To Hot!

[HAVOC]

Actually, the reason your cards are over heating is because those coolers are garbage. Inside the plastic housing is a small heatsink. The fan intakes the air WITH DUST and sends it through the heatsink. Unfortunately the dust gets clogged inside the heatsink and prevents air from passing through. So you have heat just sitting on the core instead of being dissipated. the only way to properly clean those heatsinks is to remove the plastic housing and remove the heatsink. Then blow the living crap out of the heatsink to remove the dusk.

Even if you crank the fan speeds up it's not going to cool those cards much more.

Consider getting yourself some after market coolers and picking up some high quality thermal paste.

Get yourself a pair of these and your heat issue will disappear.
::: Zalman, leading the world of Quiet Computing Solutions :::
or these:
::: Zalman, leading the world of Quiet Computing Solutions :::

 

[aspire]

Actually, the reason your cards are over heating is because those coolers are garbage. Inside the plastic housing is a small heatsink. The fan intakes the air WITH DUST and sends it through the heatsink. Unfortunately the dust gets clogged inside the heatsink and prevents air from passing through. So you have heat just sitting on the core instead of being dissipated. the only way to properly clean those heatsinks is to remove the plastic housing and remove the heatsink. Then blow the living crap out of the heatsink to remove the dusk.

Even if you crank the fan speeds up it's not going to cool those cards much more.

Consider getting yourself some after market coolers and picking up some high quality thermal paste.

Get yourself a pair of these and your heat issue will disappear.
::: Zalman, leading the world of Quiet Computing Solutions :::
or these:
::: Zalman, leading the world of Quiet Computing Solutions :::

If you've ever seen a newer ATi card with a dual slot cooler, you'd know that the heatsink beneath that red shroud is most definitely not "small".

Plus the heatsinks on the cards really aren't bad. Especially compared to single slot solutions like those found on 8800/9800 gt's.

And since he is blowing the heatsinks out with compressed air every couple of weeks he shouldn't have the kind of blockage that would significantly impair the coolers ability to keep the gpu at a reasonable temp.

It's very common now for card manufacturers to fix the fan speed at a ridiculously low level so they can make noise claims below what might be needed or practical in a real world application. A 5 minute job of raising the fan speeds in Rivatuner is definitely worth a try and won't require dismantling the coolers or dropping a pretty good amount of cash on replacement aftermarket heatsinks.

If raising the fan speeds doesn't work, then you can make your claims that say that we're all wrong and your right.

 

[Gothch1ck]

Then they can sing the "I was right song" right?

Just my noobish thoughts here, but sounds like your cards are running at like 25% speed (like mentioned about lower speeds to reduce noise for claims) and having a slightly jam-packed case it's finally getting to them.

Sure you might make a whole lot more noise- but it should keep it cooled, which is more important?

 

[HAVOC]

If you've ever seen a newer ATi card with a dual slot cooler, you'd know that the heatsink beneath that red shroud is most definitely not "small".

Plus the heatsinks on the cards really aren't bad. Especially compared to single slot solutions like those found on 8800/9800 gt's.

And since he is blowing the heatsinks out with compressed air every couple of weeks he shouldn't have the kind of blockage that would significantly impair the coolers ability to keep the gpu at a reasonable temp.

It's very common now for card manufacturers to fix the fan speed at a ridiculously low level so they can make noise claims below what might be needed or practical in a real world application. A 5 minute job of raising the fan speeds in Rivatuner is definitely worth a try and won't require dismantling the coolers or dropping a pretty good amount of cash on replacement aftermarket heatsinks.

If raising the fan speeds doesn't work, then you can make your claims that say that we're all wrong and your right.

Actually, I have a HD 3870 in my girlfriends PC Mr. smart guy. And the reason I posted this is because i'm talking from experience. I know because I had to take it apart and clean it out just like I mentioned.

It lowered the temps a little. Then I got rid of that stock HS & Fan and installed the copper zalman that I linked above and guess what? The fan speeds are only on 50% all the time and it doesn't get hotter than 60C.

You're "raising the fan speed" advice simply won't work no matter how cheap it is if the heat sinks inside the plastic cooler is clogged. Which they ALWAYS are based on MY experience with the 6 or so ATI cards I've owned.

I noticed you also advised in another post to buy a new case, aftermarket coolers and a box fan to blow air into the case while he's gaming. So I don't understand why you have to address my post of after market coolers, when you suggested the same thing.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

I have also noticed that with these newer heatsinks they can EASILY get clogged, and compressed air doesnt always get a heavy clog out... With the plates being thinner, and closer together it can let dust build up far more easily, even if he blasts it with canned air, it doesnt mean that the dust will travel all the way down the heatsink and out the back, hence the reason Havoc, suggested he take the heatsink it self apart to clean it better, I personaly use a paint brush to get the dust out easily, and would also suggest what havoc said, but I also suggest turning the speed of the fans up and getting a larger case, you will most likely have to clean the heatsinks more often if you do turn the fan speed up though.