8800 GT Problem

[tommyb1988]

Hi there,

I've started to have a major problem with my 8800GT lately. While playing Trackmania (the only game I really play) my computer started hanging with a black screen after playing for 15/20 minutes. So I downloaded NVidia Monitor and RivaTuner to check the temperatures. It turns out under full load the GPU can get to 130 degrees celsius!! Im thinking this must be way too hot. The fan is set to 100% (196 RPM, seems slow?). Heres some info from RivaTuner:

NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT / Generic PnP Monitor
256-bit G92 (A2, 112sp) with 512MB DDR3

Core Clck \ ROP domain: 601.71MHz
Core Clock\ shader domain: 1512.00 MHz
Memory clock: 900.00 MHz
Core temperature (idle): 98.00 degrees CELSIUS

 

[chocobaR]

That is really hot! 100% fan speed and 130°C is not normal. Have you physically checked the fan to see if it really is spinning? If it really is at 100%, you will easily hear it spin.

EDIT: For a comparison, my GTS is at 30%, going at 500 RPM.

 

[tommyb1988]

Mmmmk i'm starting to think its not spinning as RivaTuner reports fan speed of 0 RPM?? Yet nvidia monitor reports 196RPM. I'll do an acoustic test now, see if I can hear it.

Thanks for the quick reply btw!

Edit: I can hear no difference in fan sound from 0% to 100%, not a good sign. It is manually set to 100% fan duty cycle at low-level and high-level. I changed the drivers for the card about a week ago, could this be the problem?

 

[chocobaR]

Open your case and look at it.

 

[tommyb1988]

Ok so i don't really want to open up my case unless i need to (void warranty etc.). Is there a way to easily roll back my drivers to check if this is the problem?

 

[Throckmorton]

Opening your case voids the warranty??

At that temperature I'd expect damage to be done. Get it serviced under the warranty and hope they replace the card.

 

[Lithan]

He doesnt mean the fan casing he means take the side off your atx case and look at the damn thing.

 

[BlueAcolyte]

196 RPM is absolutely nothing. That is a serious problem. take a look at it and replace it if possible, or void the damn warranty and get a better cooler.

 

[error8]

Originally posted by: Lithan
He doesnt mean the fan casing he means take the side off your atx case and look at the damn thing.

There are system that are sealed and so when you open the case the seal gets broken and the warranty is gone. I don't know if there are PCs like this in USA but in Europe these are very common. The warranty is for the entire system, not for every component in part. So I assume that he has one of those PCs. To bad for him though, he has to take the whole PC to the place he bought from.

 

[Lithan]

Then take it to the shop? If you can't open it without voiding the warranty, and won't void the warranty, why not use the warranty. There's not much we can tell you that will fix an overheating problem.

 

[angry hampster]

Send the card back and use WHQL approved drivers only. However, the latest Betas work fine on my BFG.

130*C is dangerous not only to your card but it is going to drastically heat up the rest of the components. Anything above 80*C is dangerous IMHO.

 

[BrownMofo]

Opening a case doesn't void a warranty with any computer company I've ever heard of.

 

[Pelu]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Opening your case voids the warranty??

At that temperature I'd expect damage to be done. Get it serviced under the warranty and hope they replace the card.

yeah sometimes it void warranty...

 

[Pelu]

sometimes the fans stop working.... the best thing to do is to fix that right away... either by RMA or a homemade replacement...

but plz dont use that computer if the fan isnt working... you got a cooker there...

100c boils water... 130c... well maybe i can cook some eggs there...

 

[panfist]

You have two choices....

send it back

OR

attempt to fix it yourself, which would be
step 1.) inspect the fan and see if it's actually spinning at fast RPM when the card gets hot. If not, replace the fan.
step 2.) try to reseat the heatsink and reapply thermal paste and see if that fixes your temps.

if all else fails

buy aftermarket cooling.

 

[Puffnstuff]

I once had an old packard bell that had a seal on the case but I broke it anyway.

 

[tommyb1988]

Ok everyone thanks for the replies, I've contacted the supplier and i'm waiting for a reply. I don't really want to go about sending it back, it may take weeks to come back and I have a pile of work to do over the coming weeks/months.

So I think my best option will be to open the case and have a look. I'll update this when I have a reply from them. Thanks again!

 

[tommyb1988]

Ok i got a reply and it doesn't void my warranty, so I went ahead and opened up the case, turned the computer on and voila the fan on the 8800GT wasn't spinning. I guess I have found the problem then. Can anyone suggest what to do next? I'm going to take the case off the actual card and have a look, but I don't really know what i'm doing.

 

[JACKDRUID]

look for a cord coming out from the fan of your 8800 card.

Is that cord plugged into somewhere on the motherboard?

If it is, then its best to send the whole system back. You may have a detective motherboard.

If it is not plugged in somewhere on the motherboard, look for a label that says "fan" on your motherboard and plug it in.

 

[error8]

I guess he has the reference card, so the cord is plugged into the cards PCB. Anyway, if the fan is dead it means you have a defective card so you have to RMA it, but that will take some time, some shipping costs, I really don't know exactly, so I would recommend you to get another cooler, something from Zalman or Arctic cooling. The stock cooler is pretty bad to begin with, so buying yourself something else will give you better temperatures and will take less time then RMA. This is what I would do if I was in your position.

 

[tommyb1988]

Thanks error8 and JACKDRUID, new cooler sounds like a plan!

I just wrestled with my card for about half an hour trying to a) get it out and b) get the case off the actual card. Neither of which worked. I didn't want to apply too much force as i'm wary of breaking it. Anyone got any tips on doing either of these things?

I've also had a quick look around for a new cooler and came up with a few options (not 100% sure on compatability as some sources quote different cards):

TT duord
hr-03 GT
zalman VF900Cu
Nv Silencer 5

I really am clueless when it comes to picking one out, so which do you all reckon is best? (I'm looking for something easy to install) Also does anyone have any other suggestions? Money isn't really an issue so i'm open to ideas.

Thanks guys.

 

[error8]

I guess the most efficient coolers would be HR-03 GT, then the Accelero S1, followed by the Thermaltake and Zalman. I know that the Nv Silencer has a problem and some ram heatsinks cannot be applied on the ram chips correctly, so I would rule that one out.

Anyway, I don't understand, why can't you take the videocard off the motherboard? From what I know the card should be held by the case with only a screw and by the motherboard with a plastic thing attached to the Pci-Express slot that can be pushed upwards. Don't use force to take it out, because you will surely cause some damage to the card or something else.

 

[tommyb1988]

Ok i'm going to purchase the HR-03 GT, which fan should I buy with this? Will it be easy to install? Thanks.

 

[error8]

Make sure you have enough room under the card for that monster cooler. It will eat up to 3 slots , so be careful. Also, it should be pretty simple to install it too, just make sure to clean the GPU and ram chips with some isopropylic alcohol before applying the cooler. Do not use to much thermal paste for the GPU, just a pea drop and spread it evenly with your finger covered by a plastic bag. Also, don't do everything in a hurry, take your time and think about the steps you have to take, because if you brake something or chop the GPU, the warranty will not cover it.

Regarding the fan, that will be up to you to choose any 92 mm fan you like and also the amount of noise you can take. Even a low rpm Nexus fan will cool the card very well. The higher the rpm, the lower the temperature will be and the higher the amount of noise.

 

[Peezee]

Originally posted by: Lithan
He doesnt mean the fan casing he means take the side off your atx case and look at the damn thing.

The best reason to always make your own damn system instead of buying an overpriced pre-built.
And then you won't have to wait weeks to have your system fixed - you just take out the bad part, RMA it (as every individual part has a warranty then), and voila.