Fans are one of the most important components of a computer, as they help cool down the components and keep them from overheating.
If the components get too hot, they can lead to damage or even a complete system failure.
Modern graphics cards are designed with a lot of care to keep them from getting too hot. But the first problem is that the fans are usually not designed to be on all the time.
Their purpose is to keep the card cool during normal operation, not to have it running at full speed all the time.
This means that most cards will run cooler with their fans off than on. In this article we will discuss how to manage your graphics card heat, and keep your GPU cool when playing games or mining.
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| Should GPU Fans Always Be On? |
What Causes GPU Heat?
GPUs can generate a lot of heat, and the temperature of a GPU is directly related to its performance.
If you have been playing games or mining for a long time, your GPU will get hot and the fans may turn on to cool it down.
The more intense the game you are playing or the more power your GPU has, the hotter it will get.
This means that if you play a high-intensity game for an hour, your graphics card might reach over 100 degrees Celsius.
What temperature should your GPU stay at?
When you are playing a game, it's important to know how hot your GPU is running. You want to keep the temperature as low as possible but not so low that the card can't function properly.
Generally, if your GPU is getting too hot and you don't have any airflow in your case (such as with many pre-built gaming computer cases), then you should turn off your graphics card fans.
This will allow the card to run at a higher temperature and still be able to function properly.
If the temperature is below 60 degrees Celsius, then you can keep the fans on because they don't need to work as hard.
If you are mining cryptocurrency (like Bitcoin) then you will want to turn off your graphics card fans so that they do not slow down their performance when crunching data for hours.
Fans should not always be on, but rather just when necessary for cooling purposes.
If GPU cards can run at a higher temperature without any issues, then it's ok to leave them on all the time.
But if there are problems being experienced from overheating or lack of airflow within the system or computer case, then it may be best to turn them off completely until needed.
How to Maintain GPU Heat While Playing Games
If your graphics card is running too hot and you are playing games, then there are a few tips you can use to keep it cool.
First, try turning down or off any of the unnecessary things on your computer while playing the game, this will help reduce the load on your CPU and GPU and make sure they don't get too hot.
Next, you can download a software that allows you to manually set your GPU fan speed.
These programs will allow you to set what percentage of maximum RPMs (revolutions per minute) your card should run at.
For instance, if you are playing World of Warcraft for about 2 hours the optimal setting would be around 20% of max RPMs to keep the card from heating up too much when it comes in contact with extreme heat from certain in-game events or spells.
The last suggestion is to play with a laptop cooler on a desk or table for better air flow when gaming.
This is best option for laptops that don't have sufficient cooling methods built-in.
How to Maintain GPU Heat While Mining
Mining is a great way to make money and support the crypto-community. It's also a bit of a time commitment due to the low yield.
To make it easier on you, it's important to take care of your GPU while mining.
Many miners are wondering if they need to keep their GPU fans running while they mine.
The answer is no! When mining, the GPU will run at 100% load, which means that its fan needs to be on.
But when not mining, the GPU should have its fan off so that it can cool down before another job begins.
Fans are not designed to be on constantly
The fans on your graphics card are not designed to run constantly. They are meant to keep the card cool during idle periods, such as when you’re simply browsing the internet or checking email.
The problem is that a graphics card can get very hot if it’s being used for more than a few minutes at a time.
If the temperature exceeds 85 degrees Celsius, it can be damaging to the GPU and lead to reduced performance or even a system crash.
Install a Waterblock
One of the primary ways to keep your graphics card running cool is to install a waterblock. A waterblock will keep your GPU cooler and lower your temperatures.
You can install a waterblock yourself, or for a small fee, purchase one online. The average cost for an entry-level GPU waterblock is $25-$60.This video will show you How to install GPU Water block:
Make your environment more air tight
One of the best ways to keep your graphics cards cool is by making sure that your computer has an airtight environment.
This means that there are no gaps for hot air to escape and leak into your room.
You want to make sure that your computer case is sealed off tightly, and no dust or debris can get in the way. This will help a lot with how well the card is cooled by its fans as well.
GPU Fans Always On?
It is not necessary for a graphics card to have its fans on all the time. While this can potentially keep a card cooler, it also means there is a higher risk of dust buildup in your fan, or that the fan will wear out prematurely.
Gaming cards naturally run hotter than non-gaming cards (which are designed with a lower TDP) because they need to push more power to their GPUs.
If you’re looking to get the most performance at the lowest temperature possible, you should turn off your GPU fans when not gaming and let your computer's own cooling system handle things.
If you're just browsing the internet or playing something like Fortnite, don't worry about turning off your GPU fans as they'll be fine during those activities.
The rule of thumb is that if you're not doing anything graphical intensive, then turn off the GPU fans and put them on again when you play games or do other tasks that require heavy graphical processing.
Manage GPU Temperature with Core Clock and GPU Clock Speed
One of the easiest ways to manage your graphics card temperature is with the core clock and GPU clock speed.
These are just two settings in software which can control how hot your graphics card gets. The first thing you should do is check the default values in software so that you know what they are.
This will be different on each computer, so make sure to search around or consult the manufacturer’s website for this information.
After you have set these values to their defaults, then you can start playing with them and see what works best for your needs.
If you're playing games, then it's better if they're a little higher as they will allow more heat to escape before thermal throttling hits.
On the other hand, mining doesn't need such fast speeds as it isn't an intensive task - it just takes up a lot of power and time. As long as you keep the temperature under 70c (158f) then there's no need for fans to always be on.
Conclusion
GPUs are designed with a lot of care to keep them from overheating. And that means that they will run cooler with the fans off than on.
This is true even though many graphics cards have fans that are designed to be on all the time, or at least most of the time.
The problem is that the GPU's fan will draw in hot air from around the computer and blow it over the card's components.
This can lead to lower performance and increased wear and tear on your card, as well as higher power consumption.
If you want to manage your graphics card heat, turn off your graphics card's fan when not using it for gaming or mining - this will help maintain overall system cooling, and keep your graphics card cool when you're playing games or mining cryptocurrency such as bitcoin.
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