Consider whether further overclocking is beneficial for your Sapphire R9 290 Tri-OC.
Consider whether further overclocking is beneficial for your Sapphire R9 290 Tri-OC.
My specs here:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tZyL6h
I bought this non-reference R9 290 a few months back and I finally have time to sit down and toy with the card. This being the first card I have got that is "Factory Overclocked" I don't have the slightest idea if there is more head room for a higher overclock. I would assume I can push the card harder but not a lot. Is it safe to push a higher overclock from a Factory Overclock?
For reference of my CC and MBC, here are pictures of the set MHz of the card as well as idle temps and under load temps:
http://imgur.com/a/paTYe
The GPU stress test used was Furmark for 15 Mins.
TJ Hooker :
thor220 :
He only performed a short stress test. That card should quickly reach 85c after an hour, particularly without many fans. The Tri-x releases excess heat into the case and needs proper airflow. I suggest avoiding overclocking until those temperatures drop.
True, but he's using Furmark, which tends to cause much higher temperatures than any game I play. It's conceivable his temps during regular use would be lower, giving him more room.
Yes, benchmarks make the GPU run hotter than usual. If he chooses to overclock, increasing the fan speed would be advisable. It's usually not noticeable until around 50%.
Well looking at it, 100% load with a 76c heat output.
You might have a little more headroom for a slight bit more overclock.
But personally your very close to 80c, or slightly more, at a rough guess if you can get more speed out of the Gpu and memory on the card.
And I would not like to be running the card that hot for extended periods of time with 100% load on it.
Plus you should check or try to find out how hot the VRm`s are on the card also with 100% load.
You might be up in the 90c or more heat range with them, keep a close eye on them.
If you have room in the case for extra fans or cooling, and have not fitted any yet I would throw some in.
There will be a lot of heat building up at the top of the case unless you have two 120mm or 140mm fans set to pull air out of the case you are using.
If there is space to fit some it would help if you have not already done so.
A simple test would to be remove the side of the case, to let more air flow in, see if it helps to lower the temps of the R9 290 card by a few 0c.
Then add fans, when the side of the case is on.
It may help to shave off a few more 0c on the 290 Tri card.
Shaun observes the situation clearly, noting a full load with a 76c heat output. There could be a bit more room for a slight increase in overclocking. However, personally it seems you're almost at 80c, or maybe a little higher, depending on how much extra speed you can extract from the GPU and memory. I wouldn't want to keep the card running at full capacity for long periods under such conditions. You should also verify the temperature of the VRM units while the card is at 100% load. It's possible the heat output could reach 90c or more, so keep a close watch on that. If you have space in the case for additional fans or cooling solutions, adding them would be beneficial. There will likely be significant heat buildup at the top of the case unless you install two 120mm or 140mm fans to draw air out. If you can fit some, it would help if you haven't already. A straightforward approach is to remove the side panel of the case to improve airflow and see if it lowers the temperatures on the R9 290 by a few degrees. Then install fans and test again when the side panel is back in place. It might further reduce the temperature on the 290 model, possibly by another 0°C. It could also help to lower the 15-minute stress test result, as this card tends to rise quickly to around 85°C after an hour without adequate cooling. The Tri-X model tends to release a lot of heat and needs strong airflow; I suggest delaying overclocking until those temperatures drop. Opening the side panel won't help much, since hot air rises and doesn't move sideways effectively. It's not a long-term fix either—multiple tests show that removing the side door only benefits systems with very few fans or placed sideways. Taking out the back expansion plates and increasing fan count is a more effective solution. The Tri-X fans are noisy and become extremely loud once the GPU hits 80°C, and they don't ramp up until 72°C, which is too high for my preference. They'll only reach about 20% until that point. You can manually adjust the fan speed in the AMD settings or use a third-party tool like MSI afterburner to manage temperatures better. The only other viable option is to upgrade to better fans or use liquid cooling for the GPU.
He only performed a 15-minute stress test. That card should easily reach 85°C after an hour, particularly if it lacks many fans. The Tri-x releases excess heat into the case and needs proper airflow. I suggest avoiding overclocking until those temperatures drop.
TJ Hooker :
thor220 :
He only performed a short stress test. That card should quickly reach 85c after an hour, particularly without many fans. The Tri-x releases excess heat into the case and needs proper airflow. I suggest avoiding overclocking until those temperatures drop.
True, but he's using Furmark, which tends to cause much higher temperatures than any game I play. It's conceivable his temps during regular use would be lower, giving him more room.
Yes, benchmarks make the GPU run hotter than usual. If he chooses to overclock, increasing the fan speed would be advisable. It's usually not noticeable until around 50%.