5870 ultra high idle

[J-Money]

I have an Asus EAH5870 V2 and it idles at 70 degrees celcius. Yes SEVENTY.

This is with fan on auto which runs it at 21% until temps go higher. I do have two monitors connected so it downclocks to 400/1200 when not in 3D mode, but still everything says it should be like 40-50.

Strangest thing is, it only runs up to 83 degress celcius max load using Furmark, so it doesn't seem to be a cooler problem.

I do have a high ambient, probably 26-28 degress, but I didn't think that'd cause it to run like 20-30 degrees higher than everyone else at idle?

I could probably use another intake fan for my comp (have 2 120mm already though) but still SEVENTY? This is in a Coolermaster CM 690 case, and my CPU (i5-2500k overclocked to 4.8) doesn't have a temp problem, so I don't think it's that (high 30s idle, ~72 on IBT / Prime 95).

On the plus side it is silent until under load!

Any ideas?

EDIT: This site has ambient close to the same, and loads are failry close, but they are idling 30 degress lower: http://www.techreaction.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Temps-Case.jpg

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

Maybe your temp monitoring program isn't working properly.

 

[Ghiedo27]

Doesn't reduced temp variation improve the life of video cards? It looks like you're well within spec, too. I don't think it throttles until 100c or so. You're probably better off with tight temps than a 25c idle that ramps up to 70c under load. That might be why the auto fan control is so conservative.

 

[peonyu]

70c for a gpu is nothing. 90c is where it is high, if it is at 100c under load then you have a issue. But if it is at 70c idle and hits 80-90c at load than dont worry about it.


Besides that, the reason it is idling at 70c could be a myriad of reasons. Perhaps your cooling in your case is poor, so your ambient temp is high. Or its just a poor HS/F combo.

 

[alcoholbob]

My idle temp was about ~63C with multi-monitor. But that's in a case with 4lbs of dynamat, sitting in a closet.

I assume either the program you are using is borked or you have similar or worse conditions than my GPU is enduring.

 

[J-Money]

I tried a few programs (CCC, GPU-Z, HWMonitor) and all show same temp, and the air coming out feels pretty hot.

My only guess is the fan pulling air into the comp at the bottom just isn't cutting it leading to a high ambient for the GPU.

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

I tried a few programs (CCC, GPU-Z, HWMonitor) and all show same temp, and the air coming out feels pretty hot.

My only guess is the fan pulling air into the comp at the bottom just isn't cutting it leading to a high ambient for the GPU.

Yea but thats the temp my 5850 tops out at at full load. Something isnt right.

 

[peonyu]

I tried a few programs (CCC, GPU-Z, HWMonitor) and all show same temp, and the air coming out feels pretty hot.

My only guess is the fan pulling air into the comp at the bottom just isn't cutting it leading to a high ambient for the GPU.

You do seem to have very high ambient temps, if you post your CPU idle temp it would be easy to verify it. I re read your post and if it tops out at 83c under load in Furmark then you have very tight temps differences going on. But 83c isn't going to hurt your card at all in the long run, I bet it would last 5+ years at that temp.

The real issue is your other system components including your HD which dont handle high temps very well, a high ambient temp effects everything in the case so those components are running hot aswell.

You should look into adding a side case fan to your system, you can make the hole yourself with a dremel, or if you dont have one just drill holes very close to each other in the side of the case and punch the hole out [it does work]. Then drill the 4 holes to screw the fan in. Use the fan you want to put in the side as the "template" for how big the hole is going to be...I did the same to my case a few years back and it dropped ambient temps by 15c. 1 intake fan was just not cutting it.

For reference, my case is in a cabinet with a side fan and a bottom intake fan, my 6950 idles at 50c and with furmark at load hits 84c.
Cpu idles at 50c [I think my ambient is still to high tbh].

 

[amenx]

What happens when you disconnect one of the monitors?

 

[J-Money]

My ambient isn't bad inside the case. CPU idles at only 38 and it's a i5-2500k running at 4.8GHZ with 1.36 core.

I added a side fan, only dropped it by about 3 degress.

I did find with just one monitor it dropped all the way to 50, so it seems the dual monitors was adding a lot of heat, plus I think the stock 21% fan was just under what it needed.

So by moving one monitor to my IGPU on my Z68 motherboard, making a custom fan profile which runs it at 25% (still silent) until higher loads I got the idle down to 42 which is much more acceptable.