8800 GTX running too high

[Agriya]

I have a desktop computer which I use for gaming. It is installed with Windows XP operating system. The computer has a Nvidia 8800 GTX graphic card installed on it. The problem which I am facing is, my 8800 GTX running too high on temperatures. The graphic card is getting heated up beyond threshold temperature resulting in the degradation of pc performance. Therefore I want to know how to reduce the working temperatures of the graphic card. Please suggest some solutions.

[Marthaz]

As the graphic card is getting heated up, I would suggest that you check if the cooling fan of the graphic card is working properly or not. It is possible that the cooling fan of the graphic card is working properly due to which the graphic card is getting heated up. Open the cabinet and check the cooling fan of the graphic card. If the cooling fan is covered with dust, clean it and then check the performance of the graphic card.

[ApPy10]

You can add an extra cooling fan to the computer if the cabinet of the computer and the Power supply unit support it. Extra cooling fan will improve the air flow to the cabinet which will help keeping the temperature of the graphic card low. The extra cooling fan should be supported by the power supply unit of the computer, as the extra fan will require some power to work. If the power supply unit does not supports the extra cooling fan then the computer will not boot as the required power will not be received.

[Team Leader]

Check the drivers which are installed on the computer for the graphic card which you are using. There were certain drivers which were released for 8800GTX graphic card. These drivers when installed, caused the graphic card to over perform due to which it got heated up. Uninstall the current version of the drivers from the computer and then download the latest version of the drivers for the model of the graphic card which you are using from the official site. Check if there is any changes in the operating temperature after installation of the latest drivers.

[Birdie]

Open the cabinet and remove the heat sink of the graphic card. See if there is any thermal paste applied on it. The thermal paste is responsible for absorbing all the heat from the graphic card and then transferring it to the heat sink. If the thermal paste is not present then the graphic card will get heated up. Therefore I would suggest that you apply the thermal paste again between the heat sink and the graphic card. After applying the thermal paste, the temperature of the graphic card will reduce.