Video Card Fan

Technology and Gaming Help and Support
#1

Hey all,

I just got a new EVGA GeForce 9800 GT, and put it in my computer, updated all the drivers, etc. Since I upgraded to that from a GeForce 7300 LE, I got a massive fps gain over my old card.

One thing I’ve noticed, though is that the fan on this card makes a lot of noise. The amount of noise itself doesn’t worry/bother me in anyway.

I just wanted to ask if the fan running is just what the card does when it actually starts working, and that it’s nothing to worry about, or that it’s activating because the card is getting too hot. I don’t want to let it overheat, and according to the help file in the Nvidia control panel, they removed the temperature monitor, so I have no idea what the card’s temperature is at idle, and under a load.

Thanks in advance.

#2

Your video card uses fan rules. As the GPU heats up the fan speed goes up. There is a point where when the GPU reaches a certain temperature the fan speed will run at a steady 100%. You can set the fan speed manually in riva tuner, or nTune. What I would do is run RTHRDIBL for a good few hours and set the fan at a level where it isn’t too loud, but keeps the GPU at a reasonable temperature. If set to about 70% and running RTHDRIBL for a couple hours the temperature remains constant and reasonable you get set fan speed to run at that so that it doesn’t bother you.
It’s hard to say because I don’t know what cooler you have. The single slot cooler 9800GT cards out there tend to have louder fans because they have to work harder than the dual slot coolers.

#3

I know a kid that drapes his computer in ice packs and points two house fans at it at all times, just because.

#4

I replaced the default cooler with a watercooler.
solves all your noise and temperature problems.
( default, idle: 60°C
watercooler, idle: 40°C
default, load: 90°C - 110°C
watercooler, load: 50°C - 60°C )

#5

Okay, I’ll try that.

As for the cooler, the computer is a Dell Dimension E520, which has the PCI-E x16 slot at the top of the expansion bays. A single slot card is the only way to go for the computer, not to mention that the heatsink in Dell’s are massive.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130435

That is the card.

#6

With a single slot cooler that card is almost always going to be be a bit loud.

#7

I don’t mind the fact that it makes noise, I just want to be sure that the card doesn’t overheat.

I just wasn’t sure that the fan being as loud as it is is a sign that the card is getting too hot, or if it’s just something that happens when the card is put under a load.

#8

When the card is put under load, it gets hotter, so the fan speeds up to prevent it getting too hot. You’re not going to discern from listening to it whether you card is just being used to it’s fullest potential or is overheating. Use some software or drivers that let you monitor the temperature if you want to, you know, know the temperature.

#9

rivatuner is good for temperature monitoring

#10

He’s not overclocking.
GPUz is probably all he would need.

#11

yeah, but gpuz has no onscreen display afaik

#12

Well, I installed nTune. The card’s idle temp. is 40* Celcius, and then I played S.T.A.L.K.E.R. for roughly 40 minutes to an hour, checked the temperature again, and it was 71* Celcius.

#13

You mean this?

#14

Also, the GPU fan is set to automatic, as well.

Are those temps safe for this card?

#15

no, I mean an onscreen display, where you can see the values while playing

yes

#16

Okay, thank you.

Good to know it’s not overheating.

I might get a fan for it if I can get one at Best Buy or something, though, since fans are cheap.

#17

Yeah the 8800GT/9800GT single slot coolers are very loud. I’ve had my 8800GT since December 07 and recently have been thinking whether or not I should upgrade the cooler. But I may as well get a quieter dual slot card soon.

#18

I would, but that’s not an option for me, the PCI-E 2.0 x16 slot is at the very top of the expansion bays at the back of the computer.

I bought an EVGA GTX 260 before, and it didn’t fit, because of the combination of the expansion bay slots, and the fact that Dell stock computers have absolutely massive heatsinks.

#19

Download nTune from nVidia’s website.

Install

Go to Adjust GPU Options (or whatever it is)

Change fan settings to manual, set to 100%.

Success.

#20

if I open ntune, my CPU fan stops rotating

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