GPU 6950 Temps

[zelzie]

Hi guys im just new here, I would like to know if the temps of GPU will change if I increase the resolution of my games, for example, I'm playing Crysis right now at 1440x900 and I am experiencing an average temp of 70 to 80 degrees at maximum settings, if I changed my resolution to 1920x1200 will the temp increase or it won't change?

Any info will be greatly appreciated. By the way, I'm residing in the Philippines.

Specs:
Core I3 3220
8gb Kingston Ram
HD6950 Powercolor (Dual Fan)
VS650 Corsair PSU
AeroCool Strike Xgt Case

 

[DTHPWN]

Pushing the resolution higher and keeping the same video settings will push the card harder and likely push up your temps a bit, depending on the cooling efficiency of your GPU and case. You don't really want to go much higher than 80-90 degrees on any GPU, so if you can't keep your temps below that after playing for a couple of hours, you might want to either reduce your settings or reduce your resolution. Another option is to replace the thermal compound on the GPU's heatsink with something like Arctic Silver 5, and that should help keep your temps down as well.

 

[zelzie]

Pushing the resolution higher and keeping the same video settings will push the card harder and likely push up your temps a bit, depending on the cooling efficiency of your GPU and case. You don't really want to go much higher than 80-90 degrees on any GPU, so if you can't keep your temps below that after playing for a couple of hours, you might want to either reduce your settings or reduce your resolution. Another option is to replace the thermal compound on the GPU's heatsink with something like Arctic Silver 5, and that should help keep your temps down as well.

Thanks for the response, also, what is the safest full load temp of hd 6950? I'm also worried because my idle temp is around 45 to 48 degrees, is it safe?

 

[DTHPWN]

That's not abnormal...depending on the ambient temp of the room and your case, 30-50ish C is fine. Idle temp isn't really a concern though. Running your GPU at full load for several hours will be the best way to determine if your cooling system is good enough. If I recall correctly, without too much research, somewhere between 90-100 C is about max for this GPU. Get a benchmark/burn in tool - "Heaven" is the best IMO - and use the highest settings at your native resolution (just select "Extreme", then switch it to custom and set the resolution to match your monitor; windowed, not full screen). Run a few benchmark tests first to get an idea of what your temps will be like when you push the GPU that hard. Then just let it run for a few hours, checking on it here and there. It will display your FPS, Core clock and Memory clock speeds, and core temp on the screen as it runs. As long as you are staying below 90 C or so, you are fine. Keep in mind that this will PUSH your GPU hard, so you should not expect to see these kinds of temps running most games. If you do, it might be time to consider the thermal compound replacement, more/faster fans in your case, or a new case altogether.