GTX 460 Problem!

[ISI300]

Hey. Got this question that's been bugging me for a few days. I've got this GTX 460 External Exhaust version from EVGA factory clocked at 720/1440/1800. Obviously I wanted to overclock it to see how far it would go. On the stock voltage of 1.025V for core, I got to 825/1650/2000. Even though it could probably go even further, I stopped right there 'cause I like rounded numbers. Anyway, I saw this article here of a roundup of 460 Cards:
http://www.behardware.com/articles/8...-gb-cards.html
as you can see from there the VRM area of the back hots up to 133 degrees at stock frequency! Is that too high? I remember people were scared about 4870 VRM temps a while back.
Is this normal? Am I going to brick it if I oc it? I'm now running it at stock clocks but with Vcore lowered to 0.9 of a volt and temps never go above 73 for GPU. I've also grazed the Internet to find that if anybody have bricked their 460 and fortunately I haven't found any.
Sorry for mu confused writing, Cheers!

[Mathragh]

Ï'm not sure wether or not your card has temperature sensors for the VRMs, but you can check that by starting up GPU-Z and clicking on the sensors tab.

If it has temperature sensors on the VRM's that'll be a good way to check if its getting too hot.

[ISI300]

No there's no VRM temp sensor on the reference 460s. If I touch it for more than two seconds I have a burnt finger.

[Law-II]

Hi

First of all [Brick or Bricking a card relates to Flashing wrong bios or bios corruption / failing] Overclocking and killing the card is another.

Monitor VRM's temps with GPU-Z

Keep VRM's under 100c

If you are going to push for higher votage, core or mem clocks [get better cooling]

Originally Posted by ISI300

If I touch it for more than two seconds I have a burnt finger

Why are you doing this ?

Upload screenshot from GPU-Z

atb (all the best)

Law-II

[Mathragh]

Allright, well, VRMs can usually take more heat than most other components, however, i'd say that 133,3C is just too hot. I'd have to agree with LAW-II here that you'd ideally want to keep your VRM's under 100C.

However, judging by the IR pictures they made, they didnt have a lot(if any) airflow in their test system, and your temperatures may be quite a bit lower then theirs.

Also, their ambient temperature seems a bit high(about 35C in an open case)

[ISI300]

Originally Posted by Law-II

Hi

First of all [Brick or Bricking a card relates to Flashing wrong bios or bios corruption / failing] Overclocking and killing the card is another.

Monitor VRM's temps with GPU-Z

Keep VRM's under 100c

If you are going to push for higher votage, core or mem clocks [get better cooling]

Why are you doing this ?

atb (all the best)

Law-II

Thanks for the info. GPU-Z cannot monitor VRM temps. only VDDC and GPU temps are there. I meant that have any of you guys heard of a GTX 460 reference VRM failure?

[Law-II]

Originally Posted by ISI300

Thanks for the info. GPU-Z cannot monitor VRM temps. only VDDC and GPU temps are there. I meant that have any of you guys heard of a GTX 460 reference VRM failure?

Hi

Had a GTX 480 go Asus OC branded, was luckily as it was still in warrenty and was able to RMA; just something to consider.

may be others from the TPU community will have had expearience with GTX 460

atb

Law-II

[ISI300]

Looks like EVGA has updated the VRM circuitry on these cards (dunno which is the latter):
The one BEhardware tested:
http://www.hardware.fr/medias/screen...?id=IMG0030702
Mine:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&sourc...61434646245254

[THE_EGG]

I learned the hard way with one of my 460's I had in SLI (768mb gigabyte reference model - other being a non-reference gigabyte OC 768mb model twin fan thingy).

The soldering around some of the vrms had gone goopy and caused catastrophic failure of the card and nasty smell coming from the PC. Not really sure why the vrms on the 460 (reference) got so damn hot. That was OCing at about 920mhz if i remember correctly with only a small increase on voltage. Temps were 'only' about 80C at peak which I thought was impressive from reference card and it was completely stable as well. I should add when that card died and I was on one 460 until I got my hands on a 570, I was running nearly the same settings on the non-reference OC card except slightly lower voltage and stable at about 70ishC at peak. Non reference model still going strong today.

[ISI300]

Originally Posted by THE_EGG

I learned the hard way with one of my 460's I had in SLI (768mb gigabyte reference model - other being a non-reference gigabyte OC 768mb model twin fan thingy).

The soldering around some of the vrms had gone goopy and caused catastrophic failure of the card and nasty smell coming from the PC. Not really sure why the vrms on the 460 got so damn hot. That was OCing at about 920mhz if i remember correctly with only a small increase on voltage. Temps were 'only' about 80C at peak which I thought was impressive from reference card and it was completely stable as well. I should add when that card died and I was on one 460 until I got my hands on a 570, I was running nearly the same settings on the non-reference OC card except slightly lower voltage and stable at about 70ishC at peak.

Which one died? reference or oc twin fan one?

[THE_EGG]

Originally Posted by ISI300

Which one died? reference or oc twin fan one?

opps sorry didn't write that. The reference one died. The non reference twin fan is still going strong today

[ISI300]

Anyway doesn't matter. At it's stock setting it's plenty fast enough and with lowered voltage a LOT cooler and a bit quieter (100c Furmark OC'd with Stock voltage vs. 74c Furmark Stock clocked with lowered voltage - Extreme burn, 1080). Thanks guys for your kind replies.

[Mathragh]

Originally Posted by ISI300

Anyway doesn't matter. At it's stock setting it's plenty fast enough and with lowered voltage a LOT cooler and a bit quieter (100c Furmark OC'd with Stock voltage vs. 74c Furmark Stock clocked with lowered voltage - Extreme burn, 1080). Thanks guys for your kind replies.

Some good advice for your card: Never use Furmark
If anything can kill your card which apparently has weak VRMs it is furmark.

Its much better to test your card with a heavy duty game, like crysis or metro, and it will also be more relevant since in the real world you will never play a game that loads your card to furmark levels. Testing with furmark doesnt prove anything other than that furmark can kill your card.

[ISI300]

Originally Posted by Mathragh

Some good advice for your card: Never use Furmark
If anything can kill your card which apparently has weak VRMs it is furmark.

Its much better to test your card with a heavy duty game, like crysis or metro, and it will also be more relevant since in the real world you will never play a game that loads your card to furmark levels. Testing with furmark doesnt prove anything other than that furmark can kill your card.

Agreed. I'm deleting furmark now for EVER!

[johnspack]

Good lord, I would never run furmark on my 480...... bad idea on first gen fermis, even a 460.