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HLNKay · ‎04-04-2015

So there is this option in gpu tweak that will set fans at 100%, is it safe to let them run at full speed for several hours while gaming? My temps aren't really bad but sometimes the ambient temperature is high, or the place where we play is cramped so i was thinking in using that option for those situations.

Also, using power4gear in battery mode (usually play in performance mode, forgot to switch) i noticed the system let the gpu reach more than 92 celsius before increasing the fan to maximum power (judging by the sound my guess is that it was working at 50-60%)

In performance mode it always keeps the gpu around 85 celsius max.

Thank you in advance

Korth · ‎04-04-2015

Reference GPU coolers usually require fans rated for 50,000 hours or greater lifetime. Non-reference GPU coolers often attempt to improve on reference coolers by placing a lot of emphasis onto fans engineered for increased performance, silence, efficiency, reliability, and longevity.

Running GPU fans at max for hours at a time while gaming won't do any real harm, aside from increasing their energy consumption and noise output. It's arguably preferable to burn out relatively cheap fans to extend the lifespan of the costly parts they're designed to cool. Old and worn GPUs are usually obsolete by the time the fans are dead or dying, long past their warranty expiration, and people do sometimes repair or replace these fans as needed (although sourcing original/obsolete or at least compatible fan parts can be difficult).

Running GPU fans at max for hours at a time endlessly over many days or weeks or months will shorten their life. Usually the bearings dry up or become misaligned/imbalanced through excessive wear, unpleasant audio frequencies and disturbing oscillations become increasingly noticeable as they slowly fail. Sudden lockup failures or "explosive" disintegration of moving fan parts seldom occur, but they can happen.

Most GPUs (I hope) have at least rudimentary thermal regulation which will shut down the part at dangerous heat thresholds. More often than not some other component in a laptop will die long before the fans do.

85C-92C does seem a little hot to me. Maybe try adding a fan/cooling upgrade or at least using a laptop cooling pad while gaming? You might also improve cooling by cleaning/dusting out all the vents in your machine? Many people upgrade the fans, cooling components, and TIMs inside their laptops - although this can be technical, expensive, involved, and likely voids warranty.

"All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." - Douglas Adams

[/Korth]

HLNKay · ‎04-04-2015

Thank you for the answer Korth, i did remove the keyboard to look for dust blocking the way on the fins from the heat spreader but everything was really fine. I am no longer in warranty but in the future i will try to get the original thermal compounds asus sells for this model and see if i can repaste since in the videos and the forums it looks rather difficult.

In the mean time i will search for a cheap notebook cooler to help with the air intake and see how it works, at leas i feel better about running my fans 100% for a couple of gaming hours every once in a week.

Dcite · ‎04-04-2015

One curious thought, have you checked how hot the air coming out of the fans were VS how hot the sensor claims it seems?
If the Thermal paste is no longer doing the job, you should get relatively cool/luke warm air coming out the back.

If the paste is fine or the fins are blocked, you are not going to get much wind speed coming out, but the little that does come out should be quite hot.

HLNKay · ‎04-04-2015

The air coming from the gpu vent was really hot, so i guess the sensor was working ok.
UPDATE. I am using asus gpu tweak for rog notebooks and with the gpu overclocked at 1023mhz (what the software automatically overclocks it) and the fans at 100% on both cpu and gpu it is keeping around EDIT: 70-75 celsius running furmark and around 60 celsius while gaming (simple game, godmode) with an ambient temp of around 18-20 celsius. So my guess is that the paste is still good but makes me wonder why the auto fan control is letting it run so hot O-o.

Prostar_Compute · ‎04-06-2015

Running the fans at full speed is perfectly safe (and preferable with a temp report of 92 C, even). As Korth mentioned, doing so may short the fans' lifespan, but fans very seldom are outlived by any other components.

A laptop cooler might help a bit, but what does the most good is making the sure fans can breathe, i.e. make sure the laptop is elevated from its surface by an inch or two so that the fans can draw enough air, don't obstruct the exhaust vents, and keep the fans and heat sinks clean.

Oh, and while 85 C isn't bad, 92 C is pushing it. Go with a higher grade thermal paste than what Asus applies from factory, if you can. IC Diamond and Gelid GC-Extreme are both renowned, top tier compounds you can find at various retailers and e-tailers (if you decide to repaste, that is).

We customize Asus, MSI, and Clevo laptops!

Korth · ‎04-06-2015

Prostar Computer wrote:
Go with a higher grade thermal paste than what Asus applies from factory, if you can. IC Diamond and Gelid GC-Extreme are both renowned, top tier compounds you can find at various retailers and e-tailers (if you decide to repaste, that is).

IC Diamond is known to be abrasive and actually scratch chip packages - this can make subsequent TIM applications less efficient (unless you mirror-hone the surface each time) and can make reselling parts with "damaged" and worn-looking factory markings very difficult.

Gelid GC-Extreme has low viscosity, it's thin and runny. It seems second to none for extreme sub-zero cooling, but it does gradually "burn off" over normal use and requires comparatively frequent (maybe even seasonal) reapplication. Prolimatech PK-3 is a remarkably similar product (in terms of actual usage). Other top thermal pastes are Phobya HeGrease and Tuniq TX-4, I have no experience with either.

There are, of course, even better products like Indigo Xtreme and the Coollaboratory Ultras. These are expensive and highly sensitive to application (highly variable performance). They are actual chunks of metal, not metal-bearing pastes, which require a temperature reflow procedure to install. And they often require a lot of mechanically subtractive patience to fully remove.

There are dozens of websites dedicated to authoritative TIM measuring, testing, and comparisons. And very few agree on their top picks, although the same handful of products (mentioned above) tend to always appear in the top-tier slots. OC-enthusiast sites are filled with combative diehards who will defend the honour of their chosen TIM with endless fervour.

I personally use venerable Arctic Silver 5 for these sorts of applications. It may not be quite as efficient as other products but it consistently ranks high up in the lists and is a steadfast, proven performer (it's also cheap and readily available). And - unlike most extreme TIM products - it's a throwback from the days when TIMs were engineered to last "forever" instead of being reapplied with great frequency. Reviewers and benchmarkers and other online "laboratories" excitedly swap out their parts every week as new parts roll in for testing - they are hardly aware of TIM longevity or degradation over time - other people (like me) tend to build platforms which last and upgrade/swap our parts on a more annual basis.

"All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." - Douglas Adams

[/Korth]

HLNKay · ‎04-06-2015

Thank you all for your advice and help. I decided to run the fans at full speed for the heaviest games and automatic for the light weight ones, either way i usually don't play for more than 2-4 hours straight so i'm hoping the fans will keep up for the entire life of the notebook.

I will eventually repaste but in México the availability of high tech thermal compunds is limited and i would want to be well informed and have everything ready for the best application possible in the gpu and the rest of the components (vrm, vram etc). When the time comes be sure i will document and share the experience with the forum.

Have a great week start!

hmscott · ‎04-07-2015

Arctic Silver AS5 has been the best for me as well. I have used it for years, haven't seen much/any reduction in performance, and when I pull apart old hardware the AS5 still looks good - not dried out 🙂

If it is the right TIM for the task, I would go with it again without hesitation.

Korth · ‎04-07-2015

The difference between premium TIMs is greatly exaggerated. A "perfect" TIM (and "perfect" TIM application method) can lower measured temps by a handful of degrees and make a real difference on extreme overclocking thresholds. But any of them - even trusty old AS5 - is a strong performer and substantially superior to generic cheap toothpaste-quality no-name TIMs.

Not sure if you will actually see much improvement in your temps with a full TIM makeover, though. Some people report great results (especially those who find the factory TIM has dried out), but many report unspectacular gains. I'm personally planning to leave my Asus TIMs alone until my warranty periods expire, unless I see unquestionable symptoms of TIM failure.

"All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." - Douglas Adams

[/Korth]

Fans @100% for hours while gaming, SAFE?