiet and cool.

I checked the card again and the fan pumps cool air, but the other side (where the monitor cable is) is hot.

 

[nforce4max]

[Gah, can't edit my own posts!]

Just checked the papers - my PSU is 600W and the cables on the dual 12+ rail have 25A each (it's 50A?). EVGA states that the card needs min. 36A - so it's cool, eh?

Those are rough estimates to rule out weaker el cheapo units but I would go ahead and maybe get a new unit from a different brand to rule it out. Tagen units are very ify to me and I don't like them. Antec it is hit or miss (luck of the draw) while Enermax is very good but pricey. I only recommend brands that I have used my self.

 

[magneezo]

[Gah, can't edit my own posts!]

Just checked the papers - my PSU is 600W and the cables on the dual 12+ rail have 25A each (it's 50A?). EVGA states that the card needs min. 36A - so it's cool, eh?

Well after looking at the numbers provided you have double 25a 12v+....
I don't think it's the powersupply anymore!
I hope somehow this all works out for and I apologize that I couldn't be of much help.
Peace Out.
-Mag.

 

[bozia2012]

Well after looking at the numbers provided you have double 25a 12v+....
I don't think it's the powersupply anymore!
I hope somehow this all works out for and I apologize that I couldn't be of much help.
Peace Out.
-Mag.

Thanks.

@nforce4max: the voltage was rather steady (+/- 0.15V).

Yesterday I was raiding in Age of Conan - for the first hour the temp was at 80-90 (had to alt-tab to cool it off), but the next 1,5h it was 45 (even though the stress was the same or even bigger). When I turned the game off the temp rose up to 75 and stayed like that all night (and there was only torrent running). In the morning it cooled off to 42... That would look like the readings are wrong, but I get artifacts (>65°C) and crashes/shutdowns (>100°C) and the card is really hot.

Anyway, thank you all for help - I learned a few things (mostly about warranty and dual rails )

 

[nforce4max]

Do you by chance have vista or win 7 and running dream scene? Because that is very strange behavior to heat up in 2D like that. Game for a few min with the side panel off and with the back of your hand gentily touch the back of the card to feel for hot spots. The gpu area should be easy to spot while the vram is also easy. Now there is one chip towards to DVI end or bracket end of the card that little chip is it hot as well? It can produce artifacts if it isn't cooled (learned that with my 8800gtx).