My PC has a fan that handles the cooling. If I point a regular fan at the PC, even if it does reduce the rig's overall temperature, will it preserve the GPU integrity while it runs a game that would heat it much?

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sweetbabysquirrel t1_iubyg0w wrote on October 30, 2022 at 3:56 AM

Depends on the fan? Either way, you'll be adding more noise but GPU should technically get cooler.

If the regular fan is like this: Blower Fan, oh yeah that's gonna make a difference

If the regular fan is like this: Box Fan, it won't make a difference or make a very small difference

07GoogledIt t1_iubyj9t wrote on October 30, 2022 at 3:57 AM

What internal cooling do you have? GPUs can typically withstand up to 80°c without any issues. And if it does overheat it ‘should’ shut your pc down to avoid doing any damage to internal components.

NotTheLips t1_iubz4wb wrote on October 30, 2022 at 4:03 AM

Depends on the case. If it has just one case fan, then there's poor airflow / air intake and exhaust; a fan sitting outside and blowing on it won't do much.

Think of it this way. If your room's hot, putting a fan in the hallway won't do much for you. So too with the GPU sitting inside a case with bad ventilation.

pseudopad t1_iuc42ha wrote on October 30, 2022 at 4:56 AM

Your GPUs integrity will be preserved by your GPUs sensors and firmware. It will throttle (and thus reducing its heat output) before taking damage, unless the card is defective.

If it's defective, you should try to get it fixed or replaced through the manufacturer's warranty, not point a fan at your PC.

If your PC needs more airflow, adding fans in the right spots inside the PC itself will be a far more effective solution, as well as more quiet. Probably not more expensive either. Case fans aren't expensive.

redmose t1_iuctpoo wrote on October 30, 2022 at 10:46 AM

throttle THEN shutdown itself before taking damage*

But yeah, you should avoid thermal throttling

pseudopad t1_iud8p5k wrote on October 30, 2022 at 1:27 PM

There's is a shutdown threshold, but it's unlikely to get that high if it's also throttling. Perhaps if you had a complete fan failure, or the heatsink fell off.

Throttling is bad and you should want to avoid it, but having it happen isn't going to cause damage, only lost frames.

mighty1993 t1_iudfhnu wrote on October 30, 2022 at 2:21 PM

A modern desktop PC is usually constructed in such way that the air flows from bottom and front, takes up the hot air from your components and blows it out in the back and top. That includes the GPU so if it is not faulty, there is nothing to change.

If you do not have a fully botched rig and the airflow is somewhat intact then keep your PC as it is and do not point additional outside fans at it. Especially not at the open side panel. Just make sure it does not stand on a carpet and has a few centimeters of space in all directions.

If needed replace your fans for better ones or add more. Just make sure that more air goes in than out to have some pressure from inside. Otherwise you will suck in more dust than you kick out.