# Noob help - GPU cooling advice



## JamesBay (May 14, 2018)

Hey all. I tried to search the forums here and couldn't find exactly what I was searching for. Basically, I set up a 6 GPU rig recently and can't figure out how to cool down the GPU's adequately. What I have is: 6 XFX RX580 and 3 fresh air fans coming in and 3 fans going out of the chassis. I also set the fans on each GPU to go to 100% at 75C. Even with all of this, I am running at 87-89C consistently. And from what I understand, this is going to either burn my cards up or create a fire hazard. So, two questions: 1) can anyone recommend a very high air flow fan that I can daisy chain with 4 pin molex and 2) any software tweaks I can use outside of afterburner?

After spending a butt load of money, this rig is going to be a paper weight if I can't cool down my cards.

Thanks for the help.


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## Vayra86 (May 14, 2018)

Open case / mining rig because let's face it, that's whats up here...

Also, keep in mind that ambient temperature is the first and foremost influence on your card temps under load. Cooling happens by dissipating heat. And you can only dissipate heat with a significant temperature difference, so anything you can do to increase the potential difference is going to increase the effect of any active cooling you do. First and simplest thing to think of is putting the rig in the basement if you have one. Second is airconditioning and/or ventilation (but this is a power hog too = $$$ so factor that in).

Something like this







These people know more (and finer) details than I do
@R-T-B
@cdawall
@trog100


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## Supercrit (May 14, 2018)

You used a chassis, open or closed? If it's open it's better to have some large box fans instead of multiple 120mm PC fans, you will save a ton because for the amount of air they can move they are lot cheaper. also do have fresh air intake and hot air exhaust for the room itself.


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## JamesBay (May 14, 2018)

I was attempting to find a solution to stack rigs and not make it look like I was creating server farm to piss off the wife.  So, I chose to go to a chassis rather than an open air solution.  I have everything in a Hydra II chassis.  Other people aren't running into the high temps, I think, because of the fans they are using (and closing the side vents for max flow).  It sounds like you guys are recommending on going with an open rack...correct?  No high powered fans or software adjustments?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B4QHDPJ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## Supercrit (May 14, 2018)

To save money, make one yourself with some wood if you have the power tools, customize it yourself and incorporate components wherever you want. Otherwise, have the case open, lay on the ground/table, have a large box fan blowing directly to the cards, much better than trying to direct the airflow in tight spaces with 6 cards.


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## JamesBay (May 14, 2018)

Thank you Super for the advice.  I am going to have to find a decent looking open air, stackable frame from Amazon.  My wife will get pissed me having a hokey wood thing in the house.

Wish I could keep the chassis...but I don't know how to cool the cards down....


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## Jetster (May 14, 2018)

If changing the case or opening it up doesnt work. . Buy an AC unit tog get your ambient temps down


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## Nuckles56 (May 14, 2018)

Also if noise isn't a consideration, buy 6 of these and then you'll be fine, they move so much air it isn't funny  https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dnPfrH/delta-electronics-case-fan-afb1212ghecf00


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## biffzinker (May 14, 2018)

JamesBay said:


> My wife will get pissed me having a hokey wood thing in the house.


I highly doubt screaming Delta fans would go over any better with the OP's wife.


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## phanbuey (May 14, 2018)

Mod the case to hold a box fan as someone here said


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## Norton (May 14, 2018)

@JamesBay what are you using for fans? 

Note that the manual for that case recommends some pretty heavy duty fans:


> *2. Install the fans*
> We recommend high speed server fans with greater than 4000 RPM and 150 CFM.
> Generic case fans may not provide adequate static pressure for server environment.


https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0817/8277/files/Hydra_2_Rev_B_User_Manual.pdf?184048170500311230


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## Hood (May 14, 2018)

JamesBay said:


> My wife will get pissed me having a hokey wood thing in the house.


But she won't mind sweating from the massive heat output, or the super loud Delta fans?  As long as it doesn't look "hokey"?  You have a problem, my friend. Tell her your machine prints money and she will be more tolerant!  The Delta fans linked above would work, but they're very loud (like a nearby vacuum cleaner).  Describe your climate and living space for more specific solutions (basement, attic, spare rooms?).


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## eidairaman1 (May 14, 2018)

Don't piss your wife off, if she tells you no on the mining thing don't go behind her back and do it or try to hide it, that would betray her trust in you.


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## moproblems99 (May 15, 2018)

eidairaman1 said:


> Don't piss your wife off, if she tells you no on the mining thing don't go behind her back and do it or try to hide it, that would betray her trust in you.



Sounds like it is a little late for that.  However, this was the best advice here.  That said, I'll gladly take those cards off your hands so she doesn't find out.


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## Caring1 (May 15, 2018)

Your GPU temps aren't too bad in my opinion, as long as they stay below 90C.
Does that rack come with a top that closes, and directs airflow more accurately?
I would look in to fans with a high CFM and hopefully low Db.


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## JamesBay (May 15, 2018)

Nuckles56 said:


> Also if noise isn't a consideration, buy 6 of these and then you'll be fine, they move so much air it isn't funny  https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dnPfrH/delta-electronics-case-fan-afb1212ghecf00



Actually, I am considering that fan.  I need to make a decision on replacing the fans I have (1300RPM) or buying a new rig frame.  The noise may be a problem, but an open air rig with subpar fans are going to make nice as well.



moproblems99 said:


> Sounds like it is a little late for that.  However, this was the best advice here.  That said, I'll gladly take those cards off your hands so she doesn't find out.



I may take you up on that.  I just found out today that I am only going to make $5 a day running all 6 cards 24/7.  This whole endeavor may not be worth it...



Caring1 said:


> Your GPU temps aren't too bad in my opinion, as long as they stay below 90C.
> Does that rack come with a top that closes, and directs airflow more accurately?
> I would look in to fans with a high CFM and hopefully low Db.



Yes, there is a cover.  And others who have purchased it isn't having this heat issue.  And I think it is because of the fans they have and some software tweaks.  I am just too new to know what they are doing.  

Also, based on what I have read on other forums, I may burn down my house if trying to run the cards at 90C for a long period of time.  Not correct?



Norton said:


> @JamesBay what are you using for fans?
> 
> Note that the manual for that case recommends some pretty heavy duty fans:
> 
> https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0817/8277/files/Hydra_2_Rev_B_User_Manual.pdf?184048170500311230




I thought 1300RPM would be good enough.  But clearly I was wrong.


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## ne6togadno (May 15, 2018)

cooler master jetflo 120
try first with 1600 rpm adapter. it should give you good enough noise/performance rate.

edit:
first check fan directions. make sure those at the prot side of the gpus suck air out while those above cpu blow fresh air in.


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## trog100 (May 15, 2018)

a pic of my own mining rig.. it runs cool with all fans running slow and its nearly silent.. but its a bit on the large side.. 

its currently producing maybe $14 US per day less power costs it pulls about 1000 watts from the wall..  its not worth building one with things as they are.. mine has been running faultlessly 24/7 since august 2017.. i built mine more out of interest than anything else.. 






trog


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## Caring1 (May 15, 2018)

From what I see, both open air frames have a larger space between the GPU's, compared to the frame in the link supplied by the O.P.
This lack of space will limit air flow to the cards causing them to run hotter.
If they could be spread out a bit, it should help.


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## trog100 (May 15, 2018)

Caring1 said:


> From what I see, both open air frames have a larger space between the GPU's, compared to the frame in the link supplied by the O.P.
> This lack of space will limit air flow to the cards causing them to run hotter.
> If they could be spread out a bit, it should help.



one card feeds heat to another.. on a mining rig the gap between them is a "bigger the better" principle .. the front fans on my rig basically help cool the air gap between each card.. as i said earlier all my fans are running very slowly.. very slowly is all it needs if the air gap between each card is wide enough..

if all the fans on my rig were turned up the thing sounds like a jet engine... i only know because on a boot up once the thing got its knickers in a twist and fired up with all the fans running flat out..

i follow the same principle on my sli daily use rig.. blow air directly between the cards with two case side fans.. good cooling isnt about shifting tons of air with noisy fans.. its about blowing air where it does the most good..

on my mining rig starting from left to right as you move down the line of cards each card run a little hotter than the one on the left of it and it all adds up.. the five 140 mm front fans push air between the cards and help lesson this heat build up effect.. as i say.. blow the air where it does the most good..

trog


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## JamesBay (May 16, 2018)

ne6togadno said:


> cooler master jetflo 120
> try first with 1600 rpm adapter. it should give you good enough noise/performance rate.
> 
> edit:
> first check fan directions. make sure those at the prot side of the gpus suck air out while those above cpu blow fresh air in.



On the fan direction - yes - I did it correctly.  Just the fans are not strong enough.

Thanks all for your help and advice.  I ordered some massive Delta fans for this set up and will keep the chassis to see how the new fans work.  I know this is going to get very loud....so I will have to suck up to the wifey with chocolates or something.  Now I have to look at the power going to the GPU's.  When doing nicehash with updated drivers for mining, the GPU's are running 99% straight out.  And then I have the two GPU fans at 100%.  So if I can have more air flow with the new Delta fans and tweak the power settings, I think I should be ok.  If this doesn't work, I will probably give up on this endeavor.  I spent over $3000 on this experiment and can't have a fire hazard when leaving the house.


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## jboydgolfer (May 16, 2018)

I don't know if it's a viable option for you, but I'm gonna share this because I've used a similar resolution to cool a computer in a hot room in the past.

Even the smallest air-conditioner (<$100) ,providing good 60°F or lower air is a _huge _help with ambient air cooled GPUs.  If you were able to throw in a window mount, or even a stand-alone air conditioner ,you can then go to a hardware store or Home Depot, and purchase dryer vent duct tubing for five dollars ,some tape, and a vent hood possibly, you can almost direct port A/C cool air ,from an air conditioner right to the intake area of your gpu's.  I've done this in the past with a buddy & it worked really well. I didnt think it would be a viable solution before we did it, but it cost less than $100 all said n done, and aside from the added cost of running an A/C (im guessing this isnt an issue as your running a large number of GPU's) the cost to benefit ratio was definitely in favor of the solution being viable , atleast in this experience.


something like this, which ran to a "hood" we fashioned, that allowed the case fans to draw fresh A/C cooled air from the vent tubing right into the GPU shrouds. Dropped 10c+


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## trog100 (May 16, 2018)

JamesBay said:


> On the fan direction - yes - I did it correctly.  Just the fans are not strong enough.
> 
> Thanks all for your help and advice.  I ordered some massive Delta fans for this set up and will keep the chassis to see how the new fans work.  I know this is going to get very loud....so I will have to suck up to the wifey with chocolates or something.  Now I have to look at the power going to the GPU's.  When doing nicehash with updated drivers for mining, the GPU's are running 99% straight out.  And then I have the two GPU fans at 100%.  So if I can have more air flow with the new Delta fans and tweak the power settings, I think I should be ok.  If this doesn't work, I will probably give up on this endeavor.  I spent over $3000 on this experiment and can't have a fire hazard when leaving the house.



my mining rigs gpu fans run at less than 50% the gpu temps are less than 60C.. my gpu power is set to a max of %80.. my (open air) rig has (including the gpu and psu fans) 23 fans in all running.. its cool and  its also near inaudible.. 

i have given advice but you sure aint listening to it.. maybe giving up is the best idea.. 

trog


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## moproblems99 (May 16, 2018)

JamesBay said:


> I spent over $3000 on this experiment and can't have a fire hazard when leaving the house.



I don't want to sound like an ass, but you should find out how to bail out now.  $3000 is going to be tough to make back in this market.  You shouldn't have these problems. No extra cooling should be required.  I have 5 580s in my rig and my temps don't go beyond 72C.

A quick glance through the thread and I didn't see it but did you downclock the cores to the 1200 range?  Did you undervolt them by 80 to 100mv or so?  Did you lower the power level to 75% or so?


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## cdawall (May 17, 2018)

I just run forced air with the cheap box fans blowing across the rigs. That with a steep fan curve is working fine with 95F days.


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## JamesBay (May 17, 2018)

trog100 said:


> my mining rigs gpu fans run at less than 50% the gpu temps are less than 60C.. my gpu power is set to a max of %80.. my (open air) rig has (including the gpu and psu fans) 23 fans in all running.. its cool and  its also near inaudible..
> 
> i have given advice but you sure aint listening to it.. maybe giving up is the best idea..
> 
> trog



See.  That is the exact help I was looking for.  I have not done any tweaks to power consumption's.  I have the Afterburner program.  But only adjusted when the fan speed goes to 100%.  I am trying to take all the advice which is why I am getting these fans.  But, the 2nd step is to adjust levels with software.  If afterburner is the software I need to use to tweak things on the cards, then I will need to do research on what nobs to pull.  Thanks again for your input.



moproblems99 said:


> I don't want to sound like an ass, but you should find out how to bail out now.  $3000 is going to be tough to make back in this market.  You shouldn't have these problems. No extra cooling should be required.  I have 5 580s in my rig and my temps don't go beyond 72C.
> 
> A quick glance through the thread and I didn't see it but did you downclock the cores to the 1200 range?  Did you undervolt them by 80 to 100mv or so?  Did you lower the power level to 75% or so?



Correct.  I don't know how to do that yet.  I am completely new to this and obviously need to make some changes to continue to get this going safely.  Need to do more research on how to adjust those nobs.


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## trog100 (May 17, 2018)

i dont use afterburner i know most folks do.. i use the palit one.. its got a daft name (thunder master) but it works well.. i mine eth using nvidia 1070 cards.. i have the core speed at stock but plus 600 on the memory.. my max power setting is 80%.. for 8 cards this dropped the power pulled from the wall from 1200 watts to 1000 watts without lowering the hash rate.. 

my fan curve is set to come on at 40C and max at 70C but the fans never get anywhere nearing maxing out.. 

trpg


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## JamesBay (May 19, 2018)

trog100 said:


> my mining rigs gpu fans run at less than 50% the gpu temps are less than 60C.. my gpu power is set to a max of %80.. my (open air) rig has (including the gpu and psu fans) 23 fans in all running.. its cool and  its also near inaudible..
> 
> i have given advice but you sure aint listening to it.. maybe giving up is the best idea..
> 
> trog




Trog - can you please let me know what software you are using to set the max GPU power?  I tried to find the option in afterburner and not able to.  To be honest, I am a complete noob on this.  I have been through hours of youtube videos and online research and a lot of this isn't clear still.

Thank you again all for your help.

To close this thread, I will update on what I have done based on your help.

I swapped out the cheap fans for Delta fans:  * https://www.amazon.com/PartsCollection-AFB1212SHE-151-CFM-Pass-Thru-Adapter/dp/B00J43XNNA/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1526407936&sr=1-3&keywords=delta+120mm+fan+with+molex&dpID=41dcXzMI7qL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch*

I have the fans pointing in the right directions and everything is hooked back up.  Another one of my XFX cards was dead when putting it back in the chassis, so I am waiting on Amazon to deliver another.  Running 5 XFX RX580 8G cards right now.

Turned on the rig and put the cover on.  GOOD LORD THESE FANS ARE LOUD!  The rig sounds like two vacuum cleaners running at the same time!  But, after running nicehash for 15 minutes, the GPU temps are 60C to 70C each.  In afterburner, I lowered the fan speeds to max 70% at over 75C.  But, everything is running fairly cool.

If I were to keep this and piss off the wife, I need to figure out a way to lower the GPU power and look at the power consumption on the MB and fans.  I have two 750W PSU's with half of the GPU's and fans on each.  Then, 1 PSU added the MB and SDD.  I am monitoring the GPU loads and temp's with some software I downloaded.  In this, it is telling me I am running at 150W per GPU card and VDDC at 100W.  I am not sure if I add those two numbers together or not.  Regardless, if I add up the 450W and whatever the MB and fans are, I think this is too much for two 750W PSU's.  I read somewhere I need to be at 50% or under on the Watt's per PSU.

So, either I need to figure out how to tweak some of these power points so I can feel safe running this rig 24/7 or I am going to sell everything and stop this endeavor.  I have spent $3700 on this and Nicehash is showing I will only make $5 a day.  My payback won't be for 3 years....and that doesn't even include the electricity.



I am going to play around with this some more on the power settings.  Maybe I can mine with some other currency and it would give me better results.  $5 a day is not worth all this hassle....


Here is what I have right now:


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## cucker tarlson (May 19, 2018)

Downvolt the cards. Just set the power limit in afterburner at 60 or 70 percent, that's the sweet sport for efficiency for most GPUs.

3700 for this ? How much did the cards cost ? Can you get your money back or are you past refund ? Asking cause six of those would cost you under 3000, earn you more bitcoin points or whatever the devil it is you people collect and draw less power.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X3RBJLW/?tag=pcpapi-20


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## JamesBay (May 19, 2018)

cucker tarlson said:


> Downvolt the cards. Just set the power limit in afterburner at 60 or 70 percent, that's the sweet sport for efficiency for most GPUs.
> 
> 3700 for this ? How much did the cards cost ? Can you get your money back or are you past refund ? Asking cause six of those would cost you under 3000, earn you more bitcoin points or whatever the devil it is you people collect and draw less power.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X3RBJLW/?tag=pcpapi-20




The RX580's are about $400 each.  So, that was $2400.  Chassis was $250.  Fans $25 each x 6.  Two 750W PSU's.  SSD.  MB, DDR4 RAM, Risers, Chipset.  So, everything combined was $3700.  I was not skimping on my first build.  I see on youtube others doing everything for $2000.

On afterburner, I need to go through the instructions.  I could not find the power limit area under settings.


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## cucker tarlson (May 19, 2018)

I think you need to switch the interface/skin to get the power setting.


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## trog100 (May 19, 2018)

JamesBay said:


> Trog - can you please let me know what software you are using to set the max GPU power?  I tried to find the option in afterburner and not able to.  To be honest, I am a complete noob on this.  I have been through hours of youtube videos and online research and a lot of this isn't clear still.
> 
> Thank you again all for your help.
> 
> ...




my desktop machine using thundermaster software.. its a normal mid tower case with pair of 1070 cards.. the dedicated mining rig runs cooller and with less fan speed..






i am not familiar with amd cards so cant help much with that.. i run ten cards in all eight in the mining rig and two in my daily use machine.. 

trog


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## mtcn77 (May 19, 2018)

You can check for errors with Ati Tray Tools. It has the best overclocker's monitoring I've used so far. It is a *bleep* to install, though. Need to approve the installation of unsigned drivers(F8-boot). After that you will need Stilt's strap-aligned memory bioses installed on all cards. Then, you need Radeon software to set the bios' "Powertune" power level. Afaik, at stock, 80%(-20%) is good and what is even better - if you have set the near threshold undervolting via ATT - 110%(+10%) is reason enough to meddle with just another setting. I suggest you make reservations for Powertune only after the cards are stable below 70 Celcius for the cards won't keep steady when hot.


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## JamesBay (May 22, 2018)

I got my 6th card in today and will add that to the rig.  I will then look at switching out the afterburner skin to so that I can find where to change the power settings.  This is crucial for me now because even on 5 cards without making any power changes, after running nicehash for just 5 minutes, my whole rig shut down.  I think there are safety switches in the PSU's that just turn everything off when the power being used is greater than each PSU can handle.  But, at least I got the GPU temperatures in line with these big ass, jet turbo engine sounding fans...


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## mtcn77 (May 22, 2018)

It is not the psu shutting down, it is the gpus telling the motherboard to shut down. I advise taking notice. I lost a 6950 for not abiding caution.


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## moproblems99 (May 22, 2018)

Judging by the screw holes, it looks like that case can fit 8 gpus, you could potentially switch to mounting with one screw and spreading them out a bit to get more separation.  However, undervolting and underclocking will help you out a lot as well.


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## trog100 (May 23, 2018)

i run nvidia 1070 cards because they use (relatively speaking very little power and run cool..

i have no problems at all cooling my 8 x 1070 rig and with low fan speeds..

the amd cards do draw more power and because of this need more cooling.. but i am beginning to think the ops cards are simply sat too close this is starving them of the ambient air supply they need to function properly.... the two cards in my desktop rig are only half an inch apart but that with 1070 cards seems plenty enough..

my earlier pair of 980TI cards in the same set up drawing more power struggled a bit.. which is why i (to 24/7 mine with) swapped the pair of 980TI cards for a pair of 1070 cards..

the bottom line is.. if the card fans are not able to do a good job.. monster fans (read noisy) elsewhere are not going to help..

the other bottom line is..  at current crypto prices none of this is economical viable any more.. i am still mining because the gear i have is all paid for and working fine.. i would not pump more money into it.. in fact even at bottom line prices stripped down my mining rig would fetch about £2000  on ebay.. its gonna take a long time for me to mine that amount.. maybe never..

trog

ps.. if crypto prices take a big jump upwards this could all change.. i happen to think they will but this could just be wishful thinking on my part.. he he..


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## ne6togadno (May 23, 2018)

JamesBay said:


> Trog - can you please let me know what software you are using to set the max GPU power?  I tried to find the option in afterburner and not able to.  To be honest, I am a complete noob on this.  I have been through hours of youtube videos and online research and a lot of this isn't clear still.
> 
> Thank you again all for your help.
> 
> ...


you have your fans in wrong direction
those at the side of the mb should feed fresh air in the box (now they are pushing air out of the box). 
those on the psu side has to push air out of the box. cant see em well on this photo but they have to be placed in the way that lable of the fans are facing fan grids.


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## mtcn77 (May 23, 2018)

Also, open-grill cases cause more turbulence and hence impedance. Therefore, it is better to seal passive ventilation holes and switch to 'laminar' flow as may be permitting.


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## moproblems99 (May 24, 2018)

trog100 said:


> the amd cards do draw more power and because of this need more cooling



I have to disagree on this a little bit.  My cards run 28-31mh/s and are using between 120 to 130 watts of juice a piece.  I would surmise that is basically equivalent to your 1070s


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## crazyeyesreaper (May 24, 2018)

YEah need to optimize the power profiles for the cards. somewhere between 60-80% depending on the temps your looking for. GPU temps under 85c = perfectly fine. VRM temps are more important anyway. Lower VRM temps = less power drawn = higher efficiency which you can gain from limiting the power draw.

Can't tell for sure from the pic but if you can just space the cards out and use some riser cards. This will improve the cards access to fresh air and improve cooling as well since they are not sucking heat air off the other GPUs.


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## Totally (May 24, 2018)

jboydgolfer said:


> I don't know if it's a viable option for you, but I'm gonna share this because I've used a similar resolution to cool a computer in a hot room in the past.
> 
> Even the smallest air-conditioner (<$100) ,providing good 60°F or lower air is a _huge _help with ambient air cooled GPUs.  If you were able to throw in a window mount, or even a stand-alone air conditioner ,you can then go to a hardware store or Home Depot, and purchase dryer vent duct tubing for five dollars ,some tape, and a vent hood possibly, you can almost direct port A/C cool air ,from an air conditioner right to the intake area of your gpu's.  I've done this in the past with a buddy & it worked really well. I didnt think it would be a viable solution before we did it, but it cost less than $100 all said n done, and aside from the added cost of running an A/C (im guessing this isnt an issue as your running a large number of GPU's) the cost to benefit ratio was definitely in favor of the solution being viable , atleast in this experience.
> 
> ...



Don't do this. Long term, you'll end up having condensation inside the case.


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## trog100 (May 24, 2018)

moproblems99 said:


> I have to disagree on this a little bit.  My cards run 28-31mh/s and are using between 120 to 130 watts of juice a piece.  I would surmise that is basically equivalent to your 1070s



sounds about the same.. my 8 card 1070 rig pulls just under 1K from the wall.. my comment was based on what i read in general but what i read often isnt right.. he he

but that just backs up my comment about the entire problem being caused by a bunch of cards all being packed in too close together.. 

trog


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## JamesBay (May 28, 2018)

moproblems99 said:


> I don't want to sound like an ass, but you should find out how to bail out now.  $3000 is going to be tough to make back in this market.  You shouldn't have these problems. No extra cooling should be required.  I have 5 580s in my rig and my temps don't go beyond 72C.
> 
> A quick glance through the thread and I didn't see it but did you downclock the cores to the 1200 range?  Did you undervolt them by 80 to 100mv or so?  Did you lower the power level to 75% or so?




You hit the nail on the head.  I have tried several times to use afterburner and adjust things.  The GPU's are still going at 100% power and the motherboard shuts everything down within 10 minutes of hashing.  I just can't figure this shit out!  The upside is the fans keep everything cool - but loud as shit!

I just put the whole thing on Craigslist.  I think I spent about $3700 on everything.  I put it up for sale for $2500.  I hate using CL because of all the sketchy people.  So, we will see.  If nobody buys it, I may donate it to charity and get a full write off....

I am an idiot for thinking I could do this.  Thanks to all for your time and input.


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## Jetster (May 28, 2018)

Totally said:


> Don't do this. Long term, you'll end up having condensation inside the case.



Condensation is not caused by the AC unit. AC unit will take moisture out of the air. Its caused by change in temps hot moist meeting cold air. You have to maintain the temps and lower the humidity


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## hat (May 28, 2018)

It's a shame you're thinking of quitting. With two 1070s running for long enough, I'm planning on upgrading the rest of my rig using the bitcoin I've mined with them someday. I may have missed a few things, but, from my own experience, I have some questions.

1. What motherboard is it?
2. Are you plugging the cards directly into the board, or are you using risers?

Most boards aren't designed for this, but some are, some with such radical configurations like multiple 24-pin connectors and extra molex or even PCI-E connectors everywhere to help power the PCI-E slots. Which brings me to why I asked about risers. Any board can do big mining with the proper risers. Some risers not only allow you to expand a puny PCI-E 1x slot into a full x16 slot (it won't be true x16 electrically, but at least it will physically fit, and the cable length allows you to put the cards in weird non standard configurations like you see in these open air mining racks), but some are also powered, by molex or SATA power connectors or something. This is important because the PCI-E slots, at least in cheap boards, draw power from the few +12v leads in the 24 pin connector, and when you draw too much, bad things happen, check near the bottom of the page. Boards specifically designed for mining take this into consideration, and that's why there's additional 24 pin, pci-e or molex connectors everywhere. Or you can use the aforementioned powered risers in any board which will be powered by a separate molex or SATA connector or something, which means it won't be drawing a fuckton of power from somewhere it shouldn't be.

I'm still using that same board and power supply. The 24 pin connectors are still burned up, but I did ghetto repair the burnt up wires on my power supply. Since then I used afterburner to lower my power target to 80%, which hasn't hurt my hashrate (in fact it's a little better than stock because I also overclocked the memory), but it has lowered the total power draw by around 60w. The cards went from 150w to 120w. Just as an example, if you had 5 1070s instead of your cards (using the 1070s as a reference point because I know them well), if you lowered the power target to 80% like I did, you'd save 30w per card, a total savings of 150w. That's like having one less card running, but it wouldn't affect your hashrate much. That's good news for your power bill, the heat output of the rig, and the strain of running so much power through one rig. My shit hasn't burned up since I made that ghetto repair back in August of last year.

As for the payout, yeah, it's low right now. When I got into it I expected to be making $10/day off my two 1070s, but alas, together they're now making $2.50/day as I type this message, and the true value of that is ever sinking as BTC loses value. However, I've been in it long enough to know it rises and falls, and the ~.038BTC I have now may be worth about $280 today, but if we ever see a day where BTC hits $20k like it was in December, those same BTC are worth $760! This is not a second job, or a steady investment in a safe place such as a high yield savings account, or CDs. This was, for me, a step into a risky side-hustle to make a little extra money. Fortunately, it's saved my ass a few times already, and now I'm slowly building it up for a fun purchase when the time is right.

You spent a lot on this rig, and at present, it will take a long time to recoup your investment. But as those of us who've been in it a while know, this thing goes up and down, some days are better than others. For those with stored BTC, if BTC explodes we all have a little bit more. If Etherum explodes, everyone running DaggerHashimoto will be seeing higher payouts than we are now. It's a risky world full of unknowns and what ifs, but if you stay in it long enough, there's a fair chance you can come out on top.


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