I'm using an XFX Mercury 9070 XT, and during gaming, the GPU temperature ranges from 60 to 65 degrees Celsius. The fans are a bit loud, so I'm considering adjusting the fan curve to allow the temperatures to rise a bit for quieter operation. What's the maximum temperature I can safely allow my GPU to reach? Is this even a feasible approach?
Alternatively, should I focus on improving my overall case airflow instead? Currently, I don't have any bottom fans and I'm relying on slim 120mm fans in my Corsair 2500D Airflow case. My fan setup includes 1 rear exhaust, 1 top exhaust, 2 side intakes, and 2 front intakes. Also, my GPU takes up a 3.6 slot space, and if I add fans to the bottom, they'll only be 1cm away from the GPU. Is that sufficient?
3 Answers
You shouldn't worry too much about damaging your 9070 XT with heat. You can probably push it to its thermal throttling limit, which is around 89°C. I'd suggest setting your fans to run 1-2 degrees below that. A good tool for controlling fan speeds is "Fan Control"—there's a helpful (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COhxnhGTVCo&pp=ygURZmFuIGNvbnRyb2wgc2V0dXA%3D) that can help you out. Just keep an eye on the max temp while gaming, and adjust from there.
Did you consider undervolting? It could help reduce temps along with adjusting the fan curve. I've heard the magnetic air models can be pretty loud under load, and the GPU pulls quite a bit of power too.
Honestly, I wouldn’t go above 75°C if I were you. That's a solid threshold to keep in mind. By the way, how many fans do you actually have in your case?
I have 1 rear exhaust, 1 top exhaust, 2 side intakes, and 2 front intakes, all slim 120mm. I was thinking of adding slim fans at the bottom, but they’ll only have 1cm space from the GPU.
The thermal limits you're looking at are approximately 89°C for cores, 110°C for hotspots, and 100°C for VRAM. I'd personally avoid hitting the 100°C mark for VRAM, since that's often the first component to fail. Try to keep a buffer of at least 10% below those max temps and regularly monitor them to prevent issues down the line.
Thanks, I’ll check it out!