Safe to use laptop GPU? (GeForce GTX 260M)

Questions and Answers : GPU applications : Safe to use laptop GPU? (GeForce GTX 260M)

Author	Message
bono_vox Send message Joined: 17 Jul 02 Posts: 13 Credit: 223,782 RAC: 0	Message 933654 - Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 2:52:54 UTC
	Hi, I just got a laptop (Asus G51) with the GeForce GTX 260M. I'm wondering if anyone has tried running CUDA WUs on this kind of computers and what are the results? I'm not sure if they can handle the heavy load and high temperatures from running BOINC on the GPU. Any ideas? ____________ bono_vox
	ID: 933654 ·

marcin Send message Joined: 13 Jul 05 Posts: 8 Credit: 171,948 RAC: 0	Message 933695 - Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 7:19:36 UTC - in response to Message 933654.
	Download the free program realtemp and see what kind of temperatures you get. My desktop GTX275 stays at around 70 on full load and i think that is safe. i would think you wouldn't want to go above 90 but that is a guess because mu laptop ATI graphics card was around there back in the day and for longer periods of time with no noticeable damage. there are $30 cooling pads you can put under the laptop to add some extra cooling. It didn't do that much on my HP laptops but you should try. Its worth it in my opinion.
	ID: 933695 ·

bono_vox Send message Joined: 17 Jul 02 Posts: 13 Credit: 223,782 RAC: 0	Message 933736 - Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 15:11:55 UTC - in response to Message 933695.
	I use Speedfan to monitor CPU and GPU temperatures. On "idle" the GPU temperature ranges between 60°C and 70°C. I haven't tried yet a game or other demanding 3D application to see how hot it gets, but I guess it must be easily more than 90°C. Most reviews of the Asus G51 talk about temperature issues. I bought a Targus cooling pad with two fans, and it actually increases the temperature of both CPU and GPU! I tried it with another laptop (Thinkpad) and got the same result. Very weird.
	ID: 933736 ·

Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 9 Apr 02 Posts: 11987 Credit: 18,011,835 RAC: 55,776	Message 933786 - Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 17:55:59 UTC - in response to Message 933736.
	Did you have the cooling pad pulling the hot air away from the laptop, or blowing into the laptop? Also, was their sufficient cooling space underneath the cooling pad to allow adequate airflow? ____________
	ID: 933786 ·

Chirag Patel Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 13 Sep 05 Posts: 48 Credit: 5,024,636 RAC: 7,421	Message 945325 - Posted: 5 Nov 2009, 23:30:59 UTC - in response to Message 933736.
	I'm a bit late to respond, but I bought the same computer (ASUS G51VX) three weeks ago and I've been running SETI@Home with no problems (except with SETI Beta's 6.09 CUDA application, but that's beta). ASUS downclocks the GPU to 500/1250/900 MHz (core/shaders/memory) from NVIDIA's reference clocks of 550/1375/950 MHz, and this takes care of the temperature issue, mostly. For example, at ASUS clocks with the SETI@Home CUDA 6.08 application running, my GPU temperatures average ~81C with a maximum of 86C. At NVIDIA clocks, the temperature goes to 83C average, 87C maximum. Compared to playing a game (Borderlands - fantastic game, by the way), the temperature goes up to 91C during Borderlands at 550/1375/900 MHz. So somewhat surprisingly, SETI@Home CUDA uses less GPU processing power than most games (in fact, Crysis makes GPU temperature go to 93C). ____________
	ID: 945325 ·

Questions and Answers : GPU applications : Safe to use laptop GPU? (GeForce GTX 260M)