Help with GPU temp and new video card for sad, pathetic Dell Inspiron 531s...
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gregawil
March 6, 2010 12:38:34 AM
I posted this in a thread farther down the page, but I have a feeling it's not connected enough to the question I have and so isn't getting attention--figured I'd try again here, since Tom's is far superior to the "get lost with your subpar system, clown" places out there on the Interwebs
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The question is this: I've got a Dell Inspiron 531s (I know, I know, Dell is terrible, slimline case is terrible...long story why I ended up with this, but I'm stuck with it now for at least another year) and a BFG Nvidia 9400 GT, low profile, obviously. It ran fine for about a year and then gave out, largely because the stock PSU (250w) wasn't powerful enough for the card. (By the way, I'm kind of a moderate gamer, I guess--some Company of Heroes, some Dragon Age, a bit of World of Warcraft here or there.)
BFG was kind enough to RMA the card, so I've now got a new functioning 9400GT. While waiting, I installed a Seasonic 300W PSU, which is the best I can do for this particular case, and according to the BFG tech people this should be fine for this card. When I re-installed the new card I noticed the GPU temp was too high--68c on idle, 92c at full load. So I installed a better case fan, which dropped the GPU temp about six or seven degrees...better, but not perfect. I've ordered a low profile PCI fan, which should install directly under my video card and blow directly on the GPU, so my hope is that it will drop the temperature even further, perhaps another ten degrees or so. That would leave me with about 52c idle, 75c at full load. (And my CPU is running no higher than 40C idle, maybe 48c at load, so that should be okay.)
So two questions: one, is a final GPU temp of 52c idle and 75c load okay? And two, if I decide to upgrade the card in six months (no, I won't have the budget for a new comp for at least six months past that
), what suggestions would people have, given my system specs?
Thanks, and apologies for the "clown subpar system" in advance.
. The question is this: I've got a Dell Inspiron 531s (I know, I know, Dell is terrible, slimline case is terrible...long story why I ended up with this, but I'm stuck with it now for at least another year) and a BFG Nvidia 9400 GT, low profile, obviously. It ran fine for about a year and then gave out, largely because the stock PSU (250w) wasn't powerful enough for the card. (By the way, I'm kind of a moderate gamer, I guess--some Company of Heroes, some Dragon Age, a bit of World of Warcraft here or there.)
BFG was kind enough to RMA the card, so I've now got a new functioning 9400GT. While waiting, I installed a Seasonic 300W PSU, which is the best I can do for this particular case, and according to the BFG tech people this should be fine for this card. When I re-installed the new card I noticed the GPU temp was too high--68c on idle, 92c at full load. So I installed a better case fan, which dropped the GPU temp about six or seven degrees...better, but not perfect. I've ordered a low profile PCI fan, which should install directly under my video card and blow directly on the GPU, so my hope is that it will drop the temperature even further, perhaps another ten degrees or so. That would leave me with about 52c idle, 75c at full load. (And my CPU is running no higher than 40C idle, maybe 48c at load, so that should be okay.)
So two questions: one, is a final GPU temp of 52c idle and 75c load okay? And two, if I decide to upgrade the card in six months (no, I won't have the budget for a new comp for at least six months past that
), what suggestions would people have, given my system specs?Thanks, and apologies for the "clown subpar system" in advance.
More about : gpu temp video card sad pathetic dell inspiron 531s
gregawil
March 6, 2010 1:01:34 AM
Thanks for the response, EXT--well, the fan speed is already maximum, so I'm afraid that wouldn't help even if I could control it (and I don't think I can). I did run the question past the BFG people, and they were...noncommittal, let's say, other than to say that 91C was a "little high" for running under load. I didn't get much of a reply beyond that, I'm afraid.
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The fan does look like it is spinning, correct? If so, and after adding the extra fan, I'd just say don't worry about it. Not much more you can do as the temps aren't insane and the card seems to work. Not a great solution I know, but beyond replacing the card cooler (voids warranty and a big headache) you've done about all you can, and since the card isn't truly defective, BFG won't do much more either.
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gregawil
March 6, 2010 2:09:56 AM
Dells are not bad, by the way. No need to degrade your rig
. The 531 ? What cpu do you have,? Mem amount ? Your temps IMO are normal. I have a 8600gt (80nmdie) running in a htpc, 2nd computer in room running TV. Playing a movie on tv+lcd it runs at 66c. 24/7 2 years this way. Doing 3d the core will go 90's. The next die shrink they run cooler and so on.
There is a gts250 lowriser card . http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... A 300 watt seasonic ? might be able to run it. Believe it uses the low power 'eco' core. The core on this runs 20% slower than normal versions. That would be a HUGE upgrade.
edit: Read the user reviews there, might be some go info for you, most have slim line Dells
. The 531 ? What cpu do you have,? Mem amount ? Your temps IMO are normal. I have a 8600gt (80nmdie) running in a htpc, 2nd computer in room running TV. Playing a movie on tv+lcd it runs at 66c. 24/7 2 years this way. Doing 3d the core will go 90's. The next die shrink they run cooler and so on.There is a gts250 lowriser card . http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... A 300 watt seasonic ? might be able to run it. Believe it uses the low power 'eco' core. The core on this runs 20% slower than normal versions. That would be a HUGE upgrade.
edit: Read the user reviews there, might be some go info for you, most have slim line Dells
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gregawil
March 6, 2010 4:05:08 AM
Haha, well that's good to know...it's mostly the slimline which bothers me. I built my own comps for years, but got sick of having to be my own tech support and finally decided to get a computer with external support, not realizing it was a slimline. It runs great, except for the heat! Thanks for the information about that, though--makes me feel better. As for the lowriser card, I would be a bit worried about that only because it says a 450W PSU is required, and mine is only 300 (and is max for this case)--especially since my 9400 GT originally gave out because of an underpowered PSU, I'd be worried about it in this situation. I wonder if there's some middle ground...?
EDIT: Forgot to mention the other specs: AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual Core 5000+ 2.6Ghz (Brisbane), 3 gigs of RAM, 32 bit Vista (Service Pack 2).
EDIT: Forgot to mention the other specs: AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual Core 5000+ 2.6Ghz (Brisbane), 3 gigs of RAM, 32 bit Vista (Service Pack 2).
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gregawil
March 6, 2010 2:43:52 PM
Actually, I think I can do better than that--here's the one I got.
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gregawil
March 6, 2010 7:58:22 PM
Interesting. I did a good deal of research before getting the PSU I did, and I'm glad Seasonic meets with everyone's approval (didn't have a lot of options for the slimline case). I guess I just don't want to overreach and get a card which will be blown out in six months for lack of power to support it.
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gregawil
March 8, 2010 5:33:22 PM
Well, so far no complaints on the PSU end. We'll see what happens when I get that low profile PCI fan. Interestingly, I just had a Dell Dimension E520 fall in my lap--I'm tempted to see if this motherboard would fit in that case, at which point I wouldn't have to worry about heat or low profile cards. Of course then I'm starting to build my own computers again, which is what I was trying to avoid in the first place...sigh...
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gregawil
March 8, 2010 11:12:47 PM
Hmm, thought I had heard it would fit a few others...thanks for the info. And in the more "great news" department, after installing the PCI fan today, I saved...about three more degrees. So I'm now at 62C idle, 86C at load. *sigh* I give up. Guess I'll just use this card until it blows out. Does anyone have any info on the 8600gt or Radeon 2400 in terms of a. performance boost over a 9400gt and b. heat issues?
Thanks for everyone's help so far!
P.S. One other thing: I currently have the new PCI fan blowing directly on the card. Any thoughts on whether it makes more sense to have it blowing AWAY (i.e. to suck away the hot air...?) or TOWARDS the card? (I'm not sure, for example, if the fan on the card itself blows towards or away from the chip.) Sorry if this is a stupid question.
Thanks for everyone's help so far!
P.S. One other thing: I currently have the new PCI fan blowing directly on the card. Any thoughts on whether it makes more sense to have it blowing AWAY (i.e. to suck away the hot air...?) or TOWARDS the card? (I'm not sure, for example, if the fan on the card itself blows towards or away from the chip.) Sorry if this is a stupid question.
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notty22 said:
Dells are not bad, by the way. No need to degrade your rig
. The 531 ? What cpu do you have,? Mem amount ? Your temps IMO are normal. I have a 8600gt (80nmdie) running in a htpc, 2nd computer in room running TV. Playing a movie on tv+lcd it runs at 66c. 24/7 2 years this way. Doing 3d the core will go 90's. The next die shrink they run cooler and so on.There is a gts250 lowriser card . http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... A 300 watt seasonic ? might be able to run it. Believe it uses the low power 'eco' core. The core on this runs 20% slower than normal versions. That would be a HUGE upgrade.
edit: Read the user reviews there, might be some go info for you, most have slim line Dells
How predictable of notty to recommend a GTS 250 for a 300W PSU.
If you want an upgrade that has about a 100% higher chance of running on your PC then a 5570 is great.
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The 250's power requirements would overwhelm any slimline's PSU, since most top out at like 350W. I'd like an answer to that too gregawil about the graphics card fan too. I upgraded the PSU of my Dimension to an Antec Earthwatts 650 to get a decent graphics card, it has a 120mm fan blowing down directly on my card which is blowing up. But because me 160mm CPU fan is blowing horizontally on my case I reasoned the air would go through the huge air vent on the back of the case. A 2400 is less powerful than a 2400, the 8600 is pretty much on par with a 9400. No heat issues I can think of except that both 2400 and 8600 use a larger fabrication process so generate a little more heat that their fans dissipate. Why would you want to downgrade to those cards? With your pc and case I recommend any low-profile 5570 for you as an upgrade.
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gregawil
March 9, 2010 1:06:18 PM
Ah, okay. I've gotten so confused about the numbering system that I wasn't thinking about those other cards being a downgrade! Based on what you guys have suggested, I'll think about that low-profile 5570 going forward (anyone know anything about the heat situation with that card?). And if anyone has any thoughts about my question about the direction of the fan on the card and whether I should have my other fan blowing towards or away from the card, I'd be grateful for that as well. Thanks to everyone for their help so far!
P.S. Just looked at mister g's post above again, and realized I wasn't clear about something with the mobo--I was wondering if my Inspiron's motherboard would fit in the Dimension's case, not the other way around.
P.S. Just looked at mister g's post above again, and realized I wasn't clear about something with the mobo--I was wondering if my Inspiron's motherboard would fit in the Dimension's case, not the other way around.
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gregawil said:
Ah, okay. I've gotten so confused about the numbering system that I wasn't thinking about those other cards being a downgrade! Based on what you guys have suggested, I'll think about that low-profile 5570 going forward (anyone know anything about the heat situation with that card?). And if anyone has any thoughts about my question about the direction of the fan on the card and whether I should have my other fan blowing towards or away from the card, I'd be grateful for that as well. Thanks to everyone for their help so far!P.S. Just looked at mister g's post above again, and realized I wasn't clear about something with the mobo--I was wondering if my Inspiron's motherboard would fit in the Dimension's case, not the other way around.
The 5570 outputs next to no heat, as it's a small core on a 40 nm process.
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gregawil
March 9, 2010 9:12:43 PM
Idle is 32C, full is 60C.
http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-5570-review/6
http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-5570-review/6
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gregawil
March 9, 2010 9:36:24 PM
Two problems, though: first, I have a 300W Seasonic PSU, which is maximum for this case, and second, my case is a slimline, which means airflow is less than optimal. When running with the side of my case off, which I don't want to do as a regular practice, GPU temp drops by about eight-ten degrees. But you're saying this would run at a cooler temp than my current card to begin with, meaning even in this lousy case it would still run cooler?
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If you need to the slimline has three extra rear i/o plates for other cards, the PCI-e x1, and the two PCIs, you could remove those if your afraid of heat. The Inspiron mobo might fit but Dimension but it's layout won't. Again Dimension is BTX, so the PCi and PCI-e slots will face the top with no holes in the case for them and the USB, audio, and network ports will be in the bottom with no holes to fit into. Only the i/o plates where the graphics cards were supposed to go.
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gregawil
March 10, 2010 1:14:57 AM
Thanks for the info, sabot00--looks like that's definitely the way to go, and I'll probably do it pretty soon. And mister g, I gotcha--wow, how about Dell making upgrade a practical impossibility! I'll keep that in mind the next time.
Here's an odd follow-up question, then: when the time comes, would it make more sense to try to upgrade the CPU in my Inspiron (not even sure how much I could do that with this mobo) or to upgrade it in the Dimension? (This isn't near future planning--I'm getting the 5570 for my Inspiron for that--but longer term.)
Here's an odd follow-up question, then: when the time comes, would it make more sense to try to upgrade the CPU in my Inspiron (not even sure how much I could do that with this mobo) or to upgrade it in the Dimension? (This isn't near future planning--I'm getting the 5570 for my Inspiron for that--but longer term.)
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The Dimension mobo as in mine only goes up to the 6700 cous, core 2 dual or quad not extreme. The Inspiron I read on Dell support forums has problems accepting quad cores, so I would go for an E8600. Though expensive check out speed and cache size. Dell should follow standards now on full towers. With my system Dell reintroduced the standard motherboard plug with mobo's with correct pin layout. The Dimension has been discontinued so its basically obsolete for 3 years now. Go with the Inspiron, though that won't last now that LGA 775 is now old news, so is the G33 chipset
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gregawil
March 10, 2010 2:34:26 AM
sabot00 said:
I would build my own PC, by posting in this forum, asking questions and making observations you are already very well prepared.Check out the homebuilt section for help.
Yeah--unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier I really don't have the time or money to build my own any more (used to do so for a long time), so I have to stick with the easy upgrade route at present, I'm afraid!
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gregawil
March 12, 2010 5:29:55 PM
Okay, so thanks to the spectacular help you guys have given me, I've decided to go ahead and get the 5570. I've narrowed it down to these two:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127481
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121364
Any thoughts on which one of these might be better (company reputation, etc.)?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127481
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121364
Any thoughts on which one of these might be better (company reputation, etc.)?
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gregawil
March 12, 2010 7:12:36 PM
gregawil
March 12, 2010 7:13:48 PM
If it does, that's the way I'd go. In terms of service, I've heard horror stories about all of them, however Asus is the only one I have ever dealt with. I have a Motherboard made by them (going on 5 years now and still in use). A couple years ago it had an issue, which once diagnosed as an real they fixed very quickly and correctly) and it has worked ever since.
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gregawil
March 12, 2010 7:50:32 PM
Quote:
75C full load is fine. I mean itll do. Its still a lil bit too high though. But it wont fry your card.Heh--wish it was 75 full load. After the modifications (new case fan, added PCI fan below the card), I'm at 62-63 idle, 85-86 at full load...and other than keeping the side of the case off, which I'm not interested in doing as a long term thing, it just won't go lower until I get a lower heat card. Happily, everyone tells me that the 5570 is both a lower heat and better card, so that looks like the solution. Will report back and then pick the "best answer," though honestly, a ton of you have given me good advice here!
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gregawil
March 24, 2010 10:18:11 PM
Well, I got an ASUS ATI HD 5570, and thus far am very pleased (though it doesn't seem to play super nicely with Hibernate, but that may be an issue with the Windows 7 upgrade I did too). The video quality is much better, of course, but beyond that the temps are considerably lower, as promised--now at about 52C idle, 65C at load, with the fan running at about 20%. I might try seeing if I can find a control program to speed up the fan a bit and drop the temps even further, maybe into the mid forties idle and mid fifties at load. Any suggestions on which program to use (SpeedFan doesn't seem to have that option)?
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Best solution
gregawil
March 25, 2010 1:46:39 AM
EXT64 said:
It should be in Catalyst Control Center. Go to the overdrive tab, "unlock" your card, and there you can force it to a single speed. If you want fan profiles you'll have to get a better program. However, 52 idle and 65 load is not bad at all.Well, I just installed the latest Catalyst Control Center, and while I can "unlock" the card in the Overdrive tab, there is no Enable Manual Fan Control button (which the help suggests I click). I see an AutoTune button, GPU and Memory clock setting sliders, and a Test Custom Clocks button...those are the only interactive items on that tab. Any thoughts?
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gregawil
March 25, 2010 2:13:20 AM
Yep, and in fact Rivatuner and MSI Afterburner have the fan controls greyed out, so I suspect I'm not able to control it. But since people seem to be saying that the temps are fine, I think I will leave it at that. Thanks to everyone for their help--I'm going to pick EXT, even though lots and lots of people here gave me great advice (if I could I would pick three or four!). Thanks again.
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gregawil
March 25, 2010 2:15:10 AM
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