The hottest part of a graphics card is its central processor or GPU, this, like all silicon-based semiconductors, is designed to operate smoothly in temperatures below 100 degrees, however it It is with 80 degrees that it starts to have problems due to overheating and that is why most graphics chips gradually lower their clock speed once they reach certain temperatures and even voltage.
However, a GPU can overheat due to the fact that its cooling system has stopped working properly and therefore does not release heat fast enough.
Dry or cracked thermal paste
As with CPUs, manufacturers put thermal paste on graphics cards to help dissipate the heat produced by the GPU. So at some point it will finish fulfilling its function, so it will be necessary to reapply thermal paste from time to time, for this it will be necessary to disassemble the heat sink from the graphics card, which is not really a secret to To do . Of course, try to reassemble the entire graphics card cooling system correctly, things like a lame part, for example, can lead to malfunctions later on.
Do not change the thermal paste for a liquid metal paste, even if it manages to get a certain degree more, the manufacturers make no warranty due to the electrical transfer produced by static electricity from the air from the fans to the heat sink and from this to the matrix because it is the electrically conductive paste by its composition.
Fans are not spinning properly.
The function of the fans is twofold, on the one hand, to bring in air at a lower temperature from the outside to maintain a stable operating temperature for the components of the graphics card. On the other hand, its role is to expel the hot air that has been dissipated by the radiator to the outside.
Graphics card manufacturers often bring hardware that not only lets you control the fan speed, but also adjusts it as needed. The operation is simple, as the temperature emitted by the GPU increases, the number of revolutions per minute of the fans increases to accelerate the air circulation. If a fan suddenly stops working, lower temperature air will not flow in, higher temperature air will not flow out, or both at the same time.
El problema de los problems de medición de la temperatura en la que se basan estas aplicaciones suelen tener en cuenta los datos otorgados por el termómetro dentro o cercano a la GPU, pero no tienen en cuenta elementos como la RAM de vídeo y la circuiterie de alimentación for it. What do we recommend? Never turn off the fans and let the fans run at 30% of their rotation speed at a temperature close to 35°C.
Fan cleaning and lubrication
We don’t need to tell you that periodic maintenance of the graphics card includes cleaning the fans, so when you take apart the graphics card to replace the paste and thermal pads, be sure to also clean the dust accumulated in the fan blades, maybe this is why they don’t spin as fast as expected. Additionally, this dust increases heat retention, being one of the reasons your GPU overheats.
If we are do-it-yourselfers, we can disassemble the fan from its casing and lubricate it with ceramic grease for bearings, Tamiya type, which is molybdenum-based and resists friction by displacing humidity and dust.
Rigid thermal pads in poor condition
The types of memory used for graphics cards are the most consuming of all those on the market, and the greater the amount of data transmitted, the more energy it consumes and therefore more heat. This is one of the reasons why a GPU overheats. It is therefore important to keep the VRAM cool. Fortunately, the vast majority of graphics card manufacturers use heatsinks and cooling systems that cover all circuits.
While in GPU we have thermal paste to help with cooling, in VRAM so called thermal pads are usually used. The problem? There have been several models in which the thermal pads were of lower quality and, therefore, with lower heat dissipation capacity. So from time to time you are not limited to changing only the thermal paste of the GPU, but also the thermal pads of the VRAM.
We recommend it especially if you bought a used card today, because it could be from a mining farm. The reason? They overclock the VRAM to get more performance and that’s why we recommend replacing them as soon as you get the card.
Check VRM Pads
Another part in which the thermal pads are important is in the VRM and other elements responsible for distributing energy to the various electronic systems of the graphics card, which will overheat when we overclock. In this case we give you the same advice as with the video memory, be sure to replace the thermal pads from time to time and that they are in contact with the cooling system of the graphics card.
undervoltage
A graphics card with its GPU running at 2 GHz and a voltage of 1.2 V will operate in the same way as the same model at the same speed but at 1 V of consumption. The advantage? It will consume less, and with it, it will generate less heat, so if you can safely under-power your graphics card, do so, as it will give it a longer lifespan.
The downside of undervolting is that the peak or boost speeds it can reach will be much lower, but in return you will see how the GPU overheats less at normal operating speeds. Of course, be sure to use the graphics card manufacturer’s tools designed for this and not to exceed the specified voltages. The trick with undervoltage is to get the sweet spot between the voltage and the right clock speed.
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