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Still having problems: 6800 Ultra with VF700 cooler is freezing in games

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Paktu

Senior member
I just installed a VF700 cooler on my 6800 Ultra yesterday. I currently get idle temps of ~60C and load temps of about 75C. Rthdribl runs fine and Aquamark gives me about 68k, which is basically the same as what I got with the stock cooler. However, when I play games such as Need for Speed Underground 2 and World of Warcraft, after a few minutes they will freeze solid (requiring a restart) and often show serious picture corruption. What might be causing this and how can I fix it. This is not a problem when I use the stock cooler; after I put the stock cooler back on everything runs fine, the only difference being that load temps are about 85C.

UPDATE: I removed two of my hard drives and now everything runs fine. It seems that my Antec TruePower 380 just wasn't enough juice. Guess I'm getting a 550 tomorrow.

UPDATE 2: While things ran fine at first without the two hard drives, the same problems returned a few hours later. The next thing I'm going to try is adding a case fan. Any recommendations on which brand/type I should be looking for?
 
I have a GeForce 6800 GT and I notice the same thing. rthdrib and 3D Mark 2005 both run fine for me as well.
 
that is very weird, the lower temps make the corruptions and freezes? my 6800gt is idling about 57 and loads about 70, stock cooling. i thought the ultra cooler was a better one since its a 2 slot design too... i don't know, thats weird. make sure the zalman is seated firmly and that not too much thermal paste is on there. it must be a heat issue since the computer can't recognize a zalman cooler as a "hardware change" and change performance. it must be that the card is heating up, and when you check the temps drop. its the only thing, heat causes freezing and corruptions.
 
I've tried using varying amounts of thermal grease, and I've reinstalled it at least five times. I can't figure out what is causing this...
 
must be a faulty card. i'm telling you thats what happens with heat problems, and in your case (lol, pun intended) its not... don't know what to say...run 3dmar03 and see what you get.
 
I'm getting the same problems with my 6800GT. My game gets graphic tearing, artifacts all over desktop when I exit. But temps stay around 70 load, 55 idle. Using an NV5, no overclock on any of my parts.
 
According to Rivatuner, my core got as warm as 82C. While this is a little high, it is not hot enough to cause lockups due to heat, nor is it any warmer than my core got with the stock cooler. In fact, it's actually slightly cooler than before.
 
Originally posted by: Paktu
Nope, running at stock speeds (400/1100)
Click to expand...

I suggest that you underclock and try it out. Just to figure out what is going on. Not permanently. If you underclock and play the same game and no artifact shows up and no crashes, you will know that it is overheating and you can solve the problem by improving cooling.
 
its a bit high compared to my ultra with the zalman vf700. mine idles at about 50 and is about 70C at load. make sure there is sufficient air flow in your computer case. try setting the fan speed to high. since you said that the stock cooler is not giving a problem it could be a faulty fan and not a faulty card.
 
I just played NFSU:2 for about 10 minutes with the card at 250/800. Usually I get lockups after 3-4 minutes but it ran perfectly fine at this speed. According to Rivatuner, the core topped out at 75C.

Would installing a case fan next to the card improve the situation?. I am running 4 hard drives, a Clawhammer A64 3200+, along with this video card in a rather cramped Antec Sonata case. I just checked my ambient case temps and they were getting above 50C when I got these lockups in games. Or should I look for a new case?
 
One other thought...could it be my PSU? I'm using the Truepower 380 watt that was included with the case. I will try removing two of my hard drives and see if that helps at all. At the very least, it will improve ventilation.
 
Originally posted by: Paktu
One other thought...could it be my PSU? I'm using the Truepower 380 watt that was included with the case. I will try removing two of my hard drives and see if that helps at all. At the very least, it will improve ventilation.
Click to expand...

Hmm....I would get a better PSU. I would say something 480 Watts or more in your case, especially with all those hard drives and a 6800 Ultra. I'd say...with a decent Antec or other reputable PSU.

 
Please see the update. I am going to try adding a case fan in a slot near the card, since my ambient temps seem rather high.
 
Originally posted by: Paktu
Please see the update. I am going to try adding a case fan in a slot near the card, since my ambient temps seem rather high.
Click to expand...

Hmm...I would say it could still be your PSU. A 380W PSU, even if it were an Antec, is barely enough to run a 6800GT, much less an Ultra. You could try getting a fan first (since that is the cheaper route) but if that doesn't work I highly suggest upgrading the PSU.
 
Just a suggestion. If you have any splitters or y-adaptors inbetween your psu and the Ultra, remove them and hook the Ultra up directly to your psu. I had similar issues with my GT because I had an extension on the end of the line that went to my GT. I removed that, and haven't had a problem since then - that was 10 months ago.
 
Originally posted by: Paktu
Please see the update. I am going to try adding a case fan in a slot near the card, since my ambient temps seem rather high.
Click to expand...

pop out whtever pci slot covers you have in can help a bit too.
 
My video card has a direct link to the PSU (no splitters).

Also, I am virtually certain this is a heat issue, as games run longer without crashing when I remove the side panel from my case. Perhaps I should just go all out and get a new case? Recommendations for brands/models?
 
Hmm ok, depends on your kind of budget. Lian Li makes nice cases but their best ones are very expensive, the CM Stacker is nice and roomy, but really big and heavy, uhh...my suggestion is that you get a full sized case instead of a mid sized one if you're having problems with the Sonata (although Sonatas tend to run a little hotter).
 
I am happy with this although I don't have a 6800 ultra. I have a 6800 Vanilla.

My GPU temperature is at 59 and 70 at idle and under load respectively.
 
Your testing seems educated but not so successful. Try completely ruling out problem areas with trial and error. Some things you may try is.

- Run a game or benchmark that will use your video cards advanced shader features too, I find that is what really heats today?s cards up. 3dmark05 is a good one for heat and it's free.

- Point a big house fan at the side of your open case to rule out the ventilation issue before you dump $200 on a new case and top of the line PS.

- Unplug all inessential items to rule out PS. Or borrow a friend?s bigger PS to see if that changes things.
 
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