Tri sli overheating

Hi all just recently got 3 MSI GTX 570 twin frozr cards from scan, installed all 3 and all is well, tried to run some games, benchmarks etc and the computer starts crashing.

Tried furmark and the middle card (gpu 2) reached 101 degrees Celcius :eek: when it crashed, tried all 3 cards seperate and they are fine, tried 2 cards sli and they are fine just the 3 overheats.

What the F*** NVIDIA (even my 5900 from years ago over heated and blew lol), whats the point in advertising 3 way sli if its so unstable.

Has anyone else had this problem + can i get a refund for one of the cards (seen as it works fine on its own or 2 way sli).

Can you get a refund on a working graphics card because you want to use it in a configuration that blocks all its airflow and makes it overheat?

Probably not. The problem isn't with 3-way SLI, it's with the fact that the middle GPU is being sandwiched between two other very hot GPUs blocking off all airflow to the card. Ad to that the fact that the twin frozr heatsink doesn't vent the air backwards but recirculates it into the case, and it's not surprising that your middle card is overheating.

That said, depending on where you bought it they might take it back as a good will gesture. Or you could sell it off on ebay / other auction site where someone might be dumb enough to pay over the odds for it.

Can I ask why you bothered with 3x SLI anyway? Unless you've got 3 30" monitors to power it seems like just a mite of overkill to me...!

@scaryjim, because i'm running 3 x 24" monitors, i'l ask scan tomorrow if they will take it back, if not it will have to go on ebay.

When you run a game thats @ 5760 x 1200 with max detail it runs really well (until they get hot) thats the only reason i wanted 3. But even at 1920 x 1200 (crysis and metro 2033 especially) it still overheats.

I'm curious if using cards that 'exhaust' would actually make any difference in a Skeleton.

@OP: Your cards will be running at full pelt constantly as well because you are using 3 monitors. In multi-monitor configs they don't downclock and so use more energy = more heat produced at 'idle'.

actually even dirt 2 and GTA 4 overheated, its only the less demanding games that don't eg: COD MW2 + Black opps

Not exactly a surprise. You need huge airflow to keep three cards cool whilst right next to each other.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Terbinator

I'm curious if using cards that 'exhaust' would actually make any difference in a Skeleton.

@OP: Your cards will be running at full pelt constantly as well because you are using 3 monitors. In multi-monitor configs they don't downclock and so use more energy = more heat produced at 'idle'.

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They do downclock i'm monitoring them now, GPUs are 51 MHz atm.

I was also wondering if the standard (enclosed type) would be better.

Can you strap anymore fans to the setup? A 120 pulling air our of the front of the cards (on the opposite side to the display ports). a 200 fan sat over all the cards. I'm not sure how else to remove so much heat..... House fan maybe....

Domestic ginger, tried extra 120mm fans (even a delta fan + mains power 240V fan) and still over heats. I've taken the 3rd out now (wont be going back in) currently running 65 C furmark.

Still wondering if the standard (enclosed vapour type) would be better.

They might be, although I have to admit I hadn't noticed you're running them in a Skeleton, in which case it might not make that much difference after all.

You could try watercooling them instead.... ;)

when one cards butted up to a 2nd the 2nd will suffer due to the lack of air it can pull in thanks to a pcb covering its air inlet.

tri sli is more epeen that gaming as you tend to get issues with more than 2 cards so personally i would either send all 3 back if you are within the 7 day DSR and buy 2 580's instead, or flog one and make do with the pair so you have airflow.

i would not do a tri without water cooling.

I'm thinking of some thing similar, 2 or 3 cards. Water cooling is the solution I'm going for.

scan have a twin 580 rig somewhere but they built it on a 3 sli board for heat reasons.

I've a HAF x but by the time you have over-clocked the cards, or in this case all ready have an over-clock on the them, unless you pout your rig in a wind tunnel, its not going to work

I think i'll stick with 2 and sell the 3rd, just tried some benches and 2 is fine (although the 3rd card does help) 2 is perfectly capable for now.

When you run 2 cards on my mobo you can leave a space inbetween the 2 cards aswell, they run around 60 - 65 C max now and they are really silent, when i had all 3 of them it sounded like a hair dryer blowing out 100 C.

what reading this the first time, i had afew ideas running around in my head.


http://www.scan.co.uk/products/silve...p181-fan-black


with this setup, you may be able to over come the heat issue