System running hot. Thinking about a new case.

My GPU is running super hot. I am sweating my butt off just sitting next to my computer. My GPU idles at 60 Deg Celsius. I am sending my card back for RMA and I also was wondering if i should get a new computer case. I want to get a case that will keep my system cool and one that wont break the bank. I was thinking a full tower. I just need a secondary opinion or any recommendations for a case to keep my parts cool.

I like this case so far.
XCLIO Windtunnel


Ok these are my current specs

Case: APEVIA X-DISCOVERY-BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
GPU:XFX HD-489A-ZDFC Radeon HD 4890 1GB
MOBO:ASUS M4A78T-E
RAM: CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB)
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz
PSU: Antec TruePower New TP-750 Blue 750W

**Note- I have one 80mm and the 120mm psu fan blowing air into my case. The case that I have has room for 2 more 80mm fans in the front. I dont know how much of a difference that would make vs buying a new case.

60C idle is pretty typical of a 4890; there's really nothing wrong with it. adding more fans to your case won't make it run any cooler, nor will they make you sweat less. in fact, adding more fans will probably make you sweat MORE, since your case will be dissipating more heat into its immediate area.

the best way to fix this would be to move the computer box further away from where you sit.

60 is nothing to worry about, what you want to worry about is the load temp, and there anything under 90 is ok - modern GPUs are designed to run hot and most have a max operating temperature of 100-105 although obviously you don't want to let them get that hot.

That case is a decent unit, what you want to do is to have it set up to draw some cooler air in and vent the hot air out. Each case can be different, but generally you try to draw cool air in from the front and sides and vent the hot air out the back and/or top on some units. A proper fan setup with good cable management can lower your GPU temperature by as much as 5-6 degrees.

You could also look into setting the GPU fan speed to run a little higher than normal, which should be an option in the ATI Catalyst Control Center.

I use a windtunnel case myself. built like a tank. tons of room. poo-poo cable management. been using it for...going on 3 years now if i remember right.

if you really want to mess with air-flow, mod your existing case with one (or two if you like ;-P) of these. all you really need to do is drill a few holes in the plexi (unless you want to go all out and cut a hole). easy mod.

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/53...me_-_Blue.html

these are nice as well (when on sale)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811998055

What if i added a heat sink to my GPU? Would that help solve my problem?

Is that a misprint? It would be better if the fans were blowing the hot air out of the case. (That's assuming that the 80mm is at the rear of the case.)

yar indeed ^^^ I missed that Quaker, ---

@ king swift - doesn't that case have a side fan as well? the PSU fan is not going to do a whole lot for the rest of the system and one 80mm fan is not much cooling power for a gaming PC.

your graphic card already has a heatsink, and a fan for that matter. that huge thing with the fan? that's the heatsink.

the 4890 is designed to run with temperatures upwards of 100C. typically it will never go over 85C. there's nothing to worry about.

also, most higher end PSUs will have a fan. however, they typically blow air OUT of the case instead.

@Elder III

Yea I only have one small fan for blowing air into the case. It is a small 80mm fan. there is a 120mm fan in the back that is blowing air out of the case. The lack of fanpower was why I was wanting to buy the windtunnel.

@moriz

I do not have an additional heatsink/fan for my GPU. I was thinking about buying one

**Also my card crashes when it reaches 70 degrees celsius. I am sending it back for RMA this week**

I'm not sure if the cooler you listed will work for your card. (not listed on their site)
http://www.zalman.com/eng/product/Pr...ad.asp?idx=276

I can tell you that I installed 2 of them (cooler you linked) on my sli set up and the idle temps went from 50+ degrees C to 30ish @ idle and never go higher than 60 degrees C under full load at 1920x1200 resolution.

before I added them it was normal for me to see temps upwards of 70+ Degrees C under full load.

IMO well worth the money, if you have it to spend. They WILL add some heft to the card as they are solid copper. I have my rig closed up atm so no current pics but as i'm typing this I have the card fans running @ 1890 rpms and my cards are at ~



-first temp is CPU. others are gpu1/2.
and yes my bottom card is cooler than the top one. Stock speeds as well.

/edit quick pic. I need to dust it out anyways ;-P
gotta love those SSDs.

Zalman makes some really nice VGA cooling products and they are better priced than some too. I have 2 4850s in CrossfireX and the first one is a generic ATI (first release) that can easily hit 80 or more in some games, whilst the second card has a Zalman cooler on it (Gigabyte product) and I don't think it has ever topped 53 at full load in the dead of summer.

@King, have you considered trying water cooling?