Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot? – Explanation Guide

Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot, I had the same questions when I first felt my computer after playing it shortly after I built my first PC. Nowadays, PCs are designed differently in order to reduce their vibrations and sounds.

Don’t worry; Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot let me explain to you all about this and improve your knowledge on PCs.

Graphics cards aren’t built to turn red hot after several hours of intensive graphics processing.

It is unrealistic to expect them to remain cool under such conditions and it’s generally accepted that in order to do gaming or other graphics-heavy work effectively cooled graphics cards are necessary.

Let’s explore this question further and look at when it’s best to start actively trying to cool down the graphics card.

Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot?

Graphic cards are inbuilt devices that provide graphics capabilities to any computer.

The reason why they heat up is because there are a large number of components inside that are working together to make graphics processing possible.

Modern graphics cards don’t start cooling the chipset until it reaches 40 degrees Celsius.

This is somewhat noticeable to the touch and feels warm, Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot but it’s nothing to worry about when you consider optical drives are mounted above the motherboard.

When gaming, the temperature of your graphics card radiator will reach roughly 70 degrees (Celsius), although you may feel that it is reaching 158 (Fahrenheit) to the touch.

Heat generated by GPUs while they run programs is known as thermal energy and is completely natural and expected behavior of the technology.

Once later on in the manufacturing process, heat energy is transferred, and then the heatsink should transfer the heat away. The fans will work together with the heatsink to pull heat away.

Whenever a computer is performing intensive graphics-related activities such as playing a game or editing a video, this process kicks in to make sure the graphics card’s maximum output potential is kept consistent. This process also has the side effect of causing the computer’s GPU fans to sound louder than usual.

What most PC users don’t realize is that their graphics cards can get pretty hot. In fact, graphic cards operate at a temperature ranging between 80 and 112 degrees Fahrenheit.

This makes it necessary to examine the graphic card’s cooling system periodically to ensure its functioning properly.

Typically, GPUs can run when they begin to crackle and pop above 80 degrees Celsius before they begin to do something called thermal throttling.

This is the process of reducing the maximum power allowed to GPUs or other related components in response to overheating.

You would be able to tell if your gamer PC were overheating because of the sounds it makes compared to normal (that sometimes may not even be noticeable), Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot and how fast – or slow – the game moves

Regarding the application shutting down, it is an objective reality that nobody can escape.

Then, you should have a hard-stop such as a shut-down as a second fail-safe once surpassing the thermal throttling threshold.

These warnings are there to prevent whatever damage might be done to your graphics card. While it may sound scary, you can find peace in the fact that if something was truly wrong, you would know.

Even though it’s good to not get too hot and keep the temps low for the safety of your GPU, it is also possible to overclock the hardware regardless of how low you keep things.

How To Measure GPU Temp?

When it comes to PC building, it’s always a good idea to monitor Temps after installing new hardware or building a system for the first time.

This can help you to determine any need for better airflow or possibly identify the call for keeping a close eye on possible outside temperature aspects.

We like MSI Afterburner for this, although users of EVGA Precision will be able to accomplish the same.

I used both MSI Afterburner and EVGA Precision X, Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot but I found the latter to be more user-friendly and get an incredible boost in FPS.

If you would like to download MSI Afterburner, click here. The link will lead you to the official website of MSI Afterburner where you can download it for free.

Once you have the custom driver downloaded, open it and run the installation wizard. However, I sometimes don’t go ahead with all of the recommended contents because I prefer to manage my own overclocking, FPS measuring, and so on.

Once you have completed installing it, open the application and look for the settings cogwheel icon.

To make any part of your dashboard the active window – select that measurement from a drop-down menu.

If it already has a black checkmark next to it, then it is already being measured. If there isn’t a checkmark next to it, then it isn’t being measured.

You can now add GPU temperature measurement, which comes under the same package of one-click super features.

While you are playing a game, in the top-left corner of your screen there will be an option to “show in on-screen display.”

Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot, repeat this for anything else you would like to see.

Now when you log into a game, you can get a realistic estimation of how warm you are by seeing exactly what your internal body temperature is to see if it’s in the range of normal

Most graphics cards will run between 70C – 80C when under load. I usually sit at around 73C while playing many games with my 2070 Super running an ultrawide 1440p resolution.

You’ll want to make sure you always position your computer where it has access to a constant supply of fresh air, and ensure you have a good thermal paste even if you don’t plan on overclocking.

If the temperature of this product is lower, that would be better than if it was higher.

Ideally, your environment should range between 20C and 25C. Once you reach high temps like 35C, you’ll want to start looking for cooling solutions.

How To Lower GPU Temp?

If your GPU temperature is getting over 45 Deg C, you can check a few settings in the “Event Logs” of the GPU Monitor and check for any possible errors that might be causing this.

First, you can adjust the fan speed using the built-in MSI Afterburner controls. Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot The tool allows you to create a fan curve that increases or decreases the speed of your GPU fans as your graphics card heats up using user-defined presets based on temperature.

The higher the speeds that your fans spin, the more they will be able to cool down your graphics card and lower its temperature.

Typically, your graphics card runs on a pretty moderate fan curve, so there should be plenty of room in the BIOS to increase the operating temperature if you are experiencing temperatures over 75°C.

To adjust this, go to the MSI Afterburner software and click on the setting cogwheel. Now, click over at the Fan option and make sure that you have the Automatic fan control: User Defined box checked.

Now, place the temperature recording device on a different medium. Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot Adjust the control dial to change the medium’s temperature between standard room temperatures and higher than average summer heat.

Savvy technology users might be aware that as processors heat up, fan speeds increase to compensate for the increase in temperature.

You can click on your custom fan speed digital readout on the graph to adjust it upward or downward at a rate of speed that you choose.

Here is a picture of my graph. My graph reflects the effectiveness of keeping the cooling units programmed in accordance with the weather patterns of this particular climate.

My fan curve MSI Afterburner.

Next, Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot you should try to have good airflow in the room where your computer is.

For your PC case fans, you may at minimum want to have one exhaust and two other intake fans. It just all depends on what kind of setup you are going for.

It’s also helpful to let some air circulate in your case. Do this by having open vent slots in the front of your case.

Fans are key to keep the card running smoothly. Make sure there is enough airflow from the card leading up to the fan and out of your computer case because if not, this could cause overheating as well.

The heat needs to escape and leave the case because more heat is constantly being generated in addition to the constant influx of new heat.

If your PC gets clogged up due to bad airflow, this will lead to overheating issues and that means you won’t be able to use it.

The two most popular kinds of cases are ATX and mATX. While mATX does tend to be more compact, ATX cases have a reputation for providing better airflow for keeping things cool, which is especially important when overclocking something like an Intel CPU.

So, the actionable items here are simply to ensure you’re managing your cables properly. Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot Also, make sure that you have sufficient case fans to help keep the air flowing well and cool things off.

Another useful solution is to replace the thermal paste on your GPU if you have an older graphics card. Doing so can help to reduce the hot temperatures that might otherwise be causing your computer to shut down unexpectedly.

I haven’t personally done this, but I’ve seen it work for many people whose video card isn’t adequately cooling itself when its older.

This is a lot more technical and will require taking some steps such as deconstructing your GPU down in to pieces which, is made much easier by following this helpful tutorial.

Conclusion

Graphics cards generate a massive amount of heat but that is to be expected because they are working very hard and doing so with great processing power.

Avoid letting things get out of control – but not too much. Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot You can set the thermostat to no higher than 75 degrees for extra peace of mind.

Overheating is considered to be like a common occurrence anyway, especially in the summer seasons.

The fan curve is a fantastic tool for me as my CPU tends to run too hot without it. Are Graphics Cards Supposed To Get Hot My graphics card temperature on my 2070 Super increased from 60 degrees in GTA5 to 70 degrees with the fan curve.