Is my graphics card overheating?
By
Fulmens,
Posted on: 2012-03-15 05:49 in ALL ACCESS Gameplay Technical Issues Bugs
Doing a little simple wattage calculation and yeah, you could be *just* exceeding 100% rating on the PSU.
On a slightly older system, even pushing into the 90-95% range could yield this kind of behavior.
You've probably gotten away with it this long because the PSU was just good enough to deal with long periods of near-max utilization. But, as the components aged, and you've beat on the system more and more...
One other thing. When was the last time you opened the case up and cleaned it out?
Clicking on the linked image above will take you off the City of Heroes site. However, the guides will be linked back here.
Yeah in systems that are pushing the limits all you need is a few degrees of extra temperature or a few watts of power fluctuation to spell the difference between working and not working.
The Nvidia 9800GT was a good card but it's certainly not the newest card out there and if you're trying to get it to handle Ultra mode on two displays you've probably been red-lining it all along. You might be lucky that you got 6 months of use out of it at that level of system stress.
Not really sure there's much you can do other than maybe throw more cooling on it to keep it going. The obvious solution of course is to upgrade your system, but of course that depends on whether you can (or want) to spend the money on it.
Loth 50 Fire/Rad Controller [1392 Badges] [300 non-AE Souvenirs]
Ryver 50 Ele� Blaster [1392 Badges]
Silandra 50 Peacebringer [1138 Badges] [No Redside Badges]
--{=====> Virtue ♀
Thanks to both Hyperstrike and Lothic so far!
Quote:
Good point, that would be approx 6 months ago when I installed the graphics card.|
Originally Posted by Hyperstrike
One other thing. When was the last time you opened the case up and cleaned it out?
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Lothic
The Nvidia 9800GT was a good card but it's certainly not the newest card out there and if you're trying to get it to handle Ultra mode on two displays you've probably been red-lining it all along. You might be lucky that you got 6 months of use out of it at that level of system stress. |
I've ran the Speedfan tool (Thanks Manny, for pointing me in the right direction, and making me post in the correct forum). Unfortunatly I could not get it to read the voltage but running without ultra mode enabled, the temprature was steady at 75* C, but as soon as I enable Ultra mode the temprature jumped to about 84* C and then steadily continued to rise until the screens blacked out at about 96* C (I guess there is a fail safe switch on the graphics card?)
So would it help to get a bigger PSU? (aka is that the issue?) And how much Watt should it take to make my graphics card comftorble?
I have not the strongest knowledge of hardware (software are more my thing), so what should I look for in a fitting PSU? (Compatiblity and all that)
Thanks guys
Team Tios
Defiant to the last!
Quote:
That would be your graphics driver failing and resetting due to overheating. The screen goes blank and then comes back up(sometimes doesn't until restart).|
Originally Posted by Sulfur_Tios_EU
I've ran the Speedfan tool (Thanks Manny, for pointing me in the right direction, and making me post in the correct forum). Unfortunatly I could not get it to read the voltage but running without ultra mode enabled, the temprature was steady at 75* C, but as soon as I enable Ultra mode the temprature jumped to about 84* C and then steadily continued to rise until the screens blacked out at about 96* C (I guess there is a fail safe switch on the graphics card?)
|
(Edit: Yes sadly, I had this happen before with this very computer that now works perfectly, aside from rare driver resets due to only CoH and their crappy coded engine.)
You want to keep the GPU under 70C; 80C is pushing danger and 100C is meltdown(212F, boiling point of water, so that's "toasty").
1) This could be the card failing, but not likely. It definitely will lead to failure if the heat is not managed though.
2) Nvidia cards have trouble ramping up their onboard fan to cool the GPU. This may be fixed with newer drivers, but it still waits until it heats up higher to ramp it up.
I solved this issue on my own computer with 2 things.
1) Turn down the settings some. It's better to sacrifice ultra mode than to overheat and have to buy new hardware.
Even my GTX 465 can only barely run ultra mode(at not quite full tilt settings) at 30 fps(using /maxfps 30, command in game to reduce the load from trying to go higher) smoothly. I turned it even lower(ultra off) to run at 60 fps and it still looks great.
2) Use this program direct from Nvidia to manually set your fan speed on your GPU to at least 65%, but monitor it and crank it higher(it will no longer automatically do it, unless maybe you get even more technical into the software) if your temps push 70C while gaming:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/nvidia-...08-driver.html
That program will provide you with a "Performance" program that you can open and click, on the left, on "performance-device settings" to set the "cooling" option to manual and choose the speed. Click apply to set it in the lower right.
I think that will work for your card.
The program can also be used for overclocking, but it works fine for just simply setting the fan speed.
Edit:
CCleaner helps as well as deactivating unnecessary programs and graphics load(such as Aero in Windows 7). Run CCleaner weekly and defrag every month, or less if you install something or patch the game.
Quote:
Disconnect the system from power, pop the sides and any filters and blast that sucker out with compressed air.|
Originally Posted by Sulfur_Tios_EU
Good point, that would be approx 6 months ago when I installed the graphics card.
|
You're probably sporting a nice insulation layer of dust in there.
Quote:
| I've ran the Speedfan tool (Thanks Manny, for pointing me in the right direction, and making me post in the correct forum). Unfortunatly I could not get it to read the voltage but running without ultra mode enabled, the temprature was steady at 75* C, but as soon as I enable Ultra mode the temprature jumped to about 84* C and then steadily continued to rise until the screens blacked out at about 96* C (I guess there is a fail safe switch on the graphics card?) |
Quote:
| So would it help to get a bigger PSU? (aka is that the issue?) And how much Watt should it take to make my graphics card comftorble? |
What you need is more airflow on/around the video card.
You could add more case fans, or something like this.
Clicking on the linked image above will take you off the City of Heroes site. However, the guides will be linked back here.
I would also like to add that dust is a REALLY GOOD INSULATOR. If you vacuum your apartment/house it tends to make it even worse; it kicks up the dust which makes your computer into a secondary cleaning device.
My current computer is pretty much cooked because of a terrible grate design which clogs up with dust REALLY fast. I know, all fan grates and fan blades get dusty eventually, but I would clean mine, look at my wife's fans and computer interior and... hers was impeccable.
People of earth: Clean your computers.
Edit: That's what I get for posting from work; scooped by Hyperstrike.
Mini-guides: Force Field Defenders, Blasters, Market Self-Defense, Frankenslotting.
So you think you're a hero, huh.
@Boltcutter in game.
Quote:
So so so so true. Just checked the inside of the computer, and it seemed nice and clean at first, even the fans looked nice, then I checked the case, and between the ventilator opening of the inner and outer casing I found a very thick layer of insulator. After I cleaned it and turned it back on, I knew straight away that I had found the issue. The dust must have worked as an sound insulator as well, because the fan powered up like I almost thought it was the vacuum cleaner starting |
Originally Posted by Hyperstrike
Disconnect the system from power, pop the sides and any filters and blast that sucker out with compressed air.
You're probably sporting a nice insulation layer of dust in there. |
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Hyperstrike
Okay, 75 is "kinda" high. 84 is nuts. The fact that the video card is conking (more or less safely) at 96 is... |
Thanks to all of you for helping out and great thanks to you Hyperstrike for pointing me in the direction of some spring cleaning
Team Tios
Defiant to the last!
Hi folks
As of yesterday, my COH client seem to be unable to run in ultra mode. Running with ultra mode disabled the client seem to run fine (only tested for about an our) but every time I turn on ultra mode (no matter how low the settings it seems), after a couple of minutes, both monitors just goes black, and I have to reboot with the power button.
The graphics card is a Nvidia 9800GT I bought for approx. 6 months ago, and I have ran ultra mode a lot (except when multi boxing) and there has been no problems. I had, funny enough, downloaded but not installed the latest Nvidia driver 296.10, earlier on the day. I tried to install it but that did not help the issue.
I'm a bit worried that the graphics card is overheating due to lack of insufficient power supply (375 W), but wonder at the same time, why this would first show up now.
My rig is Dell Dimension 9200 , with dual core 2.1 ghz, 4 gb ram running windows vista.
I have run COH daily since I22, so that cant be the problem.
I don't want to lose my ability to play in Ultra mode so any help would be much appreciated.
If any more information is need please let me know, and how to get it.
Team Tios
Defiant to the last!