System experiences frequent freezes accompanied by odd visual distortions.
System experiences frequent freezes accompanied by odd visual distortions.
I'm experiencing unusual behavior with my 2060 Super. The system boots and runs smoothly, but stressing the GPU during games or benchmarks causes crashes. After several attempts to stabilize it, the whole PC freezes with strange visual glitches. Monitoring tools show the GPU occasionally jumps to a high core clock (up to 1900MHz) before crashing. I've reset the card, reinstalled drivers, and adjusted temperatures, but sometimes lowering the GPU clock to -404 MHz helps.
This reminds me of what I’ve been having. What temperatures are you observing? Core and VRAM would be most helpful. The solution that helped me was setting the core clock to stock and reducing memory clock by 100mhz. This suggests the issue might be with the VRAM overheating or it’s losing stability. Since my card doesn’t have VRAM sensors, I can’t confirm for sure without testing heating pads and seeing the impact.
I normally notice temperatures around 58-60°C at idle when the system was operating normally. During gaming or when the GPU is under stress, it reaches up to 88°C, which is the maximum. I recently replaced the thermal pads and paste about a month and a half ago, and it resolved itself after that. However, it returned about 5-6 days ago. I’ve also adjusted the room temperature to around 26°C to lower ambient heat, but the problem persists. Thank you for your assistance—I’ve been troubleshooting this for nearly two months now, and it’s becoming increasingly frustrating.
Recent temperature updates show stable performance with an average of 88.7°C and hotspot readings at 104.2°C at 870MHz. The system is operating at 51% TDP, which appears to be a thermal limitation. It might be worth replacing the GPU to check for any damage to the heat pipes.
Apologies for the delayed response. You're definitely running hot. As you mentioned, 88°C is the upper limit the chip was built for. Have you considered taking off the side panel to help reduce the case temperature? Also, what's your CPU temperature looking like? Which case model are you using? If this has been a consistent issue for two months, it might indicate a problem. Based on how often you play, that's quite a long period outside its intended thermal range. Typically, I try to manage heat by opening side panels, removing the front panel, clearing dust filters, and running a box fan at full speed angled a few feet away. As long as the GPU's heat sink is effectively dissipating heat, the fan should circulate enough air to keep things cool. If that doesn't work, I'd recommend re-pasting the GPU and checking that your thermal pads are properly seated—look for indentations where they touch the heat sink.
I've already replaced the GPU and confirmed the thermal pads are in contact. I removed it yesterday and verified everything was fine. Airflow seems to be working well with the Corsair 275R case and full fan slots at a slight positive pressure. I've been using the PC for about two years, so it's possible the GPU has simply worn out. CPU temperatures stay low around 65°C during heavy use because I installed a large air cooler in advance. I plan to stress-test it with maximum load, a cooler room temperature, and good airflow, then see if performance improves. However, since I keep the AC on low and still experience crashes, it might not help much. I'll give it another try and check back later.
It's likely the device is damaged. Running at full temperature for two years probably worsened things. Even if your CPU stays cool, changing the environment might not fix it. Are the GPU fans making noise? I remember a 290 model from several years ago that overheated because only one fan was working. Please let me know the airflow results.
I tested the airflow and it maintained high temperatures up to 88°C. Running it with a lower clock speed and reduced voltage improved stability, though performance remains far from ideal. There are clear signs of efficiency loss. Considering an upgrade to a 3060TI seems like a smart move—available for a good price on local marketplaces, and it could work well with your existing GPU for server or video output needs.