New system, GPU getting too hot...

[Clintster]

So this system is pretty new and I noticed last night while playing WoW that my GPU temp went slightly over 70 degrees. Right now it is sitting at 46 degrees so it seems WoW really heats it up. I run WoW at 1600x1200@85hz with pretty much everything turned up all the way. I don't notice any problems with the display when it gets that hot, but I don't want to fry my video card, know what I mean?

So I guess there are two options I am looking at. The antec Sonata 2 comes with some "ducting" on the inside to direct air from the CPU out of the case. This ducting has the option of adding a fan that would be positioned directly above the video card. I don't know how I feel about this option since the Sonata 2 is designed to run the way it is now. The second option would be to get a different heat sink/fan and put it on the card. Not sure about this since it already has a heat sink and fan....Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[DaveSimmons]

70 C is actually normal for an nvidia 6-series under 3D load. It's working at least 100 times as hard for WoW as it does in IE or Word.

You can try adding a slot cooler (exhaust fan that uses a PCI slot) but 70 C is really nothing to get excited about.

 

[batmanuel]

Are you running the Sonata II in its stock configuration, or have you mounted a 120mm fan in the spot for it right behind the hard drive cage? If you mount a silent 120mm fan in that location, it'll blow right over the graphics card and cool things down without adding too much extra noise.

 

[Clintster]

I haven't added anything to the case, it is completely stock. I though there was already a fan in the front near the air filter but upon futher inspection I don't see one... So you think putting one there would be more effective than putting one in that ducting that pulls air from the CPU out of the case, or putting a better cooler on the GPU itself?

 

[batmanuel]

Originally posted by: Clintster
I haven't added anything to the case, it is completely stock. I though there was already a fan in the front near the air filter but upon futher inspection I don't see one... So you think putting one there would be more effective than putting one in that ducting that pulls air from the CPU out of the case, or putting a better cooler on the GPU itself?

I'm not usre which method would cool the best, but since you're using a larger diameter fan running slower, you'll get a lot less noise with the 120mm mounted behind the drive cage. The only downside is that the cool air coming in the front of the case has to go through the hard drive cage before it gets to your GPU.