4870 instability / cooling

[soderbergmattias]

Hello!

I recently bought a pair of Setsugens to use with my AMD Radeon 4870's in CrossfireX because I wanted cooler and quiter cards.

When my system was compleatly booted up after installation of the coolers I checked out the idle temps of the cards with GPU-Z, CCC and Everest.

GPU1:
DispIO: 40,5 C
MemIO: 48,0 C
ShaderCore: 43,0 C
VRM: (Dont know )
GPU2:
DispIO: 42,0 C
MemIO: 55,2 C
ShaderCore: 43,5C
VRM: 47,0 C

As you can see, the idle temps are fine. However when I go for full load:
GPU1:
DispIO: 60,5 C
MemIO: 68,0 C
ShaderCore: 63,0 C
VRM: (Dont know )
GPU2:
DispIO: 62,0 C
MemIO: 95,2 C
ShaderCore: 63,5C
VRM: 97,0 C

My load temps on my secondary graphiccard isnt that lovley.
As a result of this my system is starting to BSOD with error codes like:
0x101 and 0x114.

Things I've tried to improve cooling performance:
Reinstalled the cooler on the second card and the temps was the same.
Reinstalled again but with the spacer that came along with the cooler, no difference
Ran the sytem with one card at a time, my main GPU had low temps while the secondary one still had the same temps.

So my thought about improving cooling, get another third party VRM+GDDR cooler.

Got good airflow in the case so that isnt the problem either, and got water cooling for my CPU.


System summary:
Intel i7 920 (with the CoolIT A.L.C. cooler)
Asus P6T Deluxe V2
6gb Corsair Dominator (2gb x 3, 1600mhz, 8-8-8-24)
2x AMD Radeon 4870 512mb in CrossfireX
Cooler-Master HAF 932 case
Corsair 750w PSU

Case cooling:
2x 240mm fans (one in the front and one in the roof)
3x 120mm fans in the door
1x 120mm fan in the floor
1x 120mm fan in the front

Windows 7 x64


So, what can I do to improve temperatures and at the same time improve system stability?

[Okiwana Okimoto]

Hello soderbergmattias,

how you tested your Eetsugen´s which rmp range you use ?
I don´t know if you flip the fan on Setsugen. Flip the fan and the temperatures should fall again 5-10 C degree. This was a design mistake by us

[soderbergmattias]

Thanks for the answer!

I use the max RPM that the fancontroller allow on both cards at the moment.

I'll try to flip the fan during the weekend and try it out.
Will post my results after I've done some heatup testing.

But its abit strange since my master GPU is rather cool.

Edit: Forgot to say what RPM I use

[soderbergmattias]

Ok, flipped the cooler, reapplied the thermal paste and reinstalled the card.

Idle temps:
DispIO: 46 C
MemIO: 56 C
ShaderCore: 48 C
VRM: 53

Load temp:
DispIO: 58 C
MemIO: 70 C
ShaderCore: 58 C
VRM: ~100 C (my system BSODs when it gets 1 degree hotter)



As you can see, the temperatures has improved, but I'm still fighting with the VRM ie the real problem

[soderbergmattias]

Well, atleast now I know why the temps isnt that great, the fan wasnt exactly going in any high speeds (no idea exacly, cant see that fast rotation and count :P) but I'm guessing around 200-300 rpm or so and made a screetching sound.

Guess I'll install one of my old low profile fans and hope it gets better.

[melkhior]

Hi,

I had the same problem than you. What I did was that:



It's the "backplate" of the stock cooler. Then, just install the Setsugen. Hope it works for you

[soderbergmattias]

Thanks för the answer melkhior.

I dont have that backplate on my version of the cooler I'm afraid, only thing remote to an backplate on the card I own is two small metallic (probably copper) bars, one stretches over 4 RAM chips (vertical) and the other over the last 4 (horizontal).

Its kind of weird since I have 2x 4870 cards which are more or less identical (besides from the BIOS and the one that is making a fuzz that probably have cheaper components on it) the PowerColor one is working great while the Club3D one is hot.

The exact model I own is on the following URL:
Product section

[melkhior]

have tried to use the VRAMs and VRMs heatsinks with Setsugen? It may work.

Hope it works.

[soderbergmattias]

Originally Posted by melkhior

have tried to use the VRAMs and VRMs heatsinks with Setsugen? It may work.

Hope it works.

All of them that came slong with the cooler are installed.
Running out of ideas here :S

I'll take some pictures when I get home from work so hopefully this can be solved.

[Genghis99]

Sorry - same problem as my GTX275. Setsugen is not able to handle RV770's TDP.

Had to change to another cooler.