Quadro FX 3700 Crunchability

[Fire$torm]

I think the biggest factor is the Dell case.

Pic 1 ---> http://megamall.co.nz/images/DB2/sto...S-R-Photo2.jpg

Pic 2 ---> http://www.2cpu.co.kr/data/file/hard...1000170_s1.jpg

That setup is not great in terms of unrestricted air flow. Plus the expansion slot section has only one fan feeding it and nothing to help evacuate hot air. It would be fine in an office environment but as a cruncher, not so much.

Normally I would suggest something like a HAF 912 case but Dell does too many funny things with components. So hardware like PSUs, MBs, etc. won't fit in standardized cases. Even Dell's fans use a non-standard 5-pin plug so you have to buy adapters if you want to upgrade fans, or rewire them...

The only other suggestion I have would be to get an aftermarket GPU cooler although that has it's own challenges........

[zombie67]

Any opportunity to upgrade the fans to something with more flow?

[FourOh]

I think the biggest factor is the Dell case.

Pic 1 ---> http://megamall.co.nz/images/DB2/sto...S-R-Photo2.jpg

Pic 2 ---> http://www.2cpu.co.kr/data/file/hard...1000170_s1.jpg

That setup is not great in terms of unrestricted air flow. Plus the expansion slot section has only one fan feeding it and nothing to help evacuate hot air. It would be fine in an office environment but as a cruncher, not so much.

Normally I would suggest something like a HAF 912 case but Dell does too many funny things with components. So hardware like PSUs, MBs, etc. won't fit in standardized cases. Even Dell's fans use a non-standard 5-pin plug so you have to buy adapters if you want to upgrade fans, or rewire them...

The only other suggestion I have would be to get an aftermarket GPU cooler although that has it's own challenges........

I'm not sure I agree completely... There are two large fans serving the CPU/RAM (your pic shows only one) and one intake fan directed at the GPU. There's a fair amount of open intake and exhaust surface area, and while it is certainly not the best design for airflow, I'm hesitant to lay blame solely on the case. I'm particularly unconvinced because when I opened the side panel and directed cool air directly on the gpu with a room fan, the temp didn't change. I also ran the system with CPU tasks suspended, and again there was little change in the max temp. I also tried maxing out all four system fans (including HDD fan) with Speedfan, the thing sounds like a jet engine and still no temp change.

I'll keep playing with fan speed configurations for now...

[DrPop]

I also tried maxing out all four system fans (including HDD fan) with Speedfan, the thing sounds like a jet engine and still no temp change...

That part makes me think something isn't quite right. Could be the software's not reading the temp right as well, and/or might try removing the HSF on the GPU and cleaning it real good, and replacing it with Arctic Silver or something equally good, and then retying...sometimes things happen.
The strange part to me is that the temp doesn't budge when you make the fan sounds like a vacuum cleaner. I can't stand running the fans that high, but every time I tried it, there was a noticeable temp drop in MSI Afterburner.
One other thought - can you see what the voltage is set at on the GPU? And lastly, did you try dropping the RAM speed waaay down, like as low as Afterburner will let you, and see if that drops the temp. If that doesn't drop the temp, then something is just strange with the reading I think.

[FourOh]

That part makes me think something isn't quite right. Could be the software's not reading the temp right as well, and/or might try removing the HSF on the GPU and cleaning it real good, and replacing it with Arctic Silver or something equally good, and then retying...sometimes things happen.
The strange part to me is that the temp doesn't budge when you make the fan sounds like a vacuum cleaner. I can't stand running the fans that high, but every time I tried it, there was a noticeable temp drop in MSI Afterburner.
One other thought - can you see what the voltage is set at on the GPU? And lastly, did you try dropping the RAM speed waaay down, like as low as Afterburner will let you, and see if that drops the temp. If that doesn't drop the temp, then something is just strange with the reading I think.

Cutting the Memory Clock in half doesn't move the GPU Temp at all, but taking the GPU Clock from 675 to 600 lowered the temp from 98C to about 92C. Voltage is .95v.

I may try to remove the HSF and re-apply thermal compound as you suggest-

[Fire$torm]

Which utility are you using to monitor GPU temps? GPU-Z and MSI Afterburner are the 2 most accurate 3rd party utilities.

[FourOh]

Which utility are you using to monitor GPU temps? GPU-Z and MSI Afterburner are the 2 most accurate 3rd party utilities.

GPU-Z, mainly. I'm using evga Precision X to make adjustments, and I8kfanGUI/SpeedFan to tinker with fan settings. I'll see if Afterburner gives any different readings.

[John P. Myers]

This is odd. Is Precision X reporting the same temp?

Maybe re-seating the heatsink would be a good idea, though i don't recall anything happening that could've unseated it.

[Fire$torm]

This is odd. Is Precision X reporting the same temp?

Maybe re-seating the heatsink would be a good idea, though i don't recall anything happening that could've unseated it.

It could have gotten bumped between your house and his. Stock cooler or aftermarket?

Aftermarket units are more prone to shifting.

[John P. Myers]

It could have gotten bumped between your house and his. Stock cooler or aftermarket?

Aftermarket units are more prone to shifting.

Stock, but i had already replaced the stock thermal grease with AS5 just ~2 months ago. Card was installed in my computer until the day i delivered it, though that computer hadn't been turned on since a couple days after the Pentathlon to crunch the leftover WUs.