Thermal issues with Sapphire FleX-OC HD 7950

[AGreatFlood]

hi everyone! i come to you with an issue thats been plaguing my HD 7950
ever since beginning of this year, the video card has been slowly getting hotter and hotter, and repasting almost always never made a difference
its come to a point where starting yesterday, i started tweaking my card's first vbios (it has 2, i assume the second one is the oc'd one) and lowering the VDDC value on "State 1 - performance" (im using VBE7)
it was at 1250mv by default, i lowered it to 1200 and somehow, it got worse!
1250mv - idles: 59-61C load: 85C
after lowering it to 1200mv - idles: 66C -load: 88C~ (after it got to 88C, i closed Heaven Benchmark)
after this huge disappointment and awkwardness i tried lowering it to 1181mv and changing the overdrive clocks from 1200~ to 1175mhz, and it was the same! at this point i just grew frustrated and turned the computer off.

could it be a defective heatsink?? i used Arctic MX-6 to repaste it everytime, to modify the vbios i used VBE7 and to flash i used ATIWinflash. im also using NimeZ drivers instead of the stock amd ones
am i doing something wrong, or is the card defective in a way?? i am at a loss!

if something doesnt make sense or you wanna know more dont be afraid to ask!! ill provide what i know

 

[eidairaman1]

Whats the SKU sticker show for info? What's your room temperatures?

That card is what 2011/2012 now?

 

[AGreatFlood]

Whats the SKU sticker show for info? What's your room temperatures?

That card is what 2011/2012 now?

hii thank you so much for replying! my ambient temps are 25-27c so its not too hot in here, and by SKU sticker you mean this right? (from the original box)

 

[eidairaman1]

hii thank you so much for replying! my ambient temps are 25-27c so its not too hot in here, and by SKU sticker you mean this right? (from the original box)

Ok so since I see this is the kind of card you are desling with...

Amazon.com

Get a picture if your case with the side panel off and on, please, also a model name of it, and the specs of the system.

With as old as the card is the heatsink may be faulty-possible, not likely though.

Thermal pastes are truly meant for CPUs with a IHS now.

I would suggest a Thermalpad- try a PTM type by honeywell or Thermal Grizzly.

Bear in mind there are things such as trojan crypto miners that do put a load on the gpu whether in use by something else or not.

You may try a spare drive with a Fresh OS and patched before venturing to other parts of the web...

If you compare the pcb of yours to a stock hd 7950 and find out if they are the same, these might be an alternative solution

ICY VISION-A - Gelid Solutions

Features: ● 5 High Performance Power Heatpipes ● Premium Aluminum Fins & Pure Copper Base ● 2 x 92mm S-Shape Fans for 20% additional Air Flow ● Ball Bearing for Long Life Time ● CrossFire

gelidsolutions.com

Accelero Xtreme III | High-End VGA Cooler for AMD/NVIDIA | ARCTIC

The Accelero Xtreme III offers the best cooling solution for the fastest single GPU cards and operates in silence.

www.arctic.de

Accelero Xtreme IV | High-End VGA Cooler with Backside Cooler | ARCTIC

High-efficiency cooling with a patented back side cooler which keeps the board including all sensitive components around the GPU on low temperature.

www.arctic.de

You might need to ask about this unit

RAIJINTEK

Raijintek provides the products - high compatibility, extreme engineering, remarkable performance, amazing design, necessity of demand and multifunctional usage – for high recommendation everywhere to make up your life.

www.raijintek.com

 

[AGreatFlood]

Ok so since I see this is the kind of card you are desling with...

Amazon.com

Get a picture if your case with the side panel off and on, please, also a model name of it, and the specs of the system.

With as old as the card is the heatsink may be faulty-possible, not likely though.

Thermal pastes are truly meant for CPUs with a IHS now.

I would suggest a Thermalpad- try a PTM type by honeywell or Thermal Grizzly.

Bear in mind there are things such as trojan crypto miners that do put a load on the gpu whether in use by something else or not.

You may try a spare drive with a Fresh OS and patched before venturing to other parts of the web...

about the case, i tried it mostly in my test system (i7-3770s, 8GB DDR3, Tried with the same EVGA psu) and in my main system with a much better case (CoolerMaster Elite 330. Ryzen 5 1600, 16gb DDR4, EVGA 450BR) and it showed the same results, both with the side panel opened and closed

the test system has a fresh install of Windows 10 on it, excluding the tools, monitoring software and benchmarks ive installed

the current system i left it in (its in my test system right now), the case is pretty bad and its also a no name so i cant help you much there

worth mentioning, because i dont want people getting the wrong ideas!: ive tested it in both cases and scenarios with my EVGA psu!! i just gave up and put my antec back in and never turned it on like this!

and yeah, at this point im staring to think its the cooler too... the copper cold plate looks really scratched up and ruined from what i remember!! for an aftermarket solution i was thinking of some old arctic accelero stuff but i wouldnt know how to check if the model i pick will fit with my card! and im pretty sure its a non-reference pcb, but i may be wrong!

 

[Ruru]

You might need to ask about this unit

RAIJINTEK

Raijintek provides the products - high compatibility, extreme engineering, remarkable performance, amazing design, necessity of demand and multifunctional usage – for high recommendation everywhere to make up your life.

www.raijintek.com

I can recommend that one, works better than great on my 6700 XT. Also cooled a R9 290X without any issues.

edit: If someone is thinking that why the hell anyone would spend that much for a cooler which is going for a 10+ yrs old card, the cooler is universal. Just slap it to an another one later on.

 

[eidairaman1]

about the case, i tried it mostly in my test system (i7-3770s, 8GB DDR3, Tried with the same EVGA psu) and in my main system with a much better case (CoolerMaster Elite 330. Ryzen 5 1600, 16gb DDR4, EVGA 450BR) and it showed the same results, both with the side panel opened and closed

the test system has a fresh install of Windows 10 on it, excluding the tools, monitoring software and benchmarks ive installed

the current system i left it in (its in my test system right now), the case is pretty bad and its also a no name so i cant help you much there

worth mentioning, because i dont want people getting the wrong ideas!: ive tested it in both cases and scenarios with my EVGA psu!! i just gave up and put my antec back in and never turned it on like this!

and yeah, at this point im staring to think its the cooler too... the copper cold plate looks really scratched up and ruined from what i remember!! for an aftermarket solution i was thinking of some old arctic accelero stuff but i wouldnt know how to check if the model i pick will fit with my card! and im pretty sure its a non-reference pcb, but i may be wrong!

Is there a fan on the front of that case? Also your side panel has a provision for it, try that as well.

I can recommend that one, works better than great on my 6700 XT. Also cooled a R9 290X without any issues.

If it will fit that is

 

[AGreatFlood]

looking at the pcbs of the cards, the cooler mount does seem pretty 1:1 so it may work but im still unsure...

Is there a fan on the front of that case? Also your side panel has a provision for it, try that as well.


If it will fit that is

in both my main system and test system theres an intake on the front (albeit useless on my test system's case) and exhaust on the back, the fans i use on my main computer are these which should generally do a good job (Thermalright TL-S12)

 

[Ruru]

If it will fit that is

Needed slight modification to fit on my 6700 XT but otherwise no problems.

 

[eidairaman1]

Needed slight modification to fit on my 6700 XT but otherwise no problems.

Having a dremel does help lol

 

[AGreatFlood]

Ok so since I see this is the kind of card you are desling with...

Amazon.com

Get a picture if your case with the side panel off and on, please, also a model name of it, and the specs of the system.

With as old as the card is the heatsink may be faulty-possible, not likely though.

Thermal pastes are truly meant for CPUs with a IHS now.

I would suggest a Thermalpad- try a PTM type by honeywell or Thermal Grizzly.

Bear in mind there are things such as trojan crypto miners that do put a load on the gpu whether in use by something else or not.

You may try a spare drive with a Fresh OS and patched before venturing to other parts of the web...

If you compare the pcb of yours to a stock hd 7950 and find out if they are the same, these might be an alternative solution

ICY VISION-A - Gelid Solutions

Features: ● 5 High Performance Power Heatpipes ● Premium Aluminum Fins & Pure Copper Base ● 2 x 92mm S-Shape Fans for 20% additional Air Flow ● Ball Bearing for Long Life Time ● CrossFire

gelidsolutions.com

Accelero Xtreme III | High-End VGA Cooler for AMD/NVIDIA | ARCTIC

The Accelero Xtreme III offers the best cooling solution for the fastest single GPU cards and operates in silence.

www.arctic.de

Accelero Xtreme IV | High-End VGA Cooler with Backside Cooler | ARCTIC

High-efficiency cooling with a patented back side cooler which keeps the board including all sensitive components around the GPU on low temperature.

www.arctic.de

You might need to ask about this unit

RAIJINTEK

Raijintek provides the products - high compatibility, extreme engineering, remarkable performance, amazing design, necessity of demand and multifunctional usage – for high recommendation everywhere to make up your life.

www.raijintek.com

i looked around a bit on ebay and amazon for everything you recommended me, there doesnt seem to be an easy way for me to get any of the aftermarket coolers, and the thermal pads are mostly from no-names... (im in southern europe, FYI)
most of the listings i found on ebay were on cards that already had it on and they costed it a lot.. would it still be wise if i bought a for parts 7950 and got the cooler from it?

 

[DR4G00N]

I can't imagine the heatsink itself failing. Are the fans doing what they're supposed to? Is the heatsink very hot to the touch when under load?

 

[eidairaman1]

i looked around a bit on ebay and amazon for everything you recommended me, there doesnt seem to be an easy way for me to get any of the aftermarket coolers, and the thermal pads are mostly from no-names... (im in southern europe, FYI)
most of the listings i found on ebay were on cards that already had it on and they costed it a lot.. would it still be wise if i bought a for parts 7950 and got the cooler from it?

You could try the parts only 7950, are the fans on the gpu rotating at a good speed?

 

[AGreatFlood]

You could try the parts only 7950, are the fans on the gpu rotating at a good speed?

Yep, they scale properly with the fan curve!

I can't imagine the heatsink itself failing. Are the fans doing what they're supposed to? Is the heatsink very hot to the touch when under load?

from what i know yes! when i realized it was getting very hot and powered it off, i touched the copper heatpipes and it felt pretty hot

 

[eidairaman1]

Yep, they scale properly with the fan curve!

from what i know yes! when i realized it was getting very hot and powered it off, i touched the copper heatpipes and it felt pretty hot

Well heatpipes are going to get hot they are designed to wisk heat away.

I still suggest a Kryopad by Thermal Grizzly

 

[FreedomEclipse]

If Kryopad is too expensive. Thermalright Heilos is a good alternative if its available in your region. Might be a little cheaper.

Its not as straight forward to apply than kryopad though but there are tips and guides out there on how to do it with the best results

 

[DR4G00N]

from what i know yes! when i realized it was getting very hot and powered it off, i touched the copper heatpipes and it felt pretty hot

I would re-flash the stock unmodified bios and see if that changes anything temp wise. Since the heatsink is getting hot as it's supposed to I believe it's more of a configuration issue.

 

[AGreatFlood]

Well heatpipes are going to get hot they are designed to wisk heat away.

I still suggest a Kryopad by Thermal Grizzly

If Kryopad is too expensive. Thermalright Heilos is a good alternative if its available in your region. Might be a little cheaper.

Its not as straight forward to apply than kryopad though but there are tips and guides out there on how to do it with the best results

heilos does seem rather easy to get luckily! but i wanna first find out if its for sure not the cooler

 

[AGreatFlood]

I would re-flash the stock unmodified bios and see if that changes anything temp wise. Since the heatsink is getting hot as it's supposed to I believe it's more of a configuration issue.

i'll try tomorrow when i got more free time, thanks for the idea!

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Also I just read that you used mx-6. Most thermal pastes will 'pump out' from in-between the die and the heatsink. Which could explain your high temps and why kryopad and Helios was suggested.

For direct die applications like laptops and graphic cards. Phase change style thermal pads are the new king. If you want the best, PTM7950 is what to look for but that comes with a hefty price tag normally and lots of fakes claiming to be PTM7950 are often sold in eBay and amazon so cant be trusted. Heilos doesnt perform as well as PTM7950 but its not terrible, does the same job and much easier to find and obtain.

Ive had good results using it on my laptop and desktop

 

[AGreatFlood]

Also I just read that you used mx-6. Most thermal pastes will 'pump out' from in-between the die and the heatsink. Which could explain your high temps and why kryopad and Helios was suggested.

For direct die applications like laptops and graphic cards. Phase change style thermal pads are the new king. If you want the best, PTM7950 is what to look for but that comes with a hefty price tag normally and lots of fakes claiming to be PTM7950 are often sold in eBay and amazon so cant be trusted. Heilos doesnt perform as well as PTM7950 but its not terrible, does the same job and much easier to find and obtain.

Ive had good results using it on my laptop and desktop

thanks for letting me know!! ive heard that the heilos pads are soo easy to accidentally destroy while removing the plastic film on it... is it true, and is there an easy way to not accidentally destroy the pad while removing the films?

 

[FreedomEclipse]

thanks for letting me know!! ive heard that the heilos pads are soo easy to accidentally destroy while removing the plastic film on it... is it true, and is there an easy way to not accidentally destroy the pad while removing the films?

Like most guides online have said. Leave them in the freezer for 30-60mins. You can leave them longer if you want but I dont know if that will make any difference. Chilling them makes them a lot easier to work with but a pair of plastic tweezers and a straight edge like a credit/debit card or ruler can help a fair bit when applying.

Unfortunately there is also a sense of urgency as these pads are quite thin so will reach room temperature real quick.

Measure the size of the GPU die with a bit of paper to make a template and use that to cut the pad to shape before chilling it. You can add some sticky tape to help peel the film off later or just use tweezers.

It doesnt matter so much if they rip slightly as it will still spread itself when it heats up and goes into its liquid form.

It does take a few heat cycles before reaching its optimal performance . So dont panic when it doesnt show instant results and both idle temps being a little higher in general and also when cold booting.

Thermalright sells intel and AMD specific pads - which one doesnt matter as you'll be cutting it to size anyway. Get which ever is cheaper. For instance the AMD one is currently closer to £10 while the Intel is £4.39. Exact same product but the Intel has an extra 10mm because the Intel chips have bigger dies/heatspreaders. I honestly dont understand the pricing scheme here but that is the market for you.

 

[eidairaman1]

Like most guides online have said. Leave them in the freezer for 30-60mins. You can leave them longer if you want but I dont know if that will make any difference. Chilling them makes them a lot easier to work with but a pair of plastic tweezers and a straight edge like a credit/debit card or ruler can help a fair bit when applying.

Unfortunately there is also a sense of urgency as these pads are quite thin so will reach room temperature real quick.

Measure the size of the GPU die with a bit of paper to make a template and use that to cut the pad to shape before chilling it. You can add some sticky tape to help peel the film off later or just use tweezers.

It doesnt matter so much if they rip slightly as it will still spread itself when it heats up and goes into its liquid form.

It does take a few heat cycles before reaching its optimal performance . So dont panic when it doesnt show instant results and both idle temps being a little higher in general and also when cold booting.

Thermalright sells intel and AMD specific pads - which one doesnt matter as you'll be cutting it to size anyway. Get which ever is cheaper. For instance the AMD one is currently closer to £10 while the Intel is £4.39. Exact same product but the Intel has an extra 10mm because the Intel chips have bigger dies/heatspreaders. I honestly dont understand the pricing scheme here but that is the market for you.

Back in the day I used akasa shinetsu pads on my Dell XPS Gen 1/Inspiron 9100 Laptop for the GPU and Chipset, they were very maleable and I stacked them, I had the gpu overclocked from 350 to 459, Ram Overclocked to 451 from 297.

I believe thermal pads would be cheaper than a parts card

heilos does seem rather easy to get luckily! but i wanna first find out if its for sure not the cooler

 

[AGreatFlood]

Back in the day I used akasa shinetsu pads on my Dell XPS Gen 1/Inspiron 9100 Laptop for the GPU and Chipset, they were very maleable and I stacked them, I had the gpu overclocked from 350 to 459, Ram Overclocked to 451 from 297.

I believe thermal pads would be cheaper than a parts card

fair enough... i'll try reverting back to the original bios first tomorrow like it was previously suggested since thatd be the easiest thing to do, if that doesnt help.. i'll have to wait a lil before buying anything lol. i'll make sure to update yall tho!

 

[eidairaman1]

fair enough... i'll try reverting back to the original bios first tomorrow like it was previously suggested since thatd be the easiest thing to do, if that doesnt help.. i'll have to wait a lil before buying anything lol. i'll make sure to update yall tho!

Yes please do so, fyi the 7950 later became the R9 280 and the 7970 became the R9 280X, 6GB model cards are rare for those.