6800GT running too hot?

[tzang]

I'm currently running a Leadtek 6800GT. I don't usually pay much attention to the temps but recently, the system has started to become very unstable when running games or anything that is graphically intensive.

GPU Core temp is at 87ºC on idle with an ambient temp of 65ºC. Running a random game for 5 minutes will take the GPU Core temp to 117ºC or higher though the system would have probably crashed by then. The card is running at stock speeds, never overclocked either.

My system ambient temp is only 29ºC, CPU averaging 40ºC so am I right to assume something is wrong with the 6800GT (it ticks all the boxes in my mind but I'm no expert with graphics card temps)?

It's only a year and a half old (half way through its 3 year warranty), time for a RMA? If yes, does anyone know how to contact Leadtek apart from their Netherlands number?


or can I be cheeky and RMA it off to OcUK?

 

[LeakyMeat]

Has it got the stock cooler on it?

The reason i ask is that my brother and I both have 6800gt's that are probably about the same age as yours (bought at first release) and we both noticed temps creeping up after about 12months or so. Into the high 60's while idle and mine was reaching almost 100 under load.
When we unscrewed the face plate from the front of the cards, both had a wall of fluff between the fan and the heatsink fins, it had built up over time and blocked the air flow over the heatsink almost completly.
Removed it via the old dyson and both cards are fine and running in the 50's again now.

Just glad we sorted it before something went pop. Dont want to have to pay for another AGP card.

 

[tzang]

(Assuming you aren't using Leadtek) Leadtek 6800GT uses a different cooler from the other 6800GT manufacturers, which is suppose to be good. Their previous cards I've used came with some pretty good non-stock coolers, hence I chose the 6800GT from Leadtek.

The instability recently usually starts with some minor screen corruption followed by the entire screen turning off (GPU safeguard kicking in). Upon reboot, the temp displayed is 117ºC which indicates it has triggered the 120ºC GPU safeguard temp.

A quick search on google gave results of the Leadtek's 6800GT cooler being a dust hog that acts as a great heat insulator Would the Artic Cooling Accelero X1 be a better solution rather than trying to faff around trying to go through warranty or cleaning up whatever is causing the heat build-up?

 

[RichL]

Definitely too hot. Shouldn't be going over 90 degrees under load imo. I recommend cleaning the fan with compressed air and removing the heatsink, cleaning it and refitting with a thin layer of artic silver. Its easy to do.

 

[LeakyMeat]

Sorry should have stated both our cards were XFX brands.

Totally forgot your card had a different cooler than most. I couldn't advise on the artic coolers having never used one, but I personally would try to clean out the original heatsink before tackling removing it completly to fit a different one. Id guess it would be the simplier option.

 

[Curio]

I'm currently running a Leadtek 6800GT. I don't usually pay much attention to the temps but recently, the system has started to become very unstable when running games or anything that is graphically intensive.

GPU Core temp is at 87ºC on idle with an ambient temp of 65ºC. Running a random game for 5 minutes will take the GPU Core temp to 117ºC or higher though the system would have probably crashed by then. The card is running at stock speeds, never overclocked either.

My system ambient temp is only 29ºC, CPU averaging 40ºC so am I right to assume something is wrong with the 6800GT (it ticks all the boxes in my mind but I'm no expert with graphics card temps)?

It's only a year and a half old (half way through its 3 year warranty), time for a RMA? If yes, does anyone know how to contact Leadtek apart from their Netherlands number?


or can I be cheeky and RMA it off to OcUK?

I would definitely check for bad dust build-up first - or that the fan hasn't stopped working. Those temps are obviously way too high and that's coming from somebody who doesn't mind his temps a little toasty - my highly clocked 6800 maxes out in the high 80's and idles in the high 50's.

First thing I'd try would be to attack it with a can of dust air...