Radeon HD 4850 needs new cooling

Nateku

Member
My 4850 has served me very well since 2008, even handling new PC games like Skyrim with relative ease. The only problem is that it ends up overheating a lot. Even playing games without huge graphics requirements like League of Legends puts it at least at 106 degrees Celsius.

I have been using the stock fan and stock settings basically this whole time and I feel like it's time to upgrade.

Just double checking that this card:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102747

is compatible with this GPU cooler:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7166018#

Thanks so much if anyone can help me out. :D
 
2 fans are better than one but the Zalman heatsink is better. Personally I would rather have the Zalman cooler. Either will kick the crap out of your current cooling solution. Just make sure that you have enough space for a dual slot cooler.
 
So it sounds like either of those, the Zalman and the Arctic, would work with my graphics card and it's sort of a matter of personal choice?
 
Have you tried redoing the heatsink compound?
That might help bring the temp down unless you just need the excuse to upgrade ... :D
After all that is an older card for the newer games.

Well firstly I have no idea what it means to redo the heatsink compound. xD I'd love to get a new better graphics card, but it would just be too expensive at this point in my life. I'm able to play all PC games I want to at a graphics setting that is at least satisfactory to me, the only problem has really just been the overheating.
 
Well firstly I have no idea what it means to redo the heatsink compound. xD I'd love to get a new better graphics card, but it would just be too expensive at this point in my life. I'm able to play all PC games I want to at a graphics setting that is at least satisfactory to me, the only problem has really just been the overheating.
I accidentally hit post before I could change that and you beat me before I could delete it.

Your card is about 4 years old and some new thermal grease (compound) might make a difference before upgrading the heatsink.
Being a cheap kinda guy that I am, I'd probably try that first and then go with a new heatsink if I wasn't happy.
 
I have the hd4870, these cards run super hot. There's not much you can do to cool them down, other than to spin the fans at ridiculous fast speeds that they sound like jet engines. The best thing to do is get something more modern that is more energy efficient. So it runs cooler.
 
I have no problem with mine running hot. The drivers need some work for the fans though, as just installing them sets the fans to passive mode and puts the GPU up in the 70s. But At 30-50% fan, which is barely noticeable, it runs in the upper 30s idle and upper 40s in MW3.
 
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