9800 pro overheating?

[leekirlew]

Hi,
I was lucky enough to get a Sapphire Atlantis 128mb 9800pro with the 360 core on the 9800XT PCB. So I bought a VGA cooler version 3.0 and flashed my card to XT. I've now got functional XT with overdrive. Only problem is there's no point in switching overdrive on because it downclocks the card because it is running hot... 58 - 63 degrees C at Idle and up to 75 degrees C under load. It ran at these temps with the stock cooler thats why I got the vga silencer, at first the temps were about 10 degrees less than stock, but they've slowly crept up over the last couple of days. I have 4 case fans plus the psu, 2x 80mm plus psu on exhaust and 1x 80mm + 120mm blowing, so ventilation is pretty good.
Anyone got any ideas? I'm getting the same temp reading in ati tool and in the overdrive panel, but rivatuner reports the temps 20 degrees C lower than both of the others!?

Thanks

[nki69c]

The VGA cooler may not be seated correctly. Try reseating it and see if that changes things.

[leekirlew]

The cooler is flush with the chip and I daren't tighten the screws anymore as it may crack the pcb. I just wonder if its something to do with those two programs 'cause I've heard that the temp probe on the xt reads 20 degrees C above so ati can cover there backs with the overdrive and not end up frying the card. I suppose the only way to know for real would be to stick a temp probe on the chip, but how will I do this with the cooler in the way? The 20 degrees above thing would make sense as the temp reading of the card is always 20 degrees C above my system temps.

[cadaveca]

could be build up of dust in the cooler...check that...
100c is the "supposed max" but i heard 75 for the r360 and 100 for the r420.........my asus card like yours (has vivo) gained no extra temps..maybe 1c, but i have a zm80d-hp on mine...and it works like a charm. full load temps are 41c, but my room temp is 18c.

[surlyjoe]

I had that exact same card die from heat looping Doom3 last week. I am sure if I had of done the cooling on it, it would still be alive. The saphire cooling solution sucks miserably I'm afraid.

[leekirlew]

the card is now reading 56 degrees C at idle. like I said earlier it seems odd that rivatuner reports the temps 20 degrees C lower than both the overdrive and the ati tool.

[leekirlew]

I've just been looking through some other forums and there seems to be in idea floating about in them. Apparently when you upgrade the hsf on the 9800pro there is a shim you are supposed to remove before fitting the new hsf. This is supposed to get things running a lot cooler. Has anyone ever done this? If so could someone please tell me where this shim is 'cause I ain't seen one on mine. thanks

[cadaveca]

usualy the 360 core is higher than a 350 and the shim is not an issue....look around the gpu and there should a be a shiny silver square arounf the edges of the raised area where the gpu sits....may not be there, but it is on mine.
the block of my heatsik is slightly beveled so that it hits the gpu...