It can be challenging to achieve the ideal temperature for gaming, but don’t worry—we’re here to help you with this straightforward way to lower your GPU temperature.
When your GPU temperature is high, there is a greater chance that it will malfunction in the middle of a high-stakes gaming session or perhaps do lasting harm. This is why it’s crucial to know when and how to lower the temperature.
Before we continue, you should be aware that a GPU might overheat for a variety of reasons, and you might not immediately identify the source of the issue. Applying some of these techniques to lessen the load on your graphics card is still beneficial.
We must first identify what is causing the card to overheat in order to lower the GPU temperature.
The answer is typically simple once we have identified the offender, but occasionally there are problems that are more difficult to resolve.
We will examine the diagnostics of each potential issue and instruct you on how to troubleshoot it because each problem can be quickly examined and fixed.
Finding out if your GPU is overheating will be the aim of diagnostics. The manufacturer of your graphics card determines the ideal temperature for gaming. Nvidia’s cards perform best at temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Celsius, whereas AMD is around 70 degrees. You need to utilise a few tools to check the GPU temperature right now.
How hot can a GPU get?
There are so many different types of graphics cards available today, and each one is made particularly to operate safely in a range of temperatures. For instance, the majority of Nvidia cards typically operate between 70 and 85°C (158 and 185°F). Or AMD graphics cards operate in the 60-70°C (140-158°F) range.
Check the manufacturer’s specifications if you need more precise temperatures. Today’s graphics cards are made by several businesses using various cooling techniques. Thus, they will have personal boundaries.
Third-party software should aid you in checking your GPU temps if you are unsure how to do so. The programme we suggest for reading CPU and GPU temperatures is listed below for your convenience.
- MSI Afterburner
- Open Hardware Monitor
- HWiNFO
Select your preferred option and install them. Take the time to read the following techniques to lower GPU temperatures if you find that your GPU temperatures are higher than the recommended levels.
Methods for Reduce GPU Temperature
Although GPUs experience some temperature increases, excessive heating might have a detrimental effect on our system. This might seriously impair the system’s performance in addition to endangering the integrity of the component.
But by taking a few measures and using some tried-and-true remedies, you can quickly resolve this problem. Let’s examine each of them in further depth below.
Clean Dust From The Heatsink & Fan
A GPU’s deadliest enemy is dust because it forms a layer on the surface that prevents heat from naturally dispersing. There isn’t much you can do to prevent dust from accumulating over time other than regular cleaning sessions. The single most effective method to reduce GPU temps is to do this.
Take out the GPU, including the fans and heatsink, with a can of compressed air. Take care not to blast too near to the tiny components that are scattered around the circuit board.
We advise unplugging the fan/heatsink first, then removing the GPU from the computer. Do the cleaning outside to prevent introducing dust particles that will inevitably make their way back into the machine at some time into the PC room’s air.
Due to the shape of the metal indents that make up most heatsinks, removing caked-on dust build-up from them is a difficult operation that even a few dozen vigorous bursts of compressed air won’t completely remove.
Therefore, we advise using the following method:
- Take your GPU out of the PCI-E slot.
- Take the fan and heatsink apart.
- Take the heatsink and soak it in a mixture of water, lemon juice, and a healthy pinch of vinegar.
- Give it an hour or two to sit.
- The heatsink should be taken out of the liquid and dried off as much as you can using a dry cloth.
- Till it is completely dry, let it air dry. Allow it to sit for at least 24 hours if you’re unsure.
- Reattach the fan and heatsink to the GPU, then reattach the GPU to the motherboard.
Ensure that the fans are working perfectly
If you open your case with the computer off, it’s simple to forget that your fans aren’t functioning. Of course, this is how you should typically open the case, making it considerably simpler to overlook the fact that the fans have stopped operating.
Your first duty is to confirm or refute your concerns if you think your fans are broken. This entails opening the case with the computer running. As an alternative, you might open the case before turning on the computer.
It’s crucial to be aware that some GPUs have been designed such that their fans only spin when necessary.
The following are the most frequent causes of fans not spinning:
- There may be too much dust, which is a real issue. If you don’t routinely clean your computer, dust might build up to the point where it stops the GPU fans from turning.
- Disconnected power connections – Because even a minor break in contact can cause fans to turn off, this is particularly difficult to spot.
- Fan bearing failure is another difficult-to-identify but manageable-to-repair issue. You don’t need to use WD-40; just mild machine oil will do.
- The most likely issue, if everything else fails, is that the fans have completely ceased functioning. GPU fans are machines too, and they too may break down. Fortunately, you can swap out the fans without replacing your graphics card altogether.
Proper Air Flow and Cool Room
To save ourselves from having to get up often, we frequently gather all of our belongings in one location. And what more can we ask for if it’s a little, secluded room? Your GPU’s performance may suffer from a crowded environment, both within the PC’s case and in the surrounding area.
It does matter how powerful your fan is if the GPU fan cannot circulate enough air. Even worse, if the case is too tiny, the heated air in motion won’t have enough space to escape. This raises the temperature of your GPU and lowers its efficiency.
Additionally, if the room is warm, the fan will just circulate that warm air, having no effect whatsoever on cooling.
As a result, you should always keep your system and space with a sufficient airflow. To keep your PC, pick an area that is cooler and has sufficient airflow. If it is not practical for you, place an external fan in the space and keep the windows open when operating the machine.
Similar to this, you should think about a larger CPU case that can best utilise a lot of fans. The fan should then be put together so that one set of fans draws cold air into the housing and the other set of fans serves as an exhaust.
To enable for optimal ventilation, you should put your laptop’s computer on a hard surface rather than a bed and pillow. Additionally, we advise purchasing a laptop cooling pad.
You should notice some difference in the temperature of your GPU after implementing this fix.
Increase the PC case airflow
A GPU may try its hardest to stay cool, pushing the fans to their absolute maximum, yet fail miserably because the air within the case is too hot from poor ventilation.
Additional case fans can be installed, ideally close to the GPU, such as on the case’s top, as a remedy. First-time DIY constructions sometimes have confused admirers. To create a clear flow route, make sure clusters of fans are either drawing in cold air or expelling hot air.
Additionally, effective cable management is a potent approach to provide unhindered airflow.
Exchange the thermal paste
It may be challenging to detect this issue. Without taking the GPU out of the card, there is no practical way to determine if this is the problem. If you’ve already done that, you might as well replace the thermal paste because it will just increase the card’s lifetime.
When opening the case, it makes sense to remove the graphics card to facilitate easier access to all the components that need to be examined.
Turn the card over, and you should see numerous tiny screws. Remove them. There may be a backplate on your card, but it is just another layer that has to be removed. There may be some extra wires connecting the PCB and the cooler after you’re finished. You should also disconnect them, as advised.
Use rubbing alcohol with a high alcohol content to remove the thermal paste residue off the heatsink and chip. You will need a cotton swab, a microfiber cloth, or a paper towel for this step. It is recommended to first remove the chip from the PCB for further security. Smaller fragments of thermal paste are easiest removed with a cotton swab, but any big, dried residue may be readily removed using a microfiber cloth.
Apply fresh thermal paste – If you’ve used paste in the past and can still recall the technique, it can be worthwhile to switch it up. The “X” approach will generally keep you completely secure.
Reassemble the card by first gently and slowly relocating the heatsink to the chip’s top. The reason for this is because you must make sure the thermal paste distributes uniformly. Repeat the procedure after that, but in the other direction. Place the graphics card in the case after reattaching the wires, tightening the screws back into place.
Undervolt Your GPU
The GPU uses a lot of energy to run and helps your system run demanding apps. But it can also function just as well, if not better, with a little less voltage.
By conducting rigorous benchmark testing, the GPU makers determined a little higher minimum power demand. In order to provide a uniform standard for all batch-produced GPUs, they do this.
Therefore, if you can lower the voltage sent to your GPU, it will lower the power produced and therefore the temperature. Undervolting is a simple and secure procedure that you may carry out on your GPU. All you need is a trustworthy instrument.
Undervolting is risk-free, despite how intimidating it can sound. When done properly, it not only controls the temperature but also considerably boosts performance.
However, because it takes a little longer and has fewer requirements, we have put up a separate article on how to undervolt your GPU.
Checking your temperature is important after undervolting your GPU. The temperature will shift drastically for you.
Tweak Fan Speeds
You can input fan control utilities with GPU overclocking software like MSI Afterburner to change the fan speed. You might, for instance, configure it to increase fan speed when the GPU core reaches a certain temperature.
By doing this, you can make sure the fan is operating at full capacity during crucial times, greatly lowering the GPU temperature.
Stop Crypto Mining and Overclocking
Among programmers, gamers, and cryptocurrency miners, overclocking is a well-known notion. We don’t need to describe it if you are one of them. If you’re not familiar with it, overclocking is a technique for forcing performance gain by increasing the processor’s clock speed over the default amount.
Your GPU may be acting strangely if you have overclocked it to get the most performance out of it. Because of the significant workload that overclocking places on the GPU, its temperature will rise over the threshold.
As a result, you should cease overclocking and change the settings. You may easily get rid of the overclocking tool you used. Your GPU will revert to normal when you restart the system and delete the programme. If you overclocked from the BIOS, you may also reset your BIOS settings to return it to its default state.
If overclocking is required, you should only do it while running demanding programmes and not all the time.
The fact that mining places a similar amount of strain on your GPU is why we also discussed it here. So, if you want to keep your GPU, you should immediately cease mining cryptocurrency.
If you haven’t checked it yourself, then take the steps below to see if your machine is being used to mine cryptocurrency.
- To launch the Task Manager, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
- View the list of active programmes. Consider uninstalling any recently installed programmes or websites that seem to be utilising an unusually high amount of your GPU.
- Despite the fact that we cannot confirm it, it may be a probable explanation. Check to see whether the GPU utilisation decreased after closing the programme or browser. Clear the browser’s cache if it does.
- Do not reinstall the programme or open the website.
Verify to determine whether the overheating has been brought under control.
Improve Cooling Itself
If you still can’t keep your GPU from overheating, your cooling hardware may not be powerful enough to handle the job. There are two ways to fix this. The first is to add more fans and carefully plan how they will affect the airflow as a whole.
The alternative method of improving cooling is a complete replacement, which is more of an improvement. Water cooling is the topic at hand. Although liquid cooling has been shown to be more effective at dissipating heat, there is a slight chance that it could break accidentally and render your PC completely unusable.
Update or Roll Back Graphics Driver
It’s not always bad hardware or a broken system that’s to blame for temperature increases. In some cases, the hardware control software itself is to blame.
Every so often, Windows will automatically update the device driver. In most cases, we are not even aware that our gear has been upgraded. Your system can be missing out on significant new features if you have it set to manually update. These improvements may include fixes for issues found in prior releases.
Consequently, you should regularly upgrade your graphics driver. Let’s examine one approach of doing it.
- Device Manager is selected by pressing Windows + “X.”
- Locate your system’s GPU by choosing Display Adapters.
- Go to the Drivers tab by double-clicking it.
- To automatically search for drivers, choose Update Driver.
But occasionally these changes might also be detrimental. It could be flawed or merely incompatible. If this happens, you may always roll the installation back using the methods below.
- Follow up-to Step 3 from above.
- Click Roll Back Driver, then adhere to the directions.
Look at the GPU’s new temperature.
Why GPU Temperature Reduction Is Important
Reduce the GPU temperature to avoid other, maybe hazardous, problems in addition to getting better performance in video games or whatever professional tool you’re using.
The majority of graphics cards used nowadays have great security mechanisms and will shut down if they begin to overheat. However, this doesn’t always occur, and it could cause the PCB to become worthless due to heat damage.
Although we have concentrated on controlling GPU temperature, it’s crucial to understand that heat problems can impact any component of your PC. The majority of the suggestions in this manual also apply to those areas.
Conclusion
The secret to keeping your video card longer is to keep the GPU temperature low at all times. extending the time you can enjoy your card. which is particularly useful given the ongoing shortage we are experiencing.
A healthy graphics card can be maintained with such a small effort as lowering the GPU’s temperature. There are a variety of techniques for reducing GPU temperatures, but the ones we’ve covered above are among the most effective.
