How Hot Is Too Hot For Your GPU?
Duane Beckett
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A component’s average temperature during operation often determines whether it performs well or not. And when a component overheats or keeps overheating, immediate action should be taken because it can lead to serious damage.
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How Hot Is Too Hot For Your Graphics Card?
Overheating doesn’t only cost performance in FPS games, but it also reduces the life span of your GPU. As a GPU heats up, its performance starts to drop. If a chip heats beyond the normal operating temperature of 85° C, then there are chances the GPU will not perform smoothly.
Although we typically suggest keeping the temperature of GPUs between 50-60 degrees Celsius, you need to remember that some cards can withstand higher temperatures than others. For example, the budget RX 550 from AMD can go all the way up to 75 degrees Celsius; however, the RX 460 and 470 both have a maximum limit of 80 C.
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Technically speaking, 85°C (185° F) is the limit, but you can use water coolers and other cooling devices to overclock this temperature. Additionally, some advanced GPUs, like the NVIDIA RTX 3060 and RX 6900 XT have sensors that shut down the graphics card if overheats.
Always check your GPUs specification and features to determine max temperature and safety features.
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What Is Normal GPU Temperature?
- Normal use – 30° to 45° C
- Browsing Chrome or low-end games – 65° to 85° C
- Rendering or 3D modeling – 60° to 70° C
- Intense gaming (FPS) – 70° to 80° C
Most GPUs can successfully operate within a temperature range of 70-85 degrees Celsius. However, this can rise when the device is stressed or if it’s faulty and the fans aren’t working properly.
You don’t want to let your computer overheat, though! If temperatures go above 85 degrees frequently, there is a chance that your GPU might fail completely, and you won’t be able to use it until you purchase a new one.
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What Causes GPU Overheating?
1. Dust On Your Fans
One of the top culprits for overheating any PC component is dust. Check out the fans of your GPU, and take out the dust with a dust blower.
2. Overclocking
Overclocking is basically giving superpowers to your GPU so that it can outperform. It is not big trouble, but overclocked components running for long periods can cause overheating and reduce lifespan.
3. Heavy Continuous Use
Lots of previous-generation GPUs don’t have workload management, which causes overheating.
In simple words, don’t use an old GPU for straight 12-14 hours. It’s better to give yourself and your old components a rest.
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4. Old, Inefficient PC
The Graphics Processing Unit in an old PC that doesn’t support modern games and high-definition videos may experience overheating and not perform well.
If you want to play advanced games or watch high-quality videos, you should upgrade your computer.
5. Crypto Mining
If you’ve bought a second-hand (used) GPU, it’s better to test it and ensure it wasn’t used for crypto mining previously.
GPUs used in mining have awful performance because crypto mining uses CUDA cores of the component, reducing its capabilities.
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