Lambda GPU WU core temps and summer

A

APOLLO

[H]ard|DCer of the Month - March 2009
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Sep 17, 2000
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It has been getting much warmer here with summer-like temperatures for the rest of the weekend. I just checked my GPUs and did not like what I am seeing. Many of my GPUs running lambda WUs are approaching 110 degrees now, even with auxiliary cooling like 120mm fans blowing on the side of the video cards and open cases located in the basement. I don't believe I can continue running my GPUs long term like this unless I spend hundreds on aftermarket cooling, which is something I don't want nor think is even wise at this point. What is everyone else seeing with their recent core temps running lambda WUs? Any advice or words of wisdom about what to do until the weather cools again in November? I predicted this was going to happen months ago... :(

/sigh
 
I hit 118 yesterday, sold my 295's today

SR2 and other big adv rigs, Nuff said
Got two xeon 5530's already, pricing heatsinks now
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80 and 95 watt tdp xeons are your friends.

Cool basement is even better :cool:
 
Vaulter98c said:
I hit 118 yesterday, sold my 295's today
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:eek: :eek:

SR2 and other big adv rigs, Nuff said
Got two xeon 5530's already, pricing heatsinks now
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I'd do that in NY second but don't have $2Gs+ to spend on a dual 1366 board+processors+memory. That's a huge chunk of change, to say the least. I don't even want to spend on better cooling for my cards because there are many of them, yet that option would be a fraction the cost of a SR-2... :eek:
 
Got used to the heat In the army, ambient is 80+ on the first floor where glados is, and I havnt got the AC even hooked up yet at this house, and the longer I don't use it, the more money I have for farm upgrades. I'll be down on ppd until Fermi comes in (will be the only GPU I run soon) or they actually release SR2 comes in to play
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Vaulter98c said:
Got used to the heat In the army, ambient is 80+ on the first floor where glados is, and I havnt got the AC even hooked up yet at this house, and the longer I don't use it, the more money I have for farm upgrades. I'll be down on ppd until Fermi comes in (will be the only GPU I run soon) or they actually release SR2 comes in to play
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I'm in Canada, so heat isn't too bad except for a few hot weeks we get in the summer. What I'm more concerned about are the components, especially the video cards. I don't want to think I'll be replacing them all by the end of summer. Stanford will need to rethink their strategy with these lambda units if everyone is going to be dropping their clients for nearly half the year. I rarely saw temps exceed 100 degrees even in the middle of summer and we're only in the beginning of spring. This isn't acceptable.
 
Not sure if you remember Apollo, but last year I got pissed with EVGA and spent 1400$ on GX2s and mobo's, then 700$ on 295's, and then like 650$ or so on skynet

the sales from that upgrade getting sold now (never above 50% online) are paving the way for one i7 rig (already purchased), one more i7 rig, glados with a fermi, and a SR2 rig, without much out of pocket
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Vaulter98c said:
Not sure if you remember Apollo, but last year I got pissed with EVGA and spent 1400$ on GX2s and mobo's, then 700$ on 295's, and then like 650$ or so on skynet

the sales from that upgrade getting sold now (never above 50% online) are paving the way for one i7 rig (already purchased), one more i7 rig, glados with a fermi, and a SR2 rig, without much out of pocket
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I remember, but cannot do what you did because the cards I have running were already second-hand components when I purchased them, and relatively old. Now they are practically worthless. They are only 8800GTs that might fetch a couple of hundred at most if I were to sell them all. Not close enough to replace them with anything to even approach an equivalent non-GPU solution. Moreover, it would take forever to find buyers for that many old cards. :(
 
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try reapplying thermal compound on a card, see if that helps.
If you can, disconnect back output and wrap a fan at the back too.
 
404 - File not found said:
try reapplying thermal compound on a card, see if that helps.
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Thinking about doing this when I acquire a new thermal compound in the not too distant future. Currently, I have Tuniq TX-2 on my GPUs. What is the undisputed king of the compounds these days?

If you can, disconnect back output and wrap a fan at the back too.
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I only have three dual-slot cards and they already have external fans rigged blowing out exhaust heat. My dual-slots are not the biggest concern; it's the majority single slots that do not have this kind of solution as an option that is the issue, and these are the cards seeing the highest temp increases lately..
 
any empty slots between those cards? you can remove the backplates and still exhaust-wrap it. Otherwise, slack two 120 fans on top of each other on the side or higher rpm fan?

For the compound, I used Arctic Cooling MX-2 (not the best around, but pretty good) on one of my cards, cleaned off with 99% alcohol throughout first and temps dropped 10C. Hopefully, you'll see major temps drops with this.
 
404 - File not found said:
For the compound, I used Arctic Cooling MX-2 (not the best around, but pretty good) on one of my cards, cleaned off with 99% alcohol throughout first and temps dropped 10C. Hopefully, you'll see major temps drops with this.
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You live close by, IIRC, where did you get the MX-2 or did you mail it in?
 
I'm considering shutting down the farm until fall. Last year I already had the AC running by now up until Nov to fold.
If I do shut down, I know F@H will still be here when I get back.
 
Kowan said:
I'm considering shutting down the farm until fall. Last year I already had the AC running by now up until Nov to fold.
If I do shut down, I know F@H will still be here when I get back.
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I'm thinking of shutting down my most problematic video cards and leaving the least affected ones like my dual-slots running. You can still continue running the CPU clients and just shut down the GPU clients as another option.
 
Just how many 88's do you have? I'm just wondering, because replacing 6 with a i7 big adv folder would yield the same points, and the GPUs alone would net you 300$ at current prices, then the mobo's and CPU's on those rigs (K9A2's I assume) could net another 150$, leaving a 50-90$ gap for building a i7 bigadv rig that could match the points at a much lower draw and heat output level

Just a thought, my first i7 rig was funded almost 100% by the sale of my 3 way 260 folder, and gets more points at less draw, is more stable, more quiet (not an issue), and runs much cooler
 
Vaulter98c said:
Just how many 88's do you have? I'm just wondering, because replacing 6 with a i7 big adv folder would yield the same points, and the GPUs alone would net you 300$ at current prices, then the mobo's and CPU's on those rigs (K9A2's I assume) could net another 150$, leaving a 50-90$ gap for building a i7 bigadv rig that could match the points at a much lower draw and heat output level
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Including cards not installed, I have close to a dozen. I'm thinking of what you're suggesting, though. It would be a great idea except for a few things.

The main problem is in my area people are selling 8800s for about $60-70 and I don't see them going fast. These cards often get relisted in the classifieds, they aren't that popular now. By the time I am able to sell enough of them to make anything significant, a lot of time will pass by. That's time that I could have folded.

As it stands now, I am producing anywhere between 45K-55k PPD per day on the cards alone, if not more. Best I could hope for with an i7 is a little over 30k on CPU alone. It could take months to sell all the cards and what will I have made?

I looked at the prices for an i7 920 build this afternoon and I was set aback. Just the processor alone around here will cost me ~$400 with tax. So, no way I can build an i7 rig with the money I make on the cards even if I found a buyer for all of them tomorrow. Best I could hope for is to pay for the motherboard and maybe some RAM. To conclude, half the cost of an i7 box for the sale of the cards to produce 10-15k less PPD.
 
Where are you that its 400$ for an i7? Theres one for sale for 150$ in the FS forums now, probly wont lastlong, but they are 180 new at MC, 200 for a 930.
 
Vaulter98c said:
Where are you that its 400$ for an i7? Theres one for sale for 150$ in the FS forums now, probly wont lastlong, but they are 180 new at MC, 200 for a 930.
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That's in CND. I'm referring to a new retail processor locally. I can't purchase online new or used.
 
Just a thought, my first i7 rig was funded almost 100% by the sale of my 3 way 260 folder, and gets more points at less draw, is more stable, more quiet (not an issue), and runs much cooler
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Vaulter, glad it's working great for you. Welcome to spread-i7-love club :D hmm Roger Young?

oked at the prices for an i7 920 build this afternoon and I was set aback. Just the processor alone around here will cost me ~$400 with tax. So, no way I can build an i7 rig with the money I make on the cards even if I found a buyer for all of them tomorrow. Best I could hope for is to pay for the motherboard and maybe some RAM. To conclude, half the cost of an i7 box for the sale of the cards to produce 10-15k less PPD.
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Yeah our cpu prices really suck. If you want to go i7, look around used on forums, there's a strong dollar right now too.
For now I would really zip a fan at the exhaust without the backplates/look at improving paste, 110C is really not good for the health of the card.
 
404 - File not found said:
if it's just CC, there's paypal linked to a bank account. A few e-tellers accept it too.
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Yes, but I would like to avoid complicated payment methods. Besides, it still leaves the whole ordeal of selling that many cards regardless. Being from the same general vicinity, you must have an idea what I could make on them and what amount of time it would require. For now I think my best option is to try improve the cooling, and wait it out to see what Stanford will do about these WUs, if anything. I'm not the only one who is undergoing issues. There's still some time before summer arrives. If worse comes to worst, I will just shut down my clients when things become untenable.
 
BTW Noctua NT-H1 > MX-2

No curing time + high viscosity = win! :D
 
Paypal via bank account is easy, how I set mine up, with the debit card as the backup, every payment is instant, no fees, I love it

I'm sure someone here would do the dirty work of just buying a CPU for you and mailing it north at little to no cost, I'd do it if I had a MC even within hours (none thatI know of)

You're a big name here, I'm sure someone would help you if you ever do choose to go that route. I know today alone I seen
GB x58mobo - 110$ (6 mo old)
i7 - 150$ (4 mo old)
6 GB Ram -140$ (unknown age, not that old)

I'm just saying that as of late, Ive been seeing some real nice deals on the forums, and I'm trying to think of where I can scrounge up about 300$ to finish off the last rig for my rack (Hyperion - sig)
Even thinking about going with a 470 rather than a 480 so I can spend a few more bucks on folding gear
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I used to run single slot 88's, my solution for the heat was to remove all the shrouds from the heat sinks, turn the case onto its side and have a 120mm fan resting on the top corner of the case extracting heat and a high speed 80mm fan resting on the cards near the power connectors blowing down into the case. It took my temps down by 15c
 
I am honestly considering shutting down the 9800GX2's for the summer. It is ALREADY frickin' hot in TX and it's only going to get worse!!!

I get about 10K PpD out of each 9800GX2 and I think I can afford to drop 30K to save me from the hell that is my office. I'll still have 3 x GTX285 in my sig rig and there isn't nearly as much heat as the 9800GX2's.

If things work out over the next several months, I'll get another i7 in a LanBox up and running and then the upgrade to SR-2. Lower heat, Lower draw & more PpD. I'm ok with that :D

 
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