Hello.

I am trying to underclock my ATI Radeon HD 5570 by using the AMD Overdrive function found in the CCC. The card's temperature is in the low 70s while running iTunes, Firefox, and Steam, which is pretty high compared to what I read that it should be (in the 50s), which is why I'm trying to underclock it (and increase the fan speed).

According to the card's website, its GPU and memory clocks are 650 MHz and 900 MHz by default.

At the moment, whenever I enable Overdrive, my GPU clocks at 650 MHz and memory at 800 MHz, with 100% fan speed. On load, running DotA 2, the card's temperature runs around mid 80s, which is still higher than compared to what I read (high 70s).

I read a little about underclocking, but I'm still not sure about what I'm doing. Are these clock frequencies and temperatures safe/optimal? Does the memory clock affect temperature much, or does it primarily rely on the GPU clock? (I read that undervolting is a lot more effective, but I don't really want to run the risk of instability.)

At this point, I think I've found a fair balance between performance and temperature, but I would like tips on how to lower temperature even more.

Weather is currently around 27 C to 34 C where I live, and I usually keep the windows open. However, sometimes, I run the A/C just because I'm afraid my card is getting a bit too hot.

Is there anything else I can do to lower the card temperature or anything? How can underclocking help?

Thank you.

P.S.

I'm not sure what I'm doing, since I'm new to this.

Cleaning out the fans with compressed air and applying new thermal compound (after removing the old compound) then reseating the cooler can bring temps down significantly.

Making sure your case fans aren't busted and your case airflow is decent also helps. There should not be any need to underclock or undervolt if those fixes succeed.

Underclocking works on the same principles as overclocking. Be warned, this invalidates your warranty -- so it's not something you don't want to do haphazardly.

Increasing clock rate increases the power draw and can lower system stability. To correct the instability, higher voltages may be applied; however, this increases heat production significantly -- putting your components at greater risk for heat damage. The tradeoff is performance, obviously.

The movement of electric current through circuits creates heat; notably in integrated circuits, like your video card. Increasing the voltage increases the current, generating more heat.

So, there are two ways to reduce the amount of heat generated: undervolting and underclocking. Decreasing your clock rate will decrease the power draw, thus lowering heat produced. TRY THIS FIRST before attempting undervolting, but note that your performance will suffer. It's actually quite easy, AMD CCC has a slider to directly control clock rate.



If that doesn't do enough I or someone else can explain how to undervolt (which is more complicated than moving a slider).

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Fan speed is automatic, Ari has the run down on how to improve cooling performance.

Would it help if I took apart my computer and card and vacuumed everything? (I have a budget of a measly $0.)

I tried to get better airflow in my apartment, and I think I might have managed to bring it down a few degrees. It helps that today was relatively cool, though.

Also, I keep my fan running at 100% manually. I really want to know if this is going to negatively impact anything (besides faster dust buildup).

It burns out your video card fan realllyyyyy fast. You don't need to do that. Just have it on automatic.

Quite honestly, GPUs usually run a lot hotter than a CPU. I tried to find the max thermal rating for your GPU but couldn't find anything solid. However in my experience, anything under 85C is really nothing to worry about. For perspective, NVIDIA has produced GPUs which you could literally fry an egg on, no exaggeration, and yet they were designed to be able to run that hot and continue. Though for how long is anyone's guess.

GPUs are normally rated at 105 C


Worrying about temperature is absolutely silly. There is zero good reason to worry about it except that it's under 85.

You can also try msi afterburner.

No compressed gas?

Just getting rid of the dust should bring temps down significantly.

Some paper towel and isopropyl alcohol can go a ways.

It just feels a little higher than it should be. I'll try cleaning it out later. The thing is, when its under load without turning up the fan, it can reach temperatures in the 90s. That's when I get really worried.