I've been using my second-hand RTX 1060 6GB for about two years, and I'm getting a bit concerned about its temperature. When idle, it stays around 40-50°C, which seems fine. However, during AIDA tests, it heats up to 70°C. The worrying part is when I play games like Overwatch; I notice it hits between 85°C and 90°C at hotspot temperatures when I run it on ultra settings. Is this normal for the card? Should I consider changing the thermal pads or paste, or would it be better to just lower the quality settings?
3 Answers
It's pretty normal for a GPU to run hot when it's under heavy load, especially an older card like the RTX 1060. Since it’s a couple of years old, the thermal pads or paste might have dried out, which can exacerbate the heating issue. If you feel confident enough, doing a repaste or replacing the pads could help. Adding extra cooling to your setup might also make a difference. Just keep in mind, pushing high settings on newer games will likely make it run hotter, so lowering the settings could also be a smart move.
Hitting 90°C on the hotspot isn't abnormal when the card is maxed out. The throttle limit for the 1060 is around 83°C, which is based on the average temperature—not just the hotspot. So, it’s designed to handle a bit of heat when pushed to the limits.
If it gets too hot, the GPU will throttle itself to prevent damage, so it’s got some built-in safety there. Just make sure to keep it clean; dust can affect cooling efficiency. A good dusting might help a lot!
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