Why is the card warmed up?

For some PC owners, the most real revelation is the fact that any video card is heated, both discrete and embedded in a chipset or CPU.

Why is this happening? For what reason is the card warmed? All is explained quite simply: the modern video adapter is based on a graphics processor consisting of millions of electronic switches - transistors. Although the current consumption of each of them is negligible, its total value is relatively large.

As is known from the physics course, when the current passes through the conductor, the temperature of the latter increases. The effect is much more pronounced at high frequencies, which is the case in video cards. This can be avoided only when superconductors are used at absolute zero.

So, if the video card is heated, then this does not mean a malfunction.

However, in forums this topic is too often raised. Why is the topic widely discussed? The reason for this is that sometimes the graphics card gets too hot, which bothers the owner of the computer.

There are no problems with CPUs integrated into the CPU - modern massive cooling systems easily dissipate over 100 W of thermal power, which is more than enough. In addition, their performance is several times less than the mainstream class of discrete adapters, so the operating frequency and the number of transistors is not enough to create a high load that exceeds the efficiency of the cooling system. In other words, most often an external video card is being heated , plugged into the socket on the motherboard.

One of the most difficult questions that can not be answered exactly is: "What is the normal temperature of the video card?". It is only possible to determine approximately the permissible heating. The best solution is to go to the site of the graphics processor manufacturer (not the entire video card) and in the description of the specific model find the value of the permissible temperature. At the same time, one should take into account that the existing technology of semiconductor transistors does not allow creating two absolutely identical ones, that's why in batches there is always a small "spread" of parameters, however, within the margin of error. This leads to the fact that one video card can remain operational at 70 degrees, and the other, exactly the same, only at 60. That's why if the video card is heated, the owners sometimes indicate the most different temperatures of their video cards of one model line. If there is no data on heating on the manufacturer's website, it is possible to compromise - to find out 3-4 values declared by users and to determine the average. If during the operation of a "heavy" 3D application (computer game) the heating does not exceed 70 degrees, then there is no cause for concern.

There are several reasons for the temperature increase:

- contamination of the radiator on the video card by dust. The fact that all computer components need to be cleaned from dust 2-3 times a year, but this rule is rarely followed - hence the problem;

- Stop the cooling fan (if it is);

- mismatch of the voltages supplied by the power supply unit to the required values. Cheap computer power supply units need to be changed every 1-2 years, because because of their poor quality after a certain time, the parameters begin to "float", disrupting the operation of all components;

- drying of thermal paste. Between the surface of the GPU and the radiator there is an intermediate medium - thermal paste. Over time, it loses its properties and requires replacement;

- hardware failure of the video card itself. A common cause is a swollen electrolytic capacitor. Also, some models from the company nVidia (for example, 9600 GT) became famous for the fact that after one or two years the soldering of the CPU legs is destroyed, leading to unpredictable consequences - from the temperature rise to the complete inoperability of the chip;

- The most banal reason is the incorrect circulation of airflows inside the system unit. If the heating remains within acceptable limits with the side cover of the system unit removed, then it is worthwhile to think about additional fans.