What is a safe GPU temperature (I know it differs for idle, load, etc.)

[BillClaire]

I did some googling the other day when I noticed my GPU was at 70 C, and the general consensus seemed to be that was fine, well below max allowed temperature. Nevertheless, I wanted to ask in this forum (my GPU info follows - it is passive cooling, no fan).


Graphics
Monitor
Name Acer S201HL on ASUS HD6450
Current Resolution 1600x900 pixels
Work Resolution 1600x870 pixels
State Enabled, Primary, Output devices support
Monitor Width 1600
Monitor Height 900
Monitor BPP 32 bits per pixel
Monitor Frequency 60 Hz
Device \\.\DISPLAY1\Monitor0
ATI ASUS HD6450
Manufacturer ATI
Model ASUS HD6450
Device ID 1002-677B
Subvendor ASUStek Computer Inc (1043)
Current Performance Level Level 0
Current GPU Clock 650 MHz
Current Memory Clock 600 MHz
Current Shader Clock 600 MHz
Voltage 1.000 V
GPU Clock 650.0 MHz
Temperature 64 °C
Core Voltage 1.000 V
Driver version 15.201.1801.0
BIOS Version 113-AD65000-104
Memory Type DDR3
Memory 2048 MB
Bandwidth 9.6 GB/s
Count of performance levels : 3
Level 1 - "Perf Level 0"
GPU Clock 400 MHz
Shader Clock 600 MHz
Level 2 - "Perf Level 1"
GPU Clock 400 MHz
Shader Clock 600 MHz
Level 3 - "Perf Level 2"
GPU Clock 650 MHz
Shader Clock 600 MHz

Thank you in advance for your answers.

 

[Dem9kz]

It depends tbh... 70°C is too hot during constant idle state. A gpu shouldn't exceed more than 40 °C ~ 50°C when idle. On the other hand, I can tell you that most graphics cards can withstand safe temps ranging from 75 °C ~ 80°C under really heavy load; anything past that could result in damage to the chip. So I'd say your gpu might be overheating. It could be the fan is not spinning properly or lack of thermal paste, pump failure, etc.

 

[evernessince]

Max safe temperature is going to vary on length the card stays at said temp.

Absolute max is 102c. You don't want to exceed that even for short periods of time.

90c is fine for short periods but not for longer gaming sessions

86c is fine for most gamers. Silicone can start degrading above this temp. The higher above this temp, the higher likelyhood of degradation.

82c is fine for long term operation, you don't have to worry about degradation from heat at this temp. It's what most people recommend as max although that's rather conservative.


Now when you say 70c, you didn't specify under what load. If that's during casual computer use like web browsing, that's very bad. Most GPUs should be close to their idle temps when not on 3D clocks.

If it's during a light - medium graphical load, like GPU accelerated applications (or light gaming), that's a bit high still.

If it's during full load, 70c is excellent.

 

[mbeeston]

70*c doesn't seem to bad for passively cooled if there was a little load on it like watching a video.
should be safe, whats the airflow in you case like?

 

[Caring1]

The info you have posted shows the GPU to be a HD 6450 although that may not be correct due to AMD reusing the same card with minor changes and renaming them in the next generation.
Is it possible to look at the GPU and see a part number, I suspect it may be: https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/asus-r5-230-silent-2-gb.b2900

 

[BillClaire]

It depends tbh... 70°C is too hot during constant idle state. A gpu shouldn't exceed more than 40 °C ~ 50°C when idle. On the other hand, I can tell you that most graphics cards can withstand safe temps ranging from 75 °C ~ 80°C under really heavy load; anything past that could result in damage to the chip. So I'd say your gpu might be overheating. It could be the fan is not spinning properly or lack of thermal paste, pump failure, etc.

Thanks for your quick reply.

Like I said in my post, my processor is "passive" cooling - no fan, just a heat sink. One of a series AMD Radeon which came out with no fans. It is shown in the link of Caring1 which I quoted in this reply. Right now, under minor load, with ambient temp at 67 F, the card temp is 57 C. At moderate to medium, it goes up to 65; if the ambient temp gets around 88 F or higher, it goes up to 70 at the same load.

The info you have posted shows the GPU to be a HD 6450 although that may not be correct due to AMD reusing the same card with minor changes and renaming them in the next generation.
Is it possible to look at the GPU and see a part number, I suspect it may be: https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/asus-r5-230-silent-2-gb.b2900

Yes, that is the exact card.

Max safe temperature is going to vary on length the card stays at said temp.

Absolute max is 102c. You don't want to exceed that even for short periods of time.

90c is fine for short periods but not for longer gaming sessions

86c is fine for most gamers. Silicone can start degrading above this temp. The higher above this temp, the higher likelyhood of degradation.

82c is fine for long term operation, you don't have to worry about degradation from heat at this temp. It's what most people recommend as max although that's rather conservative.


Now when you say 70c, you didn't specify under what load. If that's during casual computer use like web browsing, that's very bad. Most GPUs should be close to their idle temps when not on 3D clocks.

If it's during a light - medium graphical load, like GPU accelerated applications (or light gaming), that's a bit high still.

If it's during full load, 70c is excellent.

It is at light to medium load, with ambient temp 88 F. Usually is stays around 65C under light to medium load when ambient temp is in the 70-77 F range (for instance, web browsing and streaming video).

From what you said, it sounds like it might be okay. Thank you.

70*c doesn't seem to bad for passively cooled if there was a little load on it like watching a video.
should be safe, whats the airflow in you case like?

The air flow is pretty good - three fans, a lot of vents. I am almost always streaming video.

 

[blued]

Anything under 90c (load) is OK if 'safety' is your criteria. There are some cards where even above 90c is the norm (older AMD Hawaii cards) which were run 24hr/day for weeks and months for mining.
But for performance sake, preferably under 80c is best to ensure no throttling occurs, which on many cards may occur in the mid 80s. Ultimately you should not have to worry about safety of the cards as many cards have protective features that prevent damage (by throttling or shutdown) when temps pass certain thresholds.