Publication №10: How to extend the life GPU
A few days ago my Asus GTX 770 DirectCU II OC video card appeared artifacts and freezes, even while on the desktop. Usually - this happens due to the detachment of the crystal from the substrate. Today, I want to tell you about how to extend the life of your video card. But first, I’ll tell you a little about my case, so that it’s easier for me to convince you.
Biography
My GTX 770 was purchased in 2013. Of the positive qualities I want to note the enhanced power subsystem and a good cooling system. Actively used it, only about a year. The remaining six years, until today, it was used from an hour to two a day, for games and several hours, for watching movies. In the last year, I mainly launched only Bannerlord, applying “very low” or “low” graphics settings, with a FPS limit of up to 60 fps, so that my video card does not work in vain, because my monitor does not support more than 60 Hz.
List of components
Below I made alist of components that could affect the temperature performance of the GPU and the quality of the supply.
Case: Zalman Z12 plus
Cooler case: 120 x 5
PSU: Seasonic M12II-650 Bronze
Briefly summarized: a case with perforated panels, a large number of coolers, a power supply with Japanese capacitors and high-quality circuitry. In general, everything is in order here!
Maintenance
I always treated the computer very carefully, every year the system unit underwent a complete cleaning, with the dismantling of each component, the replacement of thermal paste with the MX-4 was also included here.
Possible causes of failure
After Bannerlord became alpha, starting in August, I sometimes used safe overclocking without changing the core voltage. For testing, I used different benchmarks: Furmark and 3D mark “Time spy”. Testing time was usually short-lived and I always controlled the temperature, I completed all stress tests in September. Yes, and I rarely activated acceleration itself, since the game, without acceleration, could fly out on some patches. But about a month ago, I began to actively apply overclocking with varying success, as I was constantly experimenting with the frequency of the video core and memory. My overclocking options often caused unstable work in the game. Although, in addition to closing the game and making mistakes, nothing happened. As a result, I found reliable overclocking parameters and decided to confirm the results in thebenchmark OCCT and was surprised by the temperature of my GPU, about 80 degrees Celsius, which he gained in a minute, so after two sessions, one minute, I stopped using this stress test and that's it others. I just continued to play on stable overclocking options for me. In justification, I will say that in the specification of the manufacturer of my video card, even this temperature for the GPU was not critical.
Briefly about the main
- Try to maintain your computer once a year. This should include the complete cleaning of all components from dust and the replacement of thermal paste, if you don’t know which one to buy, just use the Arctic MX-4. Beware of fakes! For quick dust cleaning, I use Total Tools TB2046. This is a garden tool for blowing leaves. You can buy a similar device from any company, it cost about $ 25. The main thing when blowing is to stop the coolers;
- Do not use overclocking for the GPU, in the best case you will get 5-10% performance gain. But most likely, your video card will constantly reset the frequency, and in an attempt to find the ideal parameters, you will kill your video card with benchmarks;
- Use the fps limiter in games or in utilities such as Msi Afterburner, selecting a parameter several units lower than the frequency of your monitor. Do not confuse with the idiotic V-sync;
You will receive:
- smoother gameplay with a reduced number of jerks and staters;- good energy savings;
- lower temperatures for the GPU;
- thanks from your video card
.- Use high-quality PSUs, most people save on this component - this is the most common and big mistake. I saw a case where one power supply killed two whole computers completely all the components;
- If you choose a new case, you should not look at RGB and a pretty glass panel in the front, but think about the fact that in such a case you will at least get a temperature increase of 5-7 degrees;
- Do not skimp on the purchase of coolers for your system unit, use at least 2-3 pcs. One at the back, one at the front and one at the top.
Otherwise, you risk becoming a member of the club Intel HD graphic. Now I’m trying to repair my video card using improvised tools and if I can extend life for it, at least for a couple of months, I will definitely make a message on this subject. And now I just want to wish you good luck and that’s all I have, see you soon!
