X1900XT Temperature Concerns.

[imported_Silverturtle]

I just got my X1900XT video card with my new computer yesterday and have had a few issues which concerned me. Please note I have only tested the game in 3d Mark 06 and Counter Strike: Source.

- Significant artifcacting in CS Source, the majority of the screen is covered in purple pixels.

- Random, but very noticable jittering in CS on most maps, it not reflected in FPS though.

- Game randomally shuts down.

- Card seems VERY hot to me, but I'm not sure. After only ten minutes of playing CS Source the temp is up to 95 degrees C, and that's with four fans in the Antec P180 case.

I have all the latest drivers, too. Thanks for your anticipated input.

P.S. I got 5,700 marks, is that normal?

 

[LumbergTech]

my first recommendation would be to carefully remove the cooler and apply some arctic silver 5......you may not want to do this though..

my 2nd recommendation, which is what i did after i had your problem and then applied arctic silver 5, is to download the latest ati tool and crank up the fan speed to about 36% on idle, this lowered my temps by about 10 degrees.. you could try 45% even for idle, it is a bit louder..

does the card ever not artifact? like at first? does it have to overheat first? or does it artifact immediately? if it does immediately i would return the card

 

[SparkyJJO]

^ What he said ^

If it artifacts even before getting warm then you've got trouble. Just for comparison my card will get up to 90*C under load but never artifacts and I have the stock cooler with no tweaking of fan speed. The temp for the X1900 series cards where it slows down the card to cool off is 110*C if I remember correctly, so technically you are within specs. If it artifacts badly though before it is even warmed up I'd return it and not mess with the cooler - removing it will almost certainly void your warranty.

 

[nealh]

The P180 can get very hot inside even with alot of fans..I know I own one

what psu are you using the 1900 series cards are power hungry so this maybe an issue as well as drivers too

I do not think 95C is bad but it is warm....how are your fans configured..try opening the front door and see if temps drop

what cooler are you using on the x1900xt..stock..are fan settings set t o100% at load?

are you overclocking....

 

[imported_Silverturtle]

I have not overclocked at all, nor do I plan to. I am using an SLi-ready 600 watt XFinity power supply. I am using the stock fan.

I already keep the door open all the time. The artifacting only occurs when the card goes over about 89 or 90. Thanks!

P.S. It is beginning to smell like burnt plastic around the computer. Now I'm scared lol. It is really loud too, can even hear it with my headphones on full blast.

 

[nealh]

sound like you could have a bad card....

I am not familiar with that psu...

anyone comment on the psu?

you may need an aftermarket cooler

 

[SparkyJJO]

My card works fine at those temps that the OP's is artifacting, so my guess is the card isn't quite right. Stock cooling should work fine because even though temps get high these cards are designed to handle it.

That PSU should easily be more than enough - how many amps on the 12 volt rail(s)?

 

[imported_Silverturtle]

Holy crap! I just played de_dust with all its HDR goodness and the card topped 100! It hit 103 degrees C at one point. The whole room felt like a sauna lol. Is THAT temp a problem?

 

[imported_Silverturtle]

Will this "http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835118001" help my temps?

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Silverturtle
Will this "http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835118001" help my temps?

Thats a great GPU HS/F but I tend to agree with SparkyJJO, I think you might have a bad card.

You shouldn't need a 3rdy party heatsink for stable operation at stock speeds.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

yes it is a great cooler, it helps my vf900 idle at 40c, which is lower than my 2.4ghz A64 in the hot nyc summer, but i don't really think its all the temps problem ,i beliebe you have a problem with the card as its not supposed to have any problems running even at 90C... maybe u can try to rma if reapplying as5 and reinstalling the stock cooler doesn't work, try to take out the card for a day and plug it back in... where are you reading your temperatures from? what settings in CCC are you playing cs:source at?

 

[imported_Silverturtle]

I'm getting my temperature readings from the ATI CCC. For CS Source I'm running 6XAA, 16HQAF, all max, HDR, Color Correction sometimes, and on some maps I'm getting over 200 fps at 16080*1050! In the CCC I set everything to its highest, everything that said performance, I pulled that lever as far as it would go lol!

I managed to get the card to 104C in Source, imagine what's gonna happen when I throw Oblivion at it. Is it dangerous to run at those temps? If I did decide to return it, how is Newegg on returning it?

Do you think it is worth it for me to get that Heatsink? Will it lower the temps? The artifacting hasn't happened in a couple hours, even when it was at 103-104.

Is it safe to run Oblivion, or will it risk frying the card? Thanks for your input!

 

[Operandi]

The fact that the card is artifacting at stock speeds at all is not good. I would just send the card back, Newegg is very good about returns.

The Zalman VF-900 is all about low noise, temps will be a bit lower but any card that draws as much power as the 1900XT is going to run hot.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

i'd say it was doing the artifacting since day one and newegg would probably take it back

 

[VinDSL]

It's not officially supported, but Toms Hardware put a KuFormula on a X1800 XL -- and were blown away by the results!

We would not have guessed that the VF1 Plus could lower temperatures over 45°F (25°C) from those of a stock card under load. At an MSRP of $38, the only question to ask yourself is whether the VF1 Plus is compatible with your current card. If it is not compatible, the second question to ask is if you're willing to mod it to make it work with your card.

Considering that a high-performance graphics card costs several hundred dollars, an investment of $38 seems pretty reasonable. This is particularly true if the investment has a very positive impact on thermals and acoustics at the same time. This product is a must-have for every enthusiast, whether or not you intend to overclock your graphics board.

BTW, have you read this thread?

 

[imported_Silverturtle]

I think if you guys think that it is safe to run the card 103 to 104 degrees C then I will just see if the artifacting continues to occur in other games; I'm loading Oblivion today. If it does, I will return the card, and the heat issues will hopefully be gone then too. Is there a certain temp where I need to shut the game off immediately as it is risking the card?

Thanks!

 

[LOUISSSSS]

no i say its not safe. thats way too hot for a x1900 gpu. remember.. this is your chip, not someone else's, so if they say its safe to run it at 100c they don't lose anything, you lose a x1900 card if it stops working. i'd say return it and make sure theres good airflow in your case and whats your room temp? my room temps are around 70-75F

 

[imported_Silverturtle]

I keep the room around 73 degrees. The entire room gets noticably warmer when I turn on the game, though.

Do you think it's worth it to try the VF-900 on it? Or should I just return it today?

Thanks.

 

[nealh]

my x800xl I think is rated to 135C..at least per CCC...so 100C is high

I would return and get a new ...why take a chance with your hard earned money

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Silverturtle
I keep the room around 73 degrees. The entire room gets noticably warmer when I turn on the game, though.

Do you think it's worth it to try the VF-900 on it? Or should I just return it today?

Thanks.

You can't fix a broken GPU with a better HS/F.

 

[imported_Silverturtle]

OK, so I've decided to RMA the card for a refund. And in its place I think I'm going to order a 7950GX2 instead. I was going to get the eVGA card, but to my dismay they were sold out. So how is the MSI card? Does it have poor cooling or are they all the same?

 

[LOUISSSSS]

good choice on rma, but i wouldn't rush to get a second video card, people that rush their decisions often make bad choices. evga is more reknown in video cards than MSI, i'd wait for that one if you're not willing to take another x1900xt, just cuz u had 1 bad card dont mean u should avoid it, my x1900xt idles a 40c =\

 

[imported_Silverturtle]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
good choice on rma, but i wouldn't rush to get a second video card, people that rush their decisions often make bad choices. evga is more reknown in video cards than MSI, i'd wait for that one if you're not willing to take another x1900xt, just cuz u had 1 bad card dont mean u should avoid it, my x1900xt idles a 40c =\

I completely understand what you're saying and under most circumstances I would totally agree, however I really wanted to be able to play my computer, so I went ahead and ordered the MSI 7950. The only thing I'm not sure about is the motherboard compatibility. I have the ASUS P5B P965 board. Will they work together?

And sometimes, even when you think something that someone else did was so foolish, if they're content in their ignorance, then what does it matter? After all, the end goal is happiness. Just my opinion.

 

[Modular]

Originally posted by: Silverturtle
[I completely understand what you're saying and under most circumstances I would totally agree, however I really wanted to be able to play my computer, so I went ahead and ordered the MSI 7950. The only thing I'm not sure about is the motherboard compatibility. I have the ASUS P5B P965 board. Will they work together?

You didn't research compatability before you ordered?

Cmon man, this is rediculous. Well, enjoy your new card if it works! I would have RMA'd that x1900 and gotten another.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Silverturtle
I have the ASUS P5B P965 board. Will they work together?

Um... I don't see your M/B listed...