Heat Concerns

[Walkinghome6]

I've been rendering with 2 GTX 680s, but just installed an additional 2 Titan Xs. So I have 4 cards all air cooled, right next to each other in one system.

After about 3 frames rendered, my temps get up to around 85C. I guess I didn't realize how hot that was, but when I put my hand behind the cards exhaust, it's very hot air. Can these cards run at these temperatures for long periods.

I had planned to water cool them, but was going to use the air cooling for a little while.

I have a project I was about to render and would probably be going for about a 4-5 days. Is it very possible to burn out a card this way? Should water cooling be something I seriously consider before I render this project?

I'm looking advice based on past experiences. Thanks

[smicha]

1. 85C is fine - if the card is getting hotter and hotter it will simply slow down, even by 25-35% compared to a watercooled 4-gpu setup. What are your core clocks on Titan X at 85C? To reduce temp for long renderings I'd suggest: leave only one 680 in the first pcie slot for handling monitors - don't use it for rendering if 12gb of vram is desired. Keep Xs in 2nd and 4 slot (double counted) having one slot distance between them and remove 2nd 680. You'll loose almost no speed but gain lower temps and higher core clocks.

2. Watercooling benefits when 4 gpus are on water. For about 1.2k EUR you may have entire watercooling setup done. Low noise, low temps 40-45C.
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=50540
or my footer

[smicha]

[Walkinghome6]

After making this post and doing more searching on the forum, I just recently learned about EVGA PrecisionX software. I built a fan curve that is working well and keeping all GPUs around 70C. I don't like that the fans spin up to 90% of their capacity, but they throttle down between each frame. I just dropped a few grand on these new Titans, power supply, and finally buying Octane, so I have to hold off on the liquid cooling, but for sure will do that. I've been looking into Octane for a while, but have just jumped in, so very new at GPU rendering.

The video you posted was very informative, as well as the clock throttling information.

The Titan X is EVGA SC model.
EVGA PrecisionX says the clock speeds is 1126mhz then jumps to 1303mhz. I guess that's the boost clock.

I'll probably get a 3rd Titan and sell the two 680s. My last PCI slot I'm planning an Intel 10GB network adapter. Or buy a new motherboard that comes with 10GB on board and go with 4 Titans.

[gristle]

I was going to upgrade my motherboard as well, but purchased an Amfeltec 3 way GPU specific splitter instead.

http://amfeltec.com/products/flexible-x ... -oriented/

I now have 2 X 780 running outside the case, with a 980TI in the case and a 660 for display purposes. I have one spare external PCI connection for future expansion.
The cards all run at around 50 deg C on full loading. Last animation was 8 days, 24 hrs a day, no issues. Can place PC on standby as well with the Amfeltec card whereas it use to hang up when using a USB3 PCIe riser. The two fans at the front just keep air moving.

WP_20151104_002.jpg

[Tutor]

After making this post and doing more searching on the forum, I just recently learned about EVGA PrecisionX software. I built a fan curve that is working well and keeping all GPUs around 70C. I don't like that the fans spin up to 90% of their capacity, but they throttle down between each frame. I just dropped a few grand on these new Titans, power supply, and finally buying Octane, so I have to hold off on the liquid cooling, but for sure will do that. I've been looking into Octane for a while, but have just jumped in, so very new at GPU rendering.

The video you posted was very informative, as well as the clock throttling information.

The Titan X is EVGA SC model.
EVGA PrecisionX says the clock speeds is 1126mhz then jumps to 1303mhz. I guess that's the boost clock.

I'll probably get a 3rd Titan and sell the two 680s. My last PCI slot I'm planning an Intel 10GB network adapter. Or buy a new motherboard that comes with 10GB on board and go with 4 Titans.

Sometimes the whole is greater than all of its parts, but that doesn't mean that any part isn't essential The cooler that you keep everything in your computer case by all means possible enables your system (including its CPU(s) as well as GPU(s)) to have higher overclocking potential. Continue to be guided by your creativity until you have the funds to water-cool your GPUs.

P.S.
(1) GPU Fan Control and GPU Clock Speed Manipulation
Don't forget that in addition to altering the fan curve with Precision X (or MSI Afterburner) to increase GPU fan speeds faster, you can use either of those utilities to not only increase your GPU clock speeds for all or individual GPUs (tends to make tuned GPUs faster but could lead to heat causing that GPU and its neighbor(s) [particularly the ones above] to throttle earlier because of additional heat) or decrease the speed of one or more GPU(s) (tends to make tuned GPUs [and its above neighbors cooler] but slower depending on the amount of your tweaking speed downward).
(2) GPU Placement
Additionally, consider how GPU placement affects their thermals and behavior. Are the fastest GPUs (the Titans) placed at the bottom of the stack where it may tend to be cooler (however, the second Titan above the first one will tend to be heated by the one beneath it)? For example, what happens when you put one Titan at the bottom of the stack and the other Titan at the top of the stack and progressively down clock the two inner and slower GTX 680 cards (slowing down the one beneath the top Titan card the most), all the while using Precision X to grade the GPU fan speeds kicking in faster, as an alternative to placing both Titan cards at the bottom.
(3) Internal Case Fans
Have you exhausted the potential of internal case fans to help cool the GPUs if you can adjust those fan speeds (or get better performing fan(s) for that function)? The fan(s) that blow directly on the GPU stack are most important, but the ability of all of the fans to get cooler room air in and heated air out of the case as quickly as possible are important.
(4) External Cooling Sources - Airconditioning & External Fans
Also, have you exhausted the cooling potential of external environmental controls such as using external air-conditioning to cool the room or using external fan(s) to more quickly push air in and pull air from your case.
(5) Your Creativity
Using a combination of the above may enable you to achieve the performance you desire while keeping your GPU cards as cool as possible until you water-cool them. I'm able to over-clock my air-cooled GPUs in cases using these (w)holistic techniques and have received favorable comment from others about how my GPUs perform under load [ begin at viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7144&start=570#p225780 - where I did this with eight of them all within a single case]. Make techniques like these your own by using them to tune your system to achieve its best performance.

Additional thought:
(6) Hybrid Cooling
If you're strapped for cash, consider Hybrid Cooling packages for your two present Titans and ensure that the third one that you've yet to purchase is a hybrid also- http://www.evga.com/Products/Product.as ... HY-0990-B1 and http://www.evga.com/Products/Product.as ... P4-1999-KR . To use two of the three hybrids in a single case, you may have to cut a hole in the back of the case (usually its the grill portion in most of my cases) above the GPUs (were the case lying flat on its side with the motherboard facing upward from the side of the case closest to the floor) to place the radiators and their cooling fans outside the case. The third radiator/cooling fan from the top/3rd Titan may be located where the exhaust fan is located in a push/pull arrangement. A few of my cases have two exhaust fans (one above the other) and in such circumstances two of the radiators/cooling fans can be installed internally; and thus only one of them would have to be placed externally. If your case is similar to some of mine with the PSU at the base of the back of the case you may also need to get/build a base to place the two external radiator/cooling fans on, outside the area of the hot air flow from the PSU's exhaust, unless you build an assembly to mount them to the case externally.

[Tutor]

I was going to upgrade my motherboard as well, but purchased an Amfeltec 3 way GPU specific splitter instead.

http://amfeltec.com/products/flexible-x ... -oriented/

I now have 2 X 780 running outside the case, with a 980TI in the case and a 660 for display purposes. I have one spare external PCI connection for future expansion.
The cards all run at around 50 deg C on full loading. Last animation was 8 days, 24 hrs a day, no issues. Can place PC on standby as well with the Amfeltec card whereas it use to hang up when using a USB3 PCIe riser. The two fans at the front just keep air moving.

WP_20151104_002.jpg

I'm loving it!