[Kodiak] Graphics Card Overheating Question

edited July 2001 in General Discussion

Comments

  • edited December 1969
    Hi,

    My computer has been crashing a lot whenever I try to play Quake3/NOLF/... anything 3D rendered. I've tracked this down to my graphics card (a Geforce2 GTS Pro) overheating.

    The temperatute sensor software shows the temperature in the card spiking up towards 67/68 degrees Celsius when I 3D render, which is just below the 70 degree "critical temperature" that the software warns me about.

    The current fan situation is:
    - power supply fan, blowing air out
    - small fan on CPU (1GHz Athlon)
    - small fan on some motherboard component, which I can't identify
    - small fan on graphics card

    I've started the computer with the side off, and confirmed that all of these fans do start up.

    Is it reasonable, given these fans, that the card would be overheating? I've never had this sort of problem in my Mac, but the Athlon puts out a lot more heat than either my 604e or G3 did, and the GeForce2 almost certainly produces more heat than my Voodoo3 did. Or does this imply some problem with the card?

    There is a spot a little bit above the graphics card where another fan could be mounted. My thought was to mount a fan there. I believe the correct orientation would be to have it pull in air, so I could get flow through the case. Is this a reasonable idea?

    Thank you for any advice.

    - Kodiak
  • edited December 1969
    Re: Graphics Card Overheating Question

    Hmm, well I can't really help you with the fan questions (tho that one you "can't identify" on the mobo is probably over the northbridge. It's a memory bridge. gets hot =) and hey, another fan prolly cant hurt =) ), but I was having crashing problems with NOLF and counter-strike and EQ, heck everything, when I first got my box. I originally thought it was overheating too... But eventually I tracked the problem to a cheap ISA sound card. Once I installed a brand new Soundblaster 128 PCI, all my crashing problems went away. So of course I'm going to ask,

    what kind of sound card do you have?

    ~Blackbeard
    Hi,

    My computer has been crashing a lot whenever I try to play
    Quake3/NOLF/... anything 3D rendered. I've tracked this down to
    my graphics card (a Geforce2 GTS Pro) overheating.

    The temperatute sensor software shows the temperature in the
    card spiking up towards 67/68 degrees Celsius when I 3D render,
    which is just below the 70 degree "critical
    temperature" that the software warns me about.

    The current fan situation is:
    - power supply fan, blowing air out
    - small fan on CPU (1GHz Athlon)
    - small fan on some motherboard component, which I can't
    identify
    - small fan on graphics card

    I've started the computer with the side off, and confirmed that
    all of these fans do start up.

    Is it reasonable, given these fans, that the card would be
    overheating? I've never had this sort of problem in my Mac, but
    the Athlon puts out a lot more heat than either my 604e or G3
    did, and the GeForce2 almost certainly produces more heat than
    my Voodoo3 did. Or does this imply some problem with the card?

    There is a spot a little bit above the graphics card where
    another fan could be mounted. My thought was to mount a fan
    there. I believe the correct orientation would be to have it
    pull in air, so I could get flow through the case. Is this a
    reasonable idea?

    Thank you for any advice.

    - Kodiak
  • edited December 1969
    Re: Graphics Card Overheating Question
    Hmm, well I can't really help you with the fan questions (tho
    that one you "can't identify" on the mobo is probably
    over the northbridge. It's a memory bridge. gets hot =) and hey,
    another fan prolly cant hurt =) ), but I was having crashing
    problems with NOLF and counter-strike and EQ, heck everything,
    when I first got my box. I originally thought it was overheating
    too... But eventually I tracked the problem to a cheap ISA sound
    card. Once I installed a brand new Soundblaster 128 PCI, all my
    crashing problems went away. So of course I'm going to ask,
    Given the symptoms, I'm extremely confident it's the graphics card. But, I'm always open to other ideas.
    what kind of sound card do you have?
    Soundblaster Live! Value PCI

    Should be okay.

    - Kodiak
  • edited December 1969
    ya...

    Ok, prolly some kinda overheating. Have you tried different video drives? could be a software problem. I'm pretty worthless for fixing a hardware problem tho. good luck =) try opening your case and blowing a big desk fan directly onto your vid card while you play 3d stuff, see if that helps at all ;) if it does, then you prolly are overheatin.

    yeah, back to work!

    ~Blackbeard
    Given the symptoms, I'm extremely confident it's the graphics
    card. But, I'm always open to other ideas.

    Soundblaster Live! Value PCI

    Should be okay.

    - Kodiak
  • edited December 1969
    Can I assume...

    Hailz!

    .....that you have opened the case and "reset" every card and connector to assure that all cards and cables are FULLY seated?

    Many times, during shipment, parts can vibrate out just a tad... and then all sorts of wierd things happen.

    Also, do you have the LATEST Detonator drivers for the vid card... 3D games often crash without them.

    Most vid cards will/can run hot without farking up... If it really gets too hot... they burn out and some "fookiness" appears on the monitor. That tells you to ask for a warranty replacement. :)

    Also, reinstalling DiRectX8.0a After ANY DRIVER UPDATES.. is extremely important. And, sometimes, 're-installing' it twice in a row helps.

    Happy hunting.

    N8
  • edited December 1969
    My heat problem

    I had pretty consistent problems with Diablo II crashing back in C Springs, especially when I first installed it. Some of these were truly nasty full on, keyboard disabling lock ups that I couldn't do a thing about. This was complicated by the fact that Diablo II would also crash, more recoverably, when I disconn'd from my unstable ISP. Updated drivers and such offered no change.

    Figured it was a heat problem, so I popped off the case right after a crash and felt around in there; the only thing unusually hot (To my rough examination) was the bay where the CD drive was sitting. Subsequent tests revealed that when the CD spun at full speed for a long time, as it does when you're sitting in a channel on battle.net, the damn thing got insanely hot. Much hotter than the cooling tower on the processor. It sits right above and forward of the motherboard exacerbating the incredible heat problem that all the Aths have already. Also having the case off allowed me to hear the click when the modem disconn'd and thereby differentiate between the crashes.

    For awhile I kept a big four or five inch external fan blowing on it at an angle away from the mobo, this helped substantially. Eventually, once we moved here to Atlanta, I was able to put it in a position of superior ventilation and the heat crashes have run their course (Along with a more stable ISP making disconnections much rarer I crash far, far less often). I keep the fan sitting there just in case I ever stick my hand down there and find the thing boiling while I'm chatting on b.net, but essentially the problem is fixed. If nothing else trying out a large fan with the case open will verify whether or not your problem is heat related.

    The other thing I also did was rearrange the wires inside the case to allow better venting, but then I bought an off the shelf HP box; they may be better arranged in your box. I'm concerned that when I get the new vid card I've been wanting for ahwile that the problem will crop up again, but for now it's solved.

    If you leave the case open the direction the fan runs (If you add a small fan) won't matter, just the actual flow of air. This is what I'd advise. I think I recall you having a cat/cats, I've never had a problem with them getting near it even when it's shut down; either the smell or the human unhearable sounds traumatize cause them to avoid it entirely. All the other logical precautions apply to leaving it open; i.e. magnets, nearby phones, clear of walkspaces, etc. ;-)

    Ramses II
  • edited December 1969
    Re: Graphics Card Overheating Question
    Soundblaster Live! Value PCI
    I had some problems with that card and Tribes 2, and from what I read, I wasn't alone. I *think* I fixed the problem by upgrading my drivers, but I'm not sure.

    I've got a PIII 1GHz, fwiw.

    Good luck.
  • edited December 1969
    Re: ya...
    Ok, prolly some kinda overheating. Have you tried different
    video drives? could be a software problem. I'm pretty worthless
    for fixing a hardware problem tho. good luck =) try opening your
    case and blowing a big desk fan directly onto your vid card
    while you play 3d stuff, see if that helps at all ;) if it does,
    then you prolly are overheatin.
    Opening the case and aiming a fan at the card keeps the video card at a relatively cool 51 Celsius. This lets me play indefinitely without locking up, so it's nailed down that this is overheating. I don't want to always have to externally cool my machine, so I'm going to try the second internal fan as soon as I can track one down.

    Thank you everyone for your help!

    - Kodiak
  • edited December 1969
    When you install the fan..

    ...if you have the new one blowing in the opposite direction, make sure they're on opposite ends of the case, otherwise it will just make things worse than they already are. If it has to be on the same side of the case as the current one, you want them blowing in the same direction.

    If after reading this you're thinking "duh", then my appologies ;)

    -Mori
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