Summer GPU Overheating Solution! Lower Temperature by 3°C with Low-Cost DIY to Extend Lifespan
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- SDXL generates significant heat
- Use thermal conductive sheets to dissipate heat
- Add aluminum heatsinks
Introduction
Hello, I’m Easygoing.
In this article, I’ll introduce a simple DIY method to lower your GPU temperature by 3°C.
GPUs Generate Heat!
The GPU is one of the most heat-intensive components in a PC.
Semiconductors shorten their lifespan as they generate more heat, and in extreme cases, high temperatures can trigger protective mechanisms that significantly reduce performance (thermal throttling).
As GPU temperatures rise in the summer, let’s explore a simple way to keep them cool.
Monitoring Setup
First, let’s monitor the GPU temperature.
- Mid-tower PC case
- GPU: GIGABYTE GeForce RTX WINDFORCE OC 4060Ti 16GB
- Image generation with ComfyUI
The software used for monitoring is MSI Afterburner, which offers all features for free even for non-MSI GPUs.
GPU Temperatures During Image Generation!
Let’s measure the GPU temperature and power consumption for various image generation models.
SDXL
AuraFlow
Flux.1
HiDream
SDXL Has High GPU Temperatures!
In this test, GPU usage was 100% across all models, but SDXL showed significantly higher power consumption and GPU temperature compared to others.
The RTX 4060 Ti 16GB has a maximum power consumption of about 160W, and SDXL operates near this maximum.
In contrast, next-generation models like AuraFlow, Flux.1, and HiDream have power consumption and GPU temperatures over 20% lower than SDXL.
Is VRAM a Bottleneck?
In this test, SDXL loads the entire model into VRAM.
On the other hand, AuraFlow, Flux.1, and HiDream have larger model sizes, so they load only part of the model into VRAM.
The remaining parts of the model are stored in system RAM, which has significantly slower transfer speeds than VRAM. This likely creates a bottleneck, reducing processing speed and power consumption.
Lowering GPU Temperature During SDXL Use
In this test, SDXL image generation raised the GPU temperature to 78°C.
While 78°C is not a temperature that causes immediate issues for GPU operation, for AI tasks running 24/7, lowering the temperature slightly is desirable for long-term lifespan.
Inside the PC
The interior of the PC used in this test is as follows.
At the top of the photo, there’s a large CPU cooler.
At the bottom of the photo is a PCIe slot where the GPU card is installed.
The GPU generates significant heat, but the size of its heatsink is limited due to PCIe slot constraints.
The Backplate Gets Hot!
The back of the GPU card used in this test is covered by a metal backplate that protects the circuit board.
This backplate also serves as a heat dissipation mechanism, becoming too hot to touch during GPU use.
Since the backplate is thermally connected to the GPU, cooling the backplate can effectively cool the GPU.
Cooling Strategy!
The cooling strategy for this project is as follows:
1. Stay Within GPU Warranty
The GPU used in this project was purchased new with a manufacturer’s warranty.
Replacing the GPU’s heatsink with a water-cooling kit would be a fundamental solution, but removing the original heatsink voids the manufacturer’s warranty.
Thus, we’ll enhance heat dissipation without altering the GPU’s original heatsink.
2. Aesthetics Don’t Matter
The PC case has a steel side panel, not transparent acrylic or glass.
Since the interior is hidden when the side panel is closed, aesthetics are not a concern.
3. Low Cost
This cooling solution involves adding affordable DIY parts.
Parts Introduction
The parts used in this project are as follows.
Since suitable images for the parts weren’t found online, Amazon affiliate links are used.
PC Case Fan
Aluminum Heatsink
These are simple aluminum heatsinks. Choose a size that matches your GPU.
Silicone Thermal Conductive Sheet
Thermal conductive sheets allow easy heat transfer to other components.
Silicone thermal conductive sheets are non-conductive, making them safe for use inside a PC case.
1. Add Fans to the PC Case
The PC case used is a standard mid-tower case.
It comes with one default rear exhaust fan, but the front can accommodate two additional intake fans, so we’ll add those first.
2. Transfer Heat to the PC Case!
The PC case, which is in direct contact with outside air, has the highest heat dissipation capacity among PC components.
Thus, we use a thick thermal conductive sheet to transfer heat from the GPU’s backplate to the metal PC case.
Additionally, other heat-generating components (M.2 SSD, motherboard VRM, chipset, and RAM) are connected with thermal conductive sheets to share heat across the entire PC.
After installing the thermal conductive sheets, the corresponding part of the PC case becomes noticeably warm to the touch, indicating significant heat dissipation.
3. Add a Heatsink to the Backplate
Finally, to further cool the backplate, we place a thin thermal conductive sheet and add an aluminum heatsink.
When touching the heatsink during GPU use, it feels quite hot.
Adding the heatsink improves heat dissipation, amplifying the effect of the case fans installed earlier.
Temperature Measurement!
Let’s measure the GPU temperature again.
With this simple DIY, the GPU temperature dropped by 3°C to 75°C.
This temperature is safe for continuous 24-hour use!
Using VRAM from Multiple GPUs
In ComfyUI, the ComfyUI-MultiGPU custom node allows the use of VRAM from multiple GPUs.
In this case, GPUs used solely for VRAM consume less power and generate minimal heat.
GPU used only for VRAM: Temperature at 42°C
When using multiple GPUs in ComfyUI, there’s likely no need to enhance cooling for secondary GPUs.
Conclusion: Enhance Cooling with Simple DIY!
- SDXL generates significant heat
- Use thermal conductive sheets to dissipate heat
- Add aluminum heatsinks
In this project, we enhanced GPU cooling with simple DIY methods.
The RTX 4060 Ti tested here is a relatively low-heat model, but the cooling benefits would be even greater for high-end GPUs with higher heat output.
While this cooling enhancement was for AI tasks, it’s also effective for general gaming purposes.
As GPU temperatures rise in the summer, why not try this simple DIY cooling solution?
Thank you for reading until the end!