Since the main characteristic of this video card is undoubtedly its silent cooling system, we decided to tests its effectiveness in a particularly stressful situation. In order to perform this test, we ran the program “Real-Time High Dynamic Range Image-Based Lighting”, which performs real-time true HDR rendering. We recorded the temperatures using RivaTuner, which got the figures directly from the GPU sensors.

After 1 hour and 12 minutes of testing the GPU, its temperature raised to 80 degrees Celsius, having constantly risen from 54 degrees Celsius. The heatsink by this time is warm to the touch, however, not unbearable or scorching. A hand can be held against it for a couple of seconds before needing to pull away.

Considering that NVIDIA has designed its drivers to automatically slow down frequencies if the temperature rises to 130 degrees Celsius, 80 degrees Celsius doesn’t pose to be an extreme emergency.

The NVIDIA driver panel confirms that the threshold for the GPU is 130 degrees C. If the temperatures did reach this level, operating frequencies would automatically reduce to avoid permanently damaging the components.