Graphics card overheats when playing games

[Phylar]

Well as the title states my graphics card likes to overheat very very quickly when playing pretty much any games.

I have checked to make sure the fan is still running and it is still running at a fair speed. Thinking perhaps it was basic software issue I physically checked the card and sure enough it is very hot. Hot enough that I can't keep my fingers on it for too long.

I have Piriform Speccy running and I've noticed that just after or just before the forced shutdown occurs my card is hitting the 200 *F range which of course throws up a million different [!] points. Checking Speccy I find that simple mundane tasks such as this allow the card to cool to around 150F or approx. 66C. My graphics card is a ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT. I am running
~MS Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit SP2.
~CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ [Windsor 90nm Technology] (this is running at around 100F atm)
~3.0 Dual-Channel DDR2 RAM at 326 MHz [5-5-5-15]
~ECS Nettle2 (Socket M2) Motherboard
~One 500GB Seagate ST350032 0AS SCSI HDD
~Other basic Optical and Audio drivers..~

Crossfire for my ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT is disabled (not sure that it would matter). The core voltage is 1.050V etc etc etc.

The normal room temperature is around 70F though there is always a fan on of some sort to circulate air. All fans in the tower are running, optimum speeds I do not know. Ah and one last thing I did just download and install new drivers for the graphics card though I believe I was having this problem BEFORE those drivers were even downloaded.

If any more information is needed please state so specifically..I am not bad with software but I've always been a bit blind when it comes to hardware.

Thanks alot

 

[Phylar]

Pardon the double post:

UPDATE: Alright I removed my 2600XT and replaced it with my old GeForce 6800. Though (obviously) everything runs a bit more slowly I am finding that the card is not overheating. Right now I have a game running and two windows and am finding my card to be sitting at 128F. Respectable though not remarkable. I still wish to know what may have been wrong with my other Graphics Card. I find it very interesting in the sense that one day it was working within parameters and the next it starts overheating (even after cleaning) and starts forced shutdowns though only when stressed.

Thanks again for any help ^_^

 

[Lmeow]

Maybe it's been slowly and slowly warming up. Try upping the fan speed, or downloading the latest Catalyst drivers.

 

[Phylar]

The latest Catalyst drivers have been downloaded (was forced to when I started up this new game). As for the fan speed it is at the exact same threshold it used to be at. What baffles me is just how quickly it goes from 150 to 200F. Under 30min certainly.