Video Card Warm to Touch

bigmck

Very Senior Member
Last week the metal part of my video card was almost hot to touch. My computer had been beeping and this appeared to be the problem. A fan was installed in the area and the card is warm now and my occasional beep still persists. Is the video card metal part supposed to be even a bit warm or should it be just room temperature? Thanks,
 

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom Build
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium 32-Bit - Build 7600 SP1
CPU
Intel Core i3-2120 3.30Ghz
Motherboard
Asus P8Z68-V LX Intel Z68 Socket H2 ATX
Memory
Kingston 4 GB DDR3 1333 mhz
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AMD Radeon HD6670
Sound Card
Sound Blaster Audigy SE 24-Bit
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Asus VE228
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1440 X 900
Hard Drives
OCZ Vertex 3 120 GB Sata 3 SSD ==
Kingston SH103/S3 120 G Hyper X 120 GB SSD ==
Western Digital 500 GB Caviar Green 7200 RPM ==
PSU
Corsair CX600M == 600 Watt
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NZXT Apollo - Silver with Clear Side Panel
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Three 120 mm Fans
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Microsoft Natural 4000
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Microsoft Custom Optical 3000
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AT&T Fiber Optic Wireless Network
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Microsoft Security Essentials
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Chrome
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120 mm Blue LED Fan -- Three Blue LED Lazer Light Sticks
Hi, if you have been using your GPU it will start to heat up, it's those pesky laws of physics again.

You use your GPU a fair bit just by having windows Aero enabled so there isn't an easy way to avoid this.

To monitor your GPU temperatures I would recommend using Nvidia's own software available from NVIDIA DRIVERS 5.05.54.00 but other third party solutions may be easier to use.

As long as your GPU doesn't break it's critical temperature (usually 100ºC) you won't have a problem with the graphics card directly but may find that other near by system components suffer slightly but I wouldn't worry about this too much.

If this becomes a major problem then I would recommend some sort of heavy duty cooling system such as water cooling but it shouldn't be necessary in this case.

Oli
 

My Computer

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Apple MacBook 5,1
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Windows 7 Profesional x86, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
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Hi, if you have been using your GPU it will start to heat up, it's those pesky laws of physics again.

You use your GPU a fair bit just by having windows Aero enabled so there isn't an easy way to avoid this.

To monitor your GPU temperatures I would recommend using Nvidia's own software available from NVIDIA DRIVERS 5.05.54.00 but other third party solutions may be easier to use.

As long as your GPU doesn't break it's critical temperature (usually 100ºC) you won't have a problem with the graphics card directly but may find that other near by system components suffer slightly but I wouldn't worry about this too much.

If this becomes a major problem then I would recommend some sort of heavy duty cooling system such as water cooling but it shouldn't be necessary in this case.

Oli

Thanks for the help. I will try the Nvidia software you suggested.
 

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom Build
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium 32-Bit - Build 7600 SP1
CPU
Intel Core i3-2120 3.30Ghz
Motherboard
Asus P8Z68-V LX Intel Z68 Socket H2 ATX
Memory
Kingston 4 GB DDR3 1333 mhz
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon HD6670
Sound Card
Sound Blaster Audigy SE 24-Bit
Monitor(s) Displays
Asus VE228
Screen Resolution
1440 X 900
Hard Drives
OCZ Vertex 3 120 GB Sata 3 SSD ==
Kingston SH103/S3 120 G Hyper X 120 GB SSD ==
Western Digital 500 GB Caviar Green 7200 RPM ==
PSU
Corsair CX600M == 600 Watt
Case
NZXT Apollo - Silver with Clear Side Panel
Cooling
Three 120 mm Fans
Keyboard
Microsoft Natural 4000
Mouse
Microsoft Custom Optical 3000
Internet Speed
AT&T Fiber Optic Wireless Network
Antivirus
Microsoft Security Essentials
Browser
Chrome
Other Info
120 mm Blue LED Fan -- Three Blue LED Lazer Light Sticks
bigmck, are you sure you have'nt got a short somewhere , i have just had a feel at the backplanes of my cards and both are cold to the touch, we know the laws of physics dictates that generating electrickery generates heat but i dont think that naturally the backplanes get hot :confused:
 

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
self build
OS
win 7 ultimate32bit, Win8.1pro wmc 32bit
CPU
amd phenom x4 9600
Motherboard
asus m2n32-sli deluxe
Memory
corsair twinxs 2x2gb
Graphics Card(s)
2x nvidia 1gb 8500gt
Sound Card
onboard
Monitor(s) Displays
23" PB Viseo 233d
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1920x1080
Hard Drives
maxtor sata 500gb
maxtor sata 320gb
fujitsu sata200gb
PSU
oryxx tornado 750w
Case
thermaltake xaser lll
Cooling
artic freezer64 pro + 7 case fans
bigmck, are you sure you have'nt got a short somewhere , i have just had a feel at the backplanes of my cards and both are cold to the touch, we know the laws of physics dictates that generating electrickery generates heat but i dont think that naturally the backplanes get hot :confused:

The backplate (where the monitor plugs in) is not warm. It is when I take the cover off and touch the metal top of the card. How would I determine a short? Would changing slots do me any good?
 

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom Build
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium 32-Bit - Build 7600 SP1
CPU
Intel Core i3-2120 3.30Ghz
Motherboard
Asus P8Z68-V LX Intel Z68 Socket H2 ATX
Memory
Kingston 4 GB DDR3 1333 mhz
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon HD6670
Sound Card
Sound Blaster Audigy SE 24-Bit
Monitor(s) Displays
Asus VE228
Screen Resolution
1440 X 900
Hard Drives
OCZ Vertex 3 120 GB Sata 3 SSD ==
Kingston SH103/S3 120 G Hyper X 120 GB SSD ==
Western Digital 500 GB Caviar Green 7200 RPM ==
PSU
Corsair CX600M == 600 Watt
Case
NZXT Apollo - Silver with Clear Side Panel
Cooling
Three 120 mm Fans
Keyboard
Microsoft Natural 4000
Mouse
Microsoft Custom Optical 3000
Internet Speed
AT&T Fiber Optic Wireless Network
Antivirus
Microsoft Security Essentials
Browser
Chrome
Other Info
120 mm Blue LED Fan -- Three Blue LED Lazer Light Sticks
bigmck, are you sure you have'nt got a short somewhere , i have just had a feel at the backplanes of my cards and both are cold to the touch, we know the laws of physics dictates that generating electrickery generates heat but i dont think that naturally the backplanes get hot :confused:

The backplate (where the monitor plugs in) is not warm. It is when I take the cover off and touch the metal top of the card. How would I determine a short? Would changing slots do me any good?

ah i see ,i got my wires crossed there, i thought it was the backs you were refering to , it depends on the speed con fig of the slots mine both run at 16x but some ,the top one runs at 16x the bottom runs at 8x , you could give it a go and see if you notice any temp difference ;)
 

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
self build
OS
win 7 ultimate32bit, Win8.1pro wmc 32bit
CPU
amd phenom x4 9600
Motherboard
asus m2n32-sli deluxe
Memory
corsair twinxs 2x2gb
Graphics Card(s)
2x nvidia 1gb 8500gt
Sound Card
onboard
Monitor(s) Displays
23" PB Viseo 233d
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
maxtor sata 500gb
maxtor sata 320gb
fujitsu sata200gb
PSU
oryxx tornado 750w
Case
thermaltake xaser lll
Cooling
artic freezer64 pro + 7 case fans
Graphics Cards are designed to withstand high temperatures up to 80°C at least. mine gets very hot in summer, I can't even touch the heat-sink and it's definitely working fine. I thinks the beeps you have are caused by another problem. When do they happen? at startup or under what workload ?
I would also check the bios for warnings about CPU overheating and fan failures.
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
~DIY
OS
Windows 7 Ultimate x64
CPU
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @2.40 GHz
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Gygabyte P35-DS3L
Memory
8GB Transcend DDRII-800 @ 888
Graphics Card(s)
MSI NVIDIA GeForce GT 240 / 1GB DDR3
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Integrated Realtek HD Audio ALC888
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Samsung SyncMaster 226BW 22"
Screen Resolution
1680*1050
Hard Drives
2 x WD Caviar Green 1TB (WDC WD10EADS)
PSU
Unnamed 550W
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Naked chassis
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Lots of fans
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A4 Tech A-Shape PS/2 Keyboard
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eBox USB Mouse
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1 Mbps\512 Kbps (through a very very bad ISP)
Other Info
Currently undervolting the CPU to reduce the fan's noise
You really shouldn't be touching the card, unless it's the fan or heatsink.
 

My Computer

OS
Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit
CPU
AMD Phenom II X4 3.0GHz
Motherboard
ASUS M5A97
Memory
8GB G-Skill Ripjaws DDR3 1333
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PNY GeForce 460 GTX 1GB OC - Enthusiast Edition
Sound Card
VIA High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell 19"
Screen Resolution
1280x1024
Hard Drives
1TB - Primary
160GB - Secondary
250GB - External backup for important files
PSU
OCZ Fata1ty 700W Modular PSU
Case
ASUS
Keyboard
Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 2000
Mouse
Microsoft Wireless Mouse 2000
Internet Speed
3 Mbps/768 kbps
The beeps from the motherboard actually tell you what is wrong. You need the manual for it to tell you as each BIOS is different from each company.
However the graphics cards do get quite warm. Mine after I have been playing MW2 online for 2 - 3 hours gets so warm that it gets uncomfortable to hold on to for any length of time. It makes my bedroom quite toasty in winter time (no need for heaters when you have a good graphics card). It is fine and normal for the card.
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Selfbuilt
OS
Windows 7 Ultimate x64
CPU
Intel Core I7 980X
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7
Memory
8GB 4x2GB Corsair DDR3 2000
Graphics Card(s)
NVidia GEForce GTX480 - Gigabyte GV-N480D5
Sound Card
Creative X-Fi
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HP LP2475w
Screen Resolution
1920x1200
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2 x 2TB Segate
PSU
SilverStone 1500W
Case
CoolMaster HAF 932
Cooling
Just the Breeze
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Standard
Mouse
Razer Mamba
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ADSL
Try using Evga's precision to control your fan speed. EVGA Precision 1.7.1 download from Guru3D.com Video cards get hot. I had a XFX 9800 gt running at 75c and put in a support ticket inquiring about the max temp on the card before artifacting would be expected, I was told 115c that is 239 degrees Fahrenheit.My 260 runs around 58c during extended game play which is 136.4 degrees F so it will be warm to the touch if not even a little hot. Here's your product page with manual you may want to give it a read. about beep codes if they are provided. http://www.ecsusa.com/ECSWebSite/ECSSearch.aspx?menuid=0&lanid=9&keyword=671T-M Also if it has Award bios you can search for their beep codes. Some programs that are used for motoring heat will also beep once they have reached or exceeded a set temp. Also please remember to ground yourself by touching the outer metal part of the case before touching any internal parts. Fabe
 

My Computer

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Self Built
OS
Windows 7 ultimate 64 bit / XP Home sp3
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intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0ghz
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Asus P5ND bios 1401
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8 gigs 1066 OCZ Fata1ty
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EVGA GTX 580 Call of Duty Black Ops Edition
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Creative Soundblaster Audigy 2zs
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Asus 24in LCD's 2MS X2
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1920x1080p @60Hz
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WD Caviar 500 Black/ WD Caviar 200 Blue
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OCZ 700W GameXtreme
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NZXT Apollo
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Corsair H50 CPU/120mm x3 /60mm x2 /Corsair Dominator Ram
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Logitech Bluetooth Wireless MX5000
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Logitech Bluetooth Wireless MX1000
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Download 19.83 Upload 0.97
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