How to stop my graphics card from overheating?
The best thing to do is to buy a graphic card cooler.
You can always try using the Windows Power Saving feature to put your processor into slower clock speed or use performance mode and watch your graphics card. Its overclocking function will significantly cool down its components, so you should be able enjoy a comfortable environment for long hours of gaming!
Rather than using a fan that moves the hot air around, consider investing in a heatsink. As well as cooling down your graphics card, this is also thought to be more visually appealing and easier to maintain.
The graphics card has to expel hot air from inside of it, and the most efficient way for it to do this is by drawing in cool air. So what you need to do is increase the area around your computer case so that there’s more space for the fan on your graphics card can suck in new cool air when needed. You can either get a bigger computer desk or make some holes through any walls adjacent to where your computer will be plugged in.
There are other ways too, but these two seem like they might work best depending on how much your budget is and how convinced you are that you shouldn’t have been smacking mice with a rubber mallet when drunk instead of throwing them into containers filled with lava while sober.
The best way to stop your graphics card from overheating, though, is by getting a better computer case. A badly ventilated PC case means that all that hot air will remain in there longer instead of being expelled instantly through holes in the sides.
There are many things you could do from a hardware perspective:
Locate your video card fan and clean it with a vacuum cleaner. Offer more air circulation to the external vents at the back of your computer by using risers. Find out if your graphics card has an open-air vent near where heat exhausts (most do). Position a desk or shelf in front of the opening. This can create airflow through which cool air flows–you may find that one side then runs cooler than the other, so think about rotating it periodically to keep temperatures even throughout its lifetime.
For software related issues, sometimes they just need to be cleaned manually too:
- Close down any background programs
- Maintain temperature by shutting down the computer when not in use, and periodically restart it to clear out the cache
- Pop in a temperature monitor to make sure your PC isn’t overheating
- Ensure the temperature limit is not set too low
Of course, there are other things you can do to make sure your computer doesn’t heat up too much; make sure it has good ventilation and stays clean inside.
Don’t use the computer when it’s hot. The summer time is a good example of when you should have given your graphics card some break from being so active, because that’s typically peak usage and maximum stress for the graphics card. Video games are notorious for running hotter than every application out there, but that doesn’t mean they’re necessary to shut off before your machine overheats and damages itself to death.
Also, a laptop can overheat at only 40-50 degrees Celsius (104-122 Fahrenheit), so be sure not to abuse your machine by working too much on it in a hot environment. Exercise caution and common sense! Get any CPU or GPU intensive programs shut down as soon as you feel like the temperature has gotten too high.
Frequent use of the AC (Air Conditioner) while playing games and other graphics-heavy tasks.
Lowering the screen brightness to about 72%. Setting cool colors as background for a game rather than warm or cold colors which may have brighter contrast, e.g. using green leaves on brown ground when setting a backdrop in Madden football instead of blue sky with white clouds, both of which are harsh on the eyes and usually too bright for gaming conditions.
Sweating it out – stop playing and let your computer system cool down if its heat level goes over 90 degrees Celsius; consider unplugging from power source unless you want to end up with fried parts that will not be covered under warranty by the manufacturer’s warranty.
Caring for your graphics card doesn’t require a lot of effort. To address overheating, just make sure the PC or laptop is positioned so it can breathe properly. Other than that, changes to existing software and hardware settings may be necessary.
Remedy airflow issues by ensuring the computer vents are not impeded by other things like desks or floors and that their position allows free flow of air through them. This might mean moving the computer to another room where there’s more space or doing things like keeping heavy objects off the floor around it, vacuuming regularly to keep dust out, getting a good anti-static wrist strap if using an external mouse and keyboard and/or hard vacuum cleaner brush attachment. Disable background tasks while gaming and make sure the graphics card fan is free spinning and not obstructed by dust, pet hair or anything that might trap heat in the components.
The most common and easiest way is to clean the dust from your graphics card.
While some people swear by a benzene-free cleaning solution specifically designed for cooling devices, I just use water with a microfiber cloth that doesn’t leave lint behind. Spray the rag with the water and then wring it out so you don’t apply too much moisture at once, since overly wet surfaces can damage components in your computer.
Run the cloth over your graphics card’s metal exterior from top to bottom in one direction– this ensures an even coat of moisture on all surfaces without leaving streak marks–then run dry-side down on top of it in another route until most of the water has evaporated without immersing or submerging the card.
A fan on your graphics card may also be faulty, or could simply need to be cleaned, which can sometimes require its removal for access. If the fan itself isn’t turning, it may be gummed up with grime or hair, which can slow it down and cause it to overheat. Even if it’s spinning, however, the blades inside might be damaged, again preventing proper cooling.
- Clean your computer from dust and dirt.
- Swap components with a friend that have the same-compatible parts (ex: Swap CPU cooler from air to water).
- Keep the fan clean by either giving it a wipe with cloth or using compressed air.
- Prevent airflow obstructions like other devices, loose wires or items on top of the computer/GPUs so that they get good cooling air movement through them.
- If you are in hot climates, consider turning on your AC when running intense activities and raising the room temperature/turning off heaters before doing intensive activities so that room temp stays lower.
- Do not block your cooling fans with stickers or use thermal paste of inferior quality.
- Upgrade or get a new cooling solution.
So, if your graphics card is overheating, it’s likely that your computer case isn’t getting enough fresh air or access to cool surfaces. The solution might be as simple as moving your computer away from the wall and hosing it down with an “external bay” fan. If you don’t want to disturb your set-up more than necessary, try giving yourself a little breathing room by turning off some of those peripherals (PSUs, fans) on the backside of the card. Simply open up Antec 300 prototype PC case and remove any 2x 120mm outtake fans from inside the chassis. This will now allow for more airflow throughout performance components such as coolers and GPUs in these tight enclosures like Antec 300 or Antec Eleven Hundred.
If you are still having overheating problems, it might be time to consider getting yourself a better CPU cooler. This will allow you to run the CPU at a lower voltage and hence reduce heat output.
Also, it is recommended to keep your computer up-to-date with all the latest drivers and BIOS updates for your motherboard.
