Just got an R9 290X

[Thimblewad]

Hey!

I just got my hands on an old, reference R9 290X:
→ put it system
→ DDU
→ new drivers
→ working okayish

Problems:
→ very high temperatures (no problem reaching >90 °C)
→ loud as hell

Fixes:
→ took cooler off, new thermal paste (ArcticCooling MX-2) etc.
→ undervolt 125 mV (core)
→ core clock down by 50 MHz

Results:
→ temperatures go up to 90 °C
→ much quieter but still a bit too loud

Sooo... I'm using the GPU on a 1080p 60 Hz panel and it does great, I mean, max it all out, still 60 FPS, even with the undervolt and underclock.

1. Should I just clock it down and undervolt it a bit more, to get a few extra degrees? Since I'm getting stable 60 FPS everywhere and have them capped, shouldn't be a problem, right?

2. Maybe even try flashing a reference R9 290 BIOS (yes, I've done things like this before)?

3. What do you think I should do, to lower temperatures?

My settings:

GPU-Z:

 

[EarthDog]

Seems like a waste to downclock the thing...but its your card and your choice.

Welcome to a few years ago with the 290x... high power, noisey blower fan, runs hot.

I wouldnt flash it to a 290, lol, hell no.

 

[P4-630]

Buy an aftermarket cooler for it or water-cool it.

 

[ne6togadno]

https://www.arctic.ac/us_en/accelero-xtreme-iii.html

 

[Thimblewad]

Hmm, well, I'd like to solve things as best as possible without buying anything, atl east for a month or so

Would it maybe help if I unscrew the cooler shield and put a 120mm fan on the side of my case as intake?

+ That Accelero looks nice and thermals seem great too, it costs about 40 $, right?

 

[Tatty_Two]

Agree with getting aftermarket cooling, my 290X obviously isn't reference but even overvolted and overclocked it stays cool and quiet, it really does make all the difference, don't cripple the card for a few $ if you can help it.

 

[Thimblewad]

Even with all the noise and heat issues, I still decided on keeping it, it's an immense upgrade from my R9 270X (used to stay below 55 °C overclocked and overvolted).

So, until I get a new cooler, put another fan on the side of the case to help out, but, what about taking off the cooler shield?

 

[EarthDog]

what about taking off the cooler shield?

That would prevent all the air from going across the heatsink... not a good idea.

 

[ne6togadno]

i see 90$ at their site but i think it can be found cheaper if you look at online retailers

edit:
on top of undervolt & underclock try custom fan curve. increase rpm of fan at lower temps but dont let it hit max rpm till 90C. find what rps give you acceptable noise and set those rpms for temps from 40-45C till 80-85C. this should give reasonable noise most of the time and jet will come only on continues heavy loads

 

[R00kie]

Framecap it, at least in games where it reaches over 60 fps, you will have lower usage therefore lower temperatures and noise. You can't really do much to it unless you put a far better cooling solution on it.

 

[qubit]

Those things ran hot and noisy so I'm not surprised you're seeing this. Get an aftermarket cooler if you want like the others are saying.

And definitely don't flash it unless it's got a dual BIOS and then only do one of them so you can go switch if disaster strikes. @eidairaman1 we need your siggy!

 

[Thimblewad]

Those things ran hot and noisy so I'm not surprised you're seeing this. Get an aftermarket cooler if you want like the others are saying.

And definitely don't flash it unless it's got a dual BIOS and then only do one of them so you can go switch if disaster strikes. @eidairaman1 we need your siggy!

I know his signature, I've done this already, it's fine hahaha.

 

[Sasqui]

The only thing that would get mine to 90c was furmark, everything else was never more than 80c

 

[Thimblewad]

The only thing that would get mine to 90c was furmark, everything else was never more than 80c

Stock cooler, stock everything? :O

 

[R00kie]

Mine would get to 95 in a couple of minutes of gameplay and start throttle, and that was both 290 and a 290x, both from MSI, and both with Twin Frozr IV coolers.

 

[yogurt_21]

mine never really goes above 75C even in a hotish room, granting its the 290 non X. Still the cooler included in the HIS bundle was more than adequate. Which of course led to vicious clocking when I first got it and now the piper is coming due on that.

overall a new cooler will solve both your issues. Mine is decently quiet as well as cool.

 

[qubit]

I know his signature, I've done this already, it's fine hahaha.

The siggy has been triggered and cannot be stopped, muhahahaha!!!

I'm curious what card you had before this since you say it's a big upgrade.

 

[R00kie]

The siggy has been triggered and cannot be stopped, muhahahaha!!!

I'm curious what card you had before this since you say it's a big upgrade.

He said it was a 270X in post #7.

 

[Solaris17]

Hey!

I just got my hands on an old, reference R9 290X:
→ put it system
→ DDU
→ new drivers
→ working okayish

Problems:
→ very high temperatures (no problem reaching >90 °C)
→ loud as hell

Fixes:
→ took cooler off, new thermal paste (ArcticCooling MX-2) etc.
→ undervolt 125 mV (core)
→ core clock down by 50 MHz

Results:
→ temperatures go up to 90 °C
→ much quieter but still a bit too loud

Sooo... I'm using the GPU on a 1080p 60 Hz panel and it does great, I mean, max it all out, still 60 FPS, even with the undervolt and underclock.

1. Should I just clock it down and undervolt it a bit more, to get a few extra degrees? Since I'm getting stable 60 FPS everywhere and have them capped, shouldn't be a problem, right?

2. Maybe even try flashing a reference R9 290 BIOS (yes, I've done things like this before)?

3. What do you think I should do, to lower temperatures?

My settings:
View attachment 91114

GPU-Z:
View attachment 91115

I tore down my ref 290x back in the day. the cooler is brutal looks like it was milled by dragging it on a brick road. I dropped temps with a proper thermal job and even mroe with a quick lap a year or two down the road.
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/my-xfx-290x-teardown-56k.196249/

 

[Tatty_Two]

My Vapour X at 1175mhz @ 1.3V hits under 80, the thing is the cooler is so good it is still quiet at that temp. Op, scan E Bay and the like for crippled 290X's being sold for scrap to try and get a decent cooler maybe.

 

[EarthDog]

I wouldn't have jumped to the same generation... ick. Isn't a 480/580 about as fast as a 290 using 1/3 the power? a 1060? All notable improvements over a 290x, no?

 

[cdawall]

The stock blower is garbage on the 290 and 290x both ran hot. They will run at 91-94c just as it is.

Nothing you do will really change that.

If you want lower temps get a better cooler.

 

[Sasqui]

Stock cooler, stock everything? :O

Well, sort of. I lapped the HS base (not a great job) and added AS5. It was just as quiet as my XFX DD playing games and benchmarks other than Furmark. The DD was about 5c cooler tho.

But... all cards are different. I was looking for a aftermarket cooler (partner board cooler that is) that would fit on that reference board. It was a Sapphire BF4 edition card. I sold it on eBay about 4 months ago.

 

[Thimblewad]

I wouldn't have jumped to the same generation... ick. Isn't a 480/580 about as fast as a 290 using 1/3 the power? a 1060? All notable improvements over a 290x, no?

I didn't exactly buy it

 

[Durvelle27]

Welcome to the world of owning a reference card

I put a Accelero Xtreme on mine and it ran very cool OC'd to 1250/1600