GPU Problem?

[HarrisHawk]

Hi, my current GPU is the PowerColor Red Dragon AMD Radeon RX480 8GB. Is anyone here familiar with these cards?

I'm only asking as I noticed that when I'm not playing games the fans are idle (not spinning). I have looked through the AMD Radeon Settings and attempted to adjust them but I don't think I'm able to do so. I can set a few things to manual. My gaming pc has Windows 8.1 Professional 64 Bit. I downloaded MSI Afterburner and it's allowed me to manually adjust the fan speed in terms of a percentage. I bought the GPU used off eBay back in 2019.

What percentage would you recommend I adjust it to for gaming or at idle? I tested and ran Sniper Elite 4 and the GPU temp went up to around 70-80c then when I exited the game the temps dropped back down to 34-35c.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Nexus]

Most cards have "0 RPM" modes, where the fans kick in by default at a pre-defined temperature - I believe it's usually around 50°C (which is perfectly safe).

My Nitro+ RX 480 seemed to settle at around 75°C under load while gaming (it wasn't a particularly good aftermarket cooler), so I just did a bit of experimenting with fan profiles to keep the card quiet enough for me.

Every card is a bit different, I'd suggest poking around online and seeing what fan profiles other people have made for your model card. If you're fine with current noise levels, then there's no harm in sticking with the default fan profile.

 

[HarrisHawk]

Most cards have "0 RPM" modes, where the fans kick in by default at a pre-defined temperature - I believe it's usually around 50°C (which is perfectly safe).

My Nitro+ RX 480 seemed to settle at around 75°C under load while gaming (it wasn't a particularly good aftermarket cooler), so I just did a bit of experimenting with fan profiles to keep the card quiet enough for me.

Every card is a bit different, I'd suggest poking around online and seeing what fan profiles other people have made for your model card. If you're fine with current noise levels, then there's no harm in sticking with the default fan profile.

Thanks for the reply. I thought there was a problem with the card when I was playing a game and the fans were not spinning. However the game I was playing wasn't that intensive I don't think. Sniper Elite 4 seemed to bump up the GPU temp to around 80c. Then it dropped back down to 75-70c.

What fan speed should I set it to in MSI Afterburner? It allows me to have the fans running constantly. As I can't set it in that way through the AMD Radeon Settings.

Also, the fans both spin up when I turn the computer on and Windows boots. But after that they stop spinning. Considering that using MSI Afterburner allows me to have the fans running constantly is that an indication that they fans are actually working correctly and that there are no problems with them. It's a used card, that's the only reason I'm asking. I've inspected the card myself and can't find anything wrong or see anything wrong. The seller on eBay also told me that he re-applied and put new thermal paste on as well.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

As @Nexus has said, it's normal for the fans to stop if the card is idle.

The fans will start up when the system starts because having the fans running is safer than having them not run. As soon as the temperatures probes start up and send data to the thermal management software, the fans will then stop if the temperature supports it.

You have a tradeoff between temperature and noise. In normal operation, your card will manage itself, lowering fan speed to reduce noise unless the temperature requires additional cooling. Afterburner offers you the ability to over-ride that self-management, but based on what you're describing, your card is managing itself as expected.

It sounds like yours is working fine.

 

[Dave A]

I'll third what @Nexus and @GilesGuthrie have said, it sounds like the card is working absolutely fine (at least as far as the fans are concerned). What you're describing is absolutely normal behaviour.

 

[sesselpupser]

80 degrees is fine for a graphics card, nothing to worry about.