How are you keeping 2 video cards cool?
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Well, currently, I'm running everything on my Quadro 4800 card. It's great for most of the time until I need to render something with Octane and everything else goes to slow motion. So I tried to plug in one of my old Quadro 4500 card in. But from the back of the 4500 to the front of the 4800 hundred, there is almost no space at all. As I constantly monitor the GPU temprature, both cards just get super hot. To the point where the 4500 can't even spin the fan normally. It would spin few cycles and then stop and then repeat. How is everyone else here who is running 2 cards cooling their system? I'm very curious. I mean I can't really just through in a super thin a weak card, that would just perform horribly on my 3D applications. Any ideas? I mean the GPU-Xpander looks nice, but it's $1300. At that point, I'd rather just buy a new cheaper PC and stuck a newer GPU in there for pure Octane awesomeness.
Dual Lindenhurst single core Xeon 3.6Ghz with Hyperthreads, 8GB DDR-2 ECC, Geforce GTX 260
Dual Xeon 5680 3.2Ghz with Hyperthreads, 24GB DDR-3 ECC, Quadro 4800 & GTX 480
Dual Xeon 5680 3.2Ghz with Hyperthreads, 24GB DDR-3 ECC, Quadro 4800 & GTX 480
Just buy a good case and some fans
And you are good to cool three cards
You don't need watercooling
Just a good case (full aluminium if possible, Lian Li, or Corsair Obsidian)
And some Noctua fans with low RPM but high airflow
And you are good to cool three cards
You don't need watercooling
Just a good case (full aluminium if possible, Lian Li, or Corsair Obsidian)
And some Noctua fans with low RPM but high airflow
http://Kuto.ch - Samuel Zeller - Freelance 3D Generalist and Graphic designer from Switzerland
You might be a little careful too that your old card hasnt accumulated a whole lot of dust inside the fan/fin area that is causing the overheating or restricting the fan from turning etc.
I had a card die like this - it all looked clean and good from the outside but it was actually semi choked with fine dust and fibres inside the cover around the heatsink.
I would be a little worried about the fan coming to a stop for any reason.
I think if it gets excessively hot the card should throttle back performance but I would expect the fan to still be going top speed.
Is the power supply up to running 2 cards? perhaps they draw only from the mobo bus though..
What temps are you seeing? 60 deg C is about the max I am happy with.
My GTS250 runs 55 deg while rendering and the FX570 about 60 deg but its higher up in the case and gets more warm air.
The GTS also has large heat pipes and extensive fins but everything in the case is air cooled with ordinary pc fans. The cards I have are both single slot width so there is some circulation space between them.
I had a card die like this - it all looked clean and good from the outside but it was actually semi choked with fine dust and fibres inside the cover around the heatsink.
I would be a little worried about the fan coming to a stop for any reason.
I think if it gets excessively hot the card should throttle back performance but I would expect the fan to still be going top speed.
Is the power supply up to running 2 cards? perhaps they draw only from the mobo bus though..
What temps are you seeing? 60 deg C is about the max I am happy with.
My GTS250 runs 55 deg while rendering and the FX570 about 60 deg but its higher up in the case and gets more warm air.
The GTS also has large heat pipes and extensive fins but everything in the case is air cooled with ordinary pc fans. The cards I have are both single slot width so there is some circulation space between them.
i7-3820 @4.3Ghz | 24gb | Win7pro-64
GTS 250 display + 2 x GTX 780 cuda| driver 331.65
Octane v1.55
GTS 250 display + 2 x GTX 780 cuda| driver 331.65
Octane v1.55
The problem for me is that the Quadro 4800 is so very thick, and there is practically no room between the backside of the 4500 and the 4800. I mean they almost touch each other. So the 4500 is blocking the fan of 4800. I don't believe a case can help. I have giant work station tower. Also... yeah for your amusement, both of these cards were running top fan speed and the temp was going up in 90 degree C... when I say I can cook eggs on them... I am not joking. At that point I had to just shut down my PC and take the 4500 out. Man I wish those GPU-Xpander would be a bit cheaper...
Dual Lindenhurst single core Xeon 3.6Ghz with Hyperthreads, 8GB DDR-2 ECC, Geforce GTX 260
Dual Xeon 5680 3.2Ghz with Hyperthreads, 24GB DDR-3 ECC, Quadro 4800 & GTX 480
Dual Xeon 5680 3.2Ghz with Hyperthreads, 24GB DDR-3 ECC, Quadro 4800 & GTX 480
My GTX260 is at 60° at 60% fan speed even after 10h of renderingyeah for your amusement, both of these cards were running top fan speed and the temp was going up in 90 degree C
But if one card block the other fan, that's another problem
Try to find a motherboard where you can put the two cards but leave a PCIe empty between the two
http://Kuto.ch - Samuel Zeller - Freelance 3D Generalist and Graphic designer from Switzerland
Doh.... well thanks for the input. I guess I will have to stay happy with what I got right now... it gets a little bit too pricy if I have to switch motherboard. If I am willing to go that far, might as well buy a new computer hahaha.Sam wrote:My GTX260 is at 60° at 60% fan speed even after 10h of renderingyeah for your amusement, both of these cards were running top fan speed and the temp was going up in 90 degree C
But if one card block the other fan, that's another problem
Try to find a motherboard where you can put the two cards but leave a PCIe empty between the two
Dual Lindenhurst single core Xeon 3.6Ghz with Hyperthreads, 8GB DDR-2 ECC, Geforce GTX 260
Dual Xeon 5680 3.2Ghz with Hyperthreads, 24GB DDR-3 ECC, Quadro 4800 & GTX 480
Dual Xeon 5680 3.2Ghz with Hyperthreads, 24GB DDR-3 ECC, Quadro 4800 & GTX 480
Notice, I only have 1 GTX260 that's why its only at 60°Doh.... well thanks for the input. I guess I will have to stay happy with what I got right now... it gets a little bit too pricy if I have to switch motherboard. If I am willing to go that far, might as well buy a new computer hahaha.
But Im sure I could run two or three without problems
Sometimes just buying new fans (noctua ones) help a lot
Or your case have a bad airflow...
http://Kuto.ch - Samuel Zeller - Freelance 3D Generalist and Graphic designer from Switzerland
couldn't you swap positions between the two cards? the fan wouldn't be blocked right?Krisonrik wrote:The problem for me is that the Quadro 4800 is so very thick, and there is practically no room between the backside of the 4500 and the 4800. I mean they almost touch each other. So the 4500 is blocking the fan of 4800. I don't believe a case can help. I have giant work station tower. Also... yeah for your amusement, both of these cards were running top fan speed and the temp was going up in 90 degree C... when I say I can cook eggs on them... I am not joking. At that point I had to just shut down my PC and take the 4500 out. Man I wish those GPU-Xpander would be a bit cheaper...
Win 7 64bits / Intel i5 750 @ 2.67Ghz / Geforce GTX 470 / 8GB Ram / 3DS Max 2012 64bits
http://proupinworks.blogspot.com/
http://proupinworks.blogspot.com/
Good airflow is essential for today computers. I have cooler master 690 case with five 12cm fans and one 12cm fan in PSU 
P.S. Try to take off left side of the case if it's acceptable for you to keep it open or mount fan on side of the case to supply cool air to vga cards.
P.S. Try to take off left side of the case if it's acceptable for you to keep it open or mount fan on side of the case to supply cool air to vga cards.