Overheating Graphics card

[timtim86]

Hi all,

I have a Shuttle ST20G5, with a Athlon64 3200+ and a Sapphire X800 GTO2 graphics card. MY problem is, when i'm playing a game (e.g. Battlefield 2), the GPU can get really really hot, like 85-90 degrees... this seems pretty dodgy to me. It doesn't ever crash, but i'm worried about it burning out or something. I think it's becuase the fan on the X800 is so close to the casing and the hot air can't get out. Is there anyway of helping the cooling of the card, keeping in mind the limitations of the Shuttle box? Maybe cutting a hole in the side(?!)

i wish shuttles had better cooling...

Thanks

[G4Z]

I have an X850XT in my main rig with ample cooling, however due to the exhaust on the card facing forward it traps a bubble of warm air in the case and the card has been known to hit 92 degrees in game. It ran fine overclocked until this summer so I clocked it back to defaults. It still hits 85-90 but I never have any issues and the card cools immediately after stopping play.

[timtim86]

Thank you G4Z, thought no one was going to reply...

So you think it's fine then, and i shouldn't go chopping holes into my pretty shuttle box? do you know what sort of temperatures are worrying for graphics cards, or do they all have like an auto shutdown mechanism for overheating?]

cheers