On this information we’ll present you how you can decrease your GPU temperature, enabling your graphics card to not solely run cooler, but additionally quieter. There are a number of methods to decrease your GPU temp, and on this tutorial we’ll take you thru the method of making use of liquid steel paste to your GPU, changing the thermal pads, and even including case followers to your graphics card.
Whereas the most effective graphics card choices from Nvidia and AMD have a great deal of ferocious gaming energy at their disposal, their chips may also get actually toasty, particularly on high-end fashions, such because the Nvidia RTX 4090. Whereas your GPU cooler will undoubtedly do the job to the most effective of its talents, there’s at all times room for enchancment, and this information will allow you to construct a gaming PC with a graphics card that runs cool and quiet.
Change the thermal paste and pads
Whereas your graphics card’s cooler might be fantastic in itself, low-cost thermal paste and thermal pads have usually been discovered to hinder cooling, particularly in the event that they haven’t been utilized correctly.
This may lead to your graphics card operating a lot hotter than mandatory, and stop the cooler from doing its job, making its followers spin as much as greater speeds. Utilizing high-performance thermal paste and thermal pads can dramatically lower temperatures, and so long as you’re feeling snug with dismantling your graphics card, it’s comparatively simple to use them too.
1. Google PCB photographs
Establish the areas of your graphics card which can be cooled with thermal pads earlier than you begin, so you possibly can order sufficient pads of the proper dimension to interchange the inventory ones. Google in your make and mannequin of graphics card to see if another person has dismantled it. The EK cooling configurator generally has PCB pictures too.
2. Purchase new thermal pads
If step one proves unsuccessful, proceed to step 6 and dismantle your card, so you should purchase sufficient thermal pads – we advocate the Gelid thermal pads we’re utilizing right here. These pads are available quite a lot of sizes and thicknesses, so that you’ll have to match those used in your card.
3. Use liquid steel paste
We’ll be utilizing Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut liquid steel paste with the intention to get the most effective efficiency, however you too can use normal paste that’s non-conductive. The previous can provide decrease temperatures, however you’ll want to hold out the steps under to make sure it’s protected.
4. Examine GPU space
Examine the realm across the GPU core within the picture of your graphics card’s PCB. That is prone to have uncovered parts, during which case they’ll must be insulated when you use liquid steel paste, as this paste can run when it will get scorching. Once more, when you can’t discover photographs, you’ll have to dismantle your card first.
5. Take a look at graphics card
To see the outcomes, run an intensive benchmark, similar to Unigine Valley, to load your card, with GPU-Z recording the temperature of the GPU core and reminiscence after ten minutes. Set a mounted fan velocity similar to 50 % utilizing MSI Afterburner, so you possibly can cease automated fan management from skewing the outcomes.
6. Take away screws
Take away the screws on the graphics card’s rear facet to start dismantling it. Use a small pot to include them, as they’ll be simply misplaced. You’ll very in all probability want a micro screwdriver to cope with a few of them.
7. Detach cables
As soon as all of the screws have been eliminated, detach any energy and lighting cables you possibly can see in your card. Most of them needs to be accessible now, however some could have to attend till you raise the heatsink.
8. Use a hairdryer
If the heatsink proves tough to take away, it will possibly assist to make use of a hairdryer from a foot away on a excessive warmth and fan setting. This warms the cardboard, and in flip warms the thermal paste and pads, making it simpler to take away the heatsink.
9. Raise away heatsink
Go forward and raise the heatsink away from the PCB, however do it gently and be careful for any cables that must be indifferent.
10. Detach slot bracket
You could have to take away the enlargement slot bracket on the finish of the cardboard with the intention to totally dismantle it. That is simple to do, because the bracket will solely be held in place by just a few screws.
11. Take away thermal pads
With the important thing elements separated, take away any thermal pads which can be situated on the VRMs and reminiscence chips, paying attention to any dimension variations, so you possibly can change them with pads of the identical dimension and thickness.
12. Clear surfaces
With the pads eliminated, use thermal paste cleaner or isopropyl alcohol, plus a microfibre material, to wash the surfaces of the GPU core, reminiscence and heatsink. Pads can go away behind a residue, so make sure you clear the areas that have been beneath the pads too.
13. Take away different pads
Now examine the heatsink and backplate. Take away any remaining thermal pads on these elements, and clear the contact areas right here too. If the backplate is steel but lacks thermal pads by default, it’s price including some pads above the rear of the reminiscence modules and GPU core.
14. Clear heatsink with compressed air
Now is a good time to wash your heatsink, as it will possibly decide up mud and detritus over time, even when your case is effectively protected towards it. An air duster is nice for this job, however do it exterior, as loads of mud may be ejected in case your card is especially soiled.
15. Polish GPU contact plate
The a part of the heatsink that makes contact with the GPU core can usually profit from being polished if it’s grow to be tarnished. Use a steel polish similar to Autosol with a microfibre material to buff it to a shine, then use thermal paste cleaner to arrange it afterward.
16. Minimize new pads to dimension
Use scissors to chop the brand new thermal pads to dimension, mirroring the shapes of the unique pads with the identical thicknesses. Make sure you establish any small chips or different parts that want pads as effectively.
17. Match pads to reminiscence and VRMs
Take away one facet of the protecting movie on the thermal pads and place the pads onto the reminiscence and VRMs. Press them in place, as this can assist them stick with the floor and never transfer round.
18. Apply nail varnish to GPU space
In the event you plan to make use of liquid steel paste, you’ll have to insulate the realm across the GPU core with the intention to stop quick circuits ought to the paste run when it will get scorching. Apply a skinny layer of nail varnish (clear prime coat) over the realm instantly across the core– at the least 10mm.
19. Apply liquid steel paste
Now you possibly can apply your thermal paste. You solely want a really small quantity – half the dimensions of a grain of rice can be ample to cowl the GPU core whether or not you’re utilizing liquid steel or regular thermal paste. For extra info, see our information on how you can apply thermal paste.
20. Unfold paste over GPU
Liquid steel paste must be rubbed into the GPU core utilizing the included applicators. It would begin to bind with the floor, ultimately overlaying it. In the event you’re utilizing a typical ceramic thermal paste, you possibly can go away it to unfold by itself utilizing the stress from the heatsink.
21. Reassemble and take a look at graphics card
Lastly, you possibly can reassemble your graphics card. We discovered the GPU core temperature on our card fell from 75°C to 58°C below load with the brand new liquid steel paste utilized, and the height fan velocity after 5 minutes was 300rpm decrease than earlier than our tweaking as effectively. Together with your GPU operating cooler, you now simply have to take pleasure in your cooler, quieter graphics card, and chances are you’ll even discover its enhance clock improves in video games as effectively.
Match case followers to your GPU cooler
Graphics card followers are sometimes very slim, they usually generally lack adequate airflow and static stress to take advantage of your GPU’s heatsink, even at full velocity. In the event you’re trying to lower your graphics card’s noise, improve its cooling, and even raise enhance frequencies, you possibly can change your graphics card’s followers with high-performance 120mm PC case followers. Better of all, this modification is comparatively simple, requiring simply a few followers and a few cable ties.
1. Examine for alternative followers
In the event you’ve damaged a blade on one in every of your graphics card’s followers, there’s a very good likelihood there’s a alternative set out there. EBay is a good place to search out them, so when you’re right here as a result of your graphics card is presently out of motion and would like to maintain the inventory cooler, you could possibly simply change the present followers.
2. Measure graphics card
If you wish to enhance cooling, then including customized followers is the best way to go. To do that, first measure the width of your graphics card’s heatsink with the intention to assess the dimensions of followers you’ll want. Massive heatsinks can accommodate 120mm followers whereas smaller ones might have 92mm fashions.
3. Select case followers
When you’ve chosen your fan dimension, you’ve gotten a few additional choices. If there’s restricted house, you should utilize slim followers to permit your graphics card to stick to tight peak limits. In any other case, standard-height followers with at the least 2,000rpm speeds ought to do the trick and a fan splitter cable will allow you to make use of only one energy header.
4. Examine for software program management
You’ll be able to’t use your graphics card’s fan connector to energy the brand new followers, so that you’ll want to make use of a motherboard fan header. Examine in case your graphics card’s temperature can be utilized to manage the fan velocity in your motherboard’s software program. Alternatively, Argus Monitor can do that, however it prices $13.95.
5. Examine motherboard’s EFI fan management
The EFI can usually have choices which can be lacking within the software program, so make sure you examine there for each GPU and thermal probe temperature inputs – each of them are helpful for controlling the brand new GPU followers.
6. Use a thermal probe
If there’s no GPU temperature enter, you possibly can repair the fan velocity to an appropriate degree manually, or use a thermal probe in case your motherboard helps them. This connects to your motherboard with the opposite finish sitting contained in the GPU heatsink – you then alter the fan velocity within the software program or EFI to maintain GPU temperatures in examine.
7. Take a look at GPU cooling
Earlier than you get going, examine the GPU temperature, so you possibly can see in case your modding has truly improved temperatures. Obtain GPU-Z and Unigine’s Valley benchmark, run the Valley benchmark for ten minutes, and take a GPU core temperature studying utilizing GPU-Z.
8. Establish cable tie anchors
You’ll be able to safe the cable ties to the GPU backplate, spare mounting holes or slip the ties via and below the heatsink. When you have no different possibility, heatpipes may also work as anchors, however they’re not splendid, as they’ll get scorching. You solely want to carry the fan utilizing two diagonal mounting holes to safe it, however you ideally need to use all 4.
9. Establish fan shroud screws
If potential, solely take away the fan shroud and followers in your graphics card – you in all probability gained’t have to take away your entire cooler and heatsink. Doing so may also probably void your guarantee, however with our card, at the least we might take away the followers and shroud with out breaking the guarantee seals.
10. Take away screws
The screws can have a mixture of head varieties, so be sure to have the right software handy earlier than you begin. When you take away the shroud, place the screws again into it for safekeeping, and maintain any further ones in a sealed bag or container in your graphics card’s field.
11. Unplug GPU energy and lighting cables
Fastidiously raise the GPU cooler’s shroud, however watch out for any cables which can be nonetheless related to the cardboard’s PCB. You’ll have to detach these cables earlier than totally eradicating the shroud. If there are lighting components that may stay connected to the heatsink or PCB, and don’t foul the followers, be happy to maintain them and go away their cables connected.
12. Take away GPU cooler shroud and followers
Raise the shroud and followers off the heatsink. There could also be hidden screws or connectors you haven’t but noticed, so if there’s resistance, examine they’ve all been eliminated. The followers could effectively keep behind; lifting the shroud gives you entry to the remaining screws.
13. Line up case followers with heatsink
You need the brand new followers to exhaust air into the heatsink, so align them with their base sections sitting on it. You additionally need the followers to cowl all or many of the heatsink, even when the ultimate contraption appears a bit lopsided in consequence.
14. Safe case followers with cable ties
You’ll want the proper size of cable ties to mount the followers. Use a chunk of string to imitate the ties so the lengths of ties you’ll want to purchase.
15. Take a look at case followers on graphics card
Lastly, reinstall your graphics card and run the identical take a look at you probably did earlier for a similar period of time. Our GPU core temperature fell from 67°C to simply 47°C and solely hit 53°C with the followers diminished to inaudible speeds. In the meantime, the reminiscence temperature dropped from 72°C to 50°C at full velocity, and 58°C with the fan velocity diminished.
With two large case followers actively cooling your graphics card’s heatsink, now you can wave goodbye to any GPU overheating issues, and (relying in your settings) you possibly can take pleasure in a extra peaceable gaming life too.
In the event you’re on the lookout for much more cooling energy, try our full information on how you can water cool your PC, the place we take you thru all you could know at a newbie’s degree.
