GPU overheating - weird stuff

[Unfocused]

Recently, my GPU started overheating. Turns out the fan wasn't spinning properly or wasn't spinning at all. So after about 2 days of giving the fan a push with my finger every now and then, to get it spinning when it stopped and hoping the problem will magically fix itself, I took the thing apart.

It didn't really require cleaning, as I undusted it 2 weeks ago while applying fresh thermal paste. The fan itself didn't spin as freely as I thought it should, so I used some oil to lubricate it and that did the trick - after plugging the GPU back in, the fan was spinning fast as it should, with no problem.

I checked the temperature - 35-40C, when not in stress, were much better than previously about 50C when the fan was "spinning" and about 90C when it stopped (or 120C when the fan stopped while I was playing something - that's when the alerts started showing up). I loaded up Fallout 3 and played for a bit then alt-tabbed to check the temp. - 50-60C, so it's all good. That is until...

Some time later the game starts stuttering and I alt-tab to see the temperature alert and learn that my GPU is baking at 125C. I check the fan - spinning at full speed. Exited Fallout 3 and the temp. instead of dropping fast, just stayed at about 123C, until I used an external fan to cool the inside of the case.

At this moment the temp. is for some reason 51C. It was 84C just a few minutes ago (when I started writing this post).

...Why?

TL;DR - My GPU was overheating due to fan not spinning. I fixed the fan, it's now spinning properly. GPU was cool for a few hours, now it's overheating again, despite the fan spinning at full speed.

 

[Stigmata]

Thermal compound could be bork'd. Or the GPU temperature sensor is also broken.

 

[tesher06]

That sucks. Atleast your temp is a fine when your fan works. I have an 8800 gt and my temperature stays at around the mid 60-69 range, but thats because I live in Arizona and it's hot here. When in games it can hit 100c which means my card is a POS!

 

[Unfocused]

Thermal compound could be bork'd. Or the GPU temperature sensor is also broken.

I don't know about the thermal compound (well, it worked before, when the fan was the problem), but the sensor seems right - the radiator burns when it's over 100C and I touch it.

That sucks. Atleast your temp is a fine when your fan works.

Dude, what? I said that the card is now overheating with the fan working.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Take it out and check the contact between the cooler / heat sinks and the GPU, if the fan is still spinning at a high speed it makes no sense. If you can't see anything it may be necessary for you to remove the heatsink, clean everything with special cleaning products (to remove old paste), reapply and reinstall it.

If you end up doing that, its probably not worth reinstalling a dying cooler, and better to buy a new custom one (which tend to give much better temps than standard ones).

Tesher - I own a 8800GT too and I had the same problem as you. It idled at 74 because it's a heavily overclocked version from BFG, but it made a lot of noise. If you are quite techy, you can do what I did and install a custom heat sink. I bought all the products and followed the same process at this thread - http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17967327

My card now idles at 37 (drop from 74!) and load 54 max. Worth it, big time.

 

[Stigmata]

I too have a custom heatsink on my GPU. Going from stock to aftermarket dropped my idle temperature by at least 20 degrees Celsius. Best GPU-related $30 I ever spent.