GPU overheating in menus more than in games

[Agehn]

I built this computer myself about a year ago, and it's the first rig I've built myself, so I made some mistakes with bad airflow. I could go back and rearrange some internal hardware and add a fan or something, but in most games it doesn't seem to be a problem. the GPU runs a little warm but it's nothing major.

However, in many games, my GPU's fans quickly rev to the max when I'm in the menu system. If I wait in the menus for too long, the computer crashes. Video cuts out, audio loops the same 1/4 second, and I have to power cycle.

GRID is a good example of a game that this problem applies to, as well as the latest game that I've putting time into.

The GPU in question is a Radeon HD 4850 X2. It's on an ASUS P5Q Pro, which also has 4x2GB of DDR2 800 from PNY, a Core 2 Duo E8500 (no OC due to the previously mentioned cooling issues), and it's all powered by a 650W supply. I'm running Windows 7. This has been a persistent issue over several driver updates, but I believe I'm running the latest ones now.

I don't get this menu thing, but I hope someone can help. There are times when I'd like to spend a lot of time in the menus looking up stats and such, and I don't see why the menu systems are more taxing on the graphics card than the highest post-processing and shading on the game itself is.

[handi360]

Have you gon into CCC, overdrive and turned the fans all the way up?

[Agehn]

Before any crash, the fans are at 100% in response to the temperature. That's probably the only reason I can stay in the menus long enough to navigate them. When I'm in-game, I can go for extended periods of time without having problems, so I haven't used manual fan control.

[handi360]

Yes, you said that, but my point is if they are already hot like 70c+ then the fans kick on. It will take a shorter amount of time for it to overheat.

Also check and see if there is a bunch of dust clogging up the heatsink.

[Washell]

I don't get this menu thing, but I hope someone can help. There are times when I'd like to spend a lot of time in the menus looking up stats and such, and I don't see why the menu systems are more taxing on the graphics card than the highest post-processing and shading on the game itself is.

I've used tweaks on various games to get them from a 4:3 resolution to a 16:9 resolution. One of glitches that happened on some of them was that the menu would no longer fit. I could see that the full 3D game kept running in the background.

So not only is your card doing the post-processing and shading on the game, it's also rendering the menu on top of all that. And since the game is now paused and unchanging, the GPU doesn't need to wait for assets to be loaded, it can render away at full speed.

Overheating is bad for the lifetime of your graphics card. Going in to rearrange things isn't a chore with little payoff. It could save you $100-$300. And you can clean up all the dust at the same time.