GPU too low for WoW?

[Xarganthos]

hello, i have a problem with my GTX 260.

Since Cataclysm my GPU becomes extremely hot and has a usage of 90%+, getting to 85°C with 100% fanspeed. Is it too low or is this somehow fixable with drivers?

Setup:
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 @ 2,8ghz
GPU: EVGA Nvidia GTX 260
Memory: Samsung 8GB DDR3-1066
MB: Asus P5Q3Deluxe
PSU: Corsair HX620W
250GB Hard Drive
Monitor: Asus MW221u 22"
OS: Windows 7 Home Ed. 64-Bit

please pardon my poor english

[vesseblah]

It's normal temp for that card when it's running at full speed. You could try lowering some settings from WoW, like multisampling and texture filtering. Those two are the heaviest for few years old graphics cards like yours.

Or it could be a symptom of the card needing cleaning. Check out if the video card's fan/heatsink is full of dust/shit you can blow off.

[Xarganthos]

85°C @ 100% fanspeed? if i lower it just a bit it goes up to 105° and i dont think this is normal. Shouldnt need cleaning, already did that and like i said its since cataclysm and the graphic in wow shouldnt be a problem since i played games like crisis without problems, or is it a mistake of mine?

[muCephei]

My old graphics card was a GTX 260 (core 216 version mind you, so slightly faster) and I never reaches temperatures like that. I would usually max out at 71°C or so when the fan was running on full. But like Vass said, turn down the most intensive settings on WoW and it will help. I'd also like to add "view distance" to Vass' list of things to turn down, the difference between 'max' and 'good,' while noticeable, won't affect your game play a large portion of the time.

Also, to clarify, what do you mean when you "lower it just a bit it goes up to 105°?" Naturally if you lower the fan speed the temperature will go up.

[Xarganthos]

just a bit, like 80% fanspeed because it becomes extremely loud, sure it will go up but thats clearly too much...

[muCephei]

It is. But like we said, turn down the really intensive stuff and see how it works out.

[vesseblah]

85°C @ 100% fanspeed? if i lower it just a bit it goes up to 105° and i dont think this is normal.

Those really are normal numbers for midrange and highend Nvidia's DX10 GPUs. GTX295 is supposed to run at about 90C on full speed.

More interesting question is why the card is running at full speed whole time, that's why I suggested bad fan/heatsink. Could be also result of some overclocking on the graphics card, or simply too demanding settings on WoW.

[redmund]

My own 260 ran around 70-75 degrees with everything cranked up to full, but the fan stayed slow and quiet so that card should have absolutely zero trouble with WoW. I'm going to go along with possible bad heatsink/fan or poor thermal contact between the heatsink and the gpu itself. It's also possible you just have absolutely terrible air flow inside your case. Check your case, try to tidy up any cables that might be obstructing air flow. Tie them back, reroute them, then check temperatures again. If that makes no difference, I'd probably pop off the heatsink/fan assembly from the gpu, and either replace it or just clean off the die itself and apply new thermal past, then reinstall the heatsink. After all that, you could maybe just RMA the card and get a brand new replacement.

[DarkBlade6]

Turn down Multisample and Texture Filtering to 2x/2x (or even lower!) and set shadow to good, everything else on ultra , you'll probably see a BIG difference!!

[Cows For Life]

Open your computer and clean out the dust from the GPU before it dies like my last one.

[reemi]

No, your computer is fine... you are not playing the latest game.

[moaradin]

Temps seem pretty normal to me. GPUs are allowed to get much hotter than CPUs. Although 100% fan speed seems pretty high. I would clean your computer like a post above said. Its good to do it monthly.