Sudden FPS drop?

ZogJhones · 07-09-2009, 10:17 PM

Ive posted this problem in several forums, none of them seem to have any usefull information to what the heck is going on with my graphics card...
My card is a Zotac Geforce 8600 GT card...

Well anyways, at first, all my 3d games, such as team fortress 2, left4dead and killing floor ran fine, a good FPS rate, good graphics, etc.

But, my fun ended around a few weeks back, whenever i play anything thats 3d, and i mean anything, steam or not, it sometimes runs fine, but thats rarely...

Most of the time, it runs fine for a few minutes, then the FPS drop down drasticly, giving me more lag than ive ever had, makes it seem like a crappy video card that youd find in an old windows 98 computer...

Oh, i also virush and spy checked like five times now, nothing.
I asked tech support, they said its not overheated...

whats going on?

**emosun** · 07-09-2009, 10:29 PM

Did you check the temps yourself and confirm it's staying under 70c under load?

ZogJhones · 07-09-2009, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emosun

Did you check the temps yourself and confirm it's staying under 70c under load?

no, i havent... but the people who instaled the graphics card, and are my overall computer experts, say its fine, and its not overheated... how do i check?

Niram · 07-10-2009, 02:55 AM

download GPU-Z and Speedfan

they show everything, fans and speeds, I had the same problem and my graphic was overheating, now I'm waiting for my comp to get back(at work atm)

ps. I have the exact same card :D

dai · 07-10-2009, 06:14 AM

what are you running
video card
cpu
m/board
ram
power supply
brand
wattage

check the listings in the bios for voltages and temperatures and post them

ZogJhones · 07-10-2009, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emosun

Did you check the temps yourself and confirm it's staying under 70c under load?

... GPU-Z says...

GPU temerature: 94 C...

anyways...

im running:

VideoCard:GeForce 8600 GT
RAM: 2046 RAM

i dont know how to check the rest <.<

Phædrus2401 · 07-10-2009, 03:41 PM

You're definitely overheating. The hottest I've ever seen my 4870 was 97C, running Furmark's stability test, and no card should *ever* go that high unless running something insane like Furmark. You want to be seeing around 70C at maximum during games. What type of case do you have? If you don't know or if it's a manufacturer's case (like HP or Dell) then how many fans does it have and where and what size? Cheap pre-made computers will often only have one or two 80mm case fans. For reference, a 120mm fan is about as wide as a CD.

One thing that's bound to help is to blow out the dust inside the case. This can clog fans and heatsinks and stop your parts from being cooled. You can get a can of compressed air at most hardware stores for like ten bucks and blow it all out. If your temperatures are still high after that it might be your case isn't getting enough airflow. If this is the case I would suggest putting in as many and as large fans as will fit. You can spot the fan locations as circular vents with four screw holes around them in a square. If your computer only has a place for one 80mm fan (as my old HP Pavilion did), then you have three choices, none of them extremely easy:
A.) Drill/cut space for a new fan or two. This will likely be difficult and give sub-par results.
B.) Get a new case. For one that's cheap and has good airflow I suggest the Antec 300 or Coolermaster Centurion.
C.) Get an aftermarket VGA cooler like the Zalman 700vf or 900vf. This may or may not be worth the effort, and I would recommend a new case before trying this, but if that isn't an option then it's worth considering.

Chances are you just need to blow out the dust and max out your case fans. That alone should lower your temps by twenty degrees Celsius, best case. Worst case, new case or VGA fan. Anyway, get a can of compressed air, clean the computer, and tell us how that works out for you.

ZogJhones · 07-12-2009, 07:10 PM

i oppened my computer, turned it on, ran Team fortress 2, and i found the problem...

the small fan on my graphics card is NOT spinning, thats why my card overheats...

is there a way to fix this?

Phædrus2401 · 07-13-2009, 01:35 AM

Ouch. You could try fixing it yourself, but probably your best bet is to return it to the manufacturer or retailer for a replacement, as long as you're still in warranty. When and where did you get the card?

ZogJhones · 07-13-2009, 11:14 AM

around six months ago, i got it at some computer place... not exacly one of those big companies if you know what i mean, just a shop...

Phædrus2401 · 07-13-2009, 12:07 PM

Well, try them first and see if they're willing to replace it. If not you should still be under manufacturer's warranty. Apparently, from googling around, Zotac doesn't really have a great return policy. Seeing as how their website doesn't even have instructions for contacting them for an RMA, I'm inclined to agree. Still, it's worth a shot, especially since the website says their products come with a two year limited warranty. Try calling them and seeing what the policy on RMAs is: http://www.zotac.com/index.php?optio...=95&Itemid=511

If they won't take it back, or if they're going to charge you more than about forty dollars, you might consider getting an aftermarket VGA cooler. Installing a VGA cooler is a little more involved than most computer hardware tasks, but most come with instructions for installation. I've heard good things about Zalman's VGA coolers, and for the 8600GT this one ought to be sufficient: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118117
This one is good too, but more expensive, and may be overkill for an 8600GT: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118037
It's apparently fairly similar to installing a CPU heatsink, and likewise you'll need thermal paste, so pick up a tube of Arctic Silver 5 as well: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100007

If you don't feel you're up to that (or if it turns out my knowledge on this subject is wrong--feel free to correct me, mods!), and Zotac/the shop still won't replace it, you can always get a new card. 8600GTs are selling for pretty cheap now; this one is $50, though it only has 256MB of VRAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130297
This might also be a good time to upgrade. You could get a 9600GT or 9800GT for ~$90 or ~$110 respectively. The ATI equivalents are the Radeon 4830 and Radeon 4770. Just make sure that you get a good brand; EVGA is the best for Nvidia cards, Sapphire and PowerColor are both good for ATI.

But again, try Zotac's return policy first. Aftermarket graphics card fans are a bit of a last resort, and I'm sure you'd like to avoid having to get a new card. Oh, and you should still max out your case fans, just out of principle. ;)

Good luck!

07-09-2009, 10:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
ZogJhones Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: Windows XP	Sudden FPS drop? Ive posted this problem in several forums, none of them seem to have any usefull information to what the heck is going on with my graphics card... My card is a Zotac Geforce 8600 GT card... Well anyways, at first, all my 3d games, such as team fortress 2, left4dead and killing floor ran fine, a good FPS rate, good graphics, etc. But, my fun ended around a few weeks back, whenever i play anything thats 3d, and i mean anything, steam or not, it sometimes runs fine, but thats rarely... Most of the time, it runs fine for a few minutes, then the FPS drop down drasticly, giving me more lag than ive ever had, makes it seem like a crappy video card that youd find in an old windows 98 computer... Oh, i also virush and spy checked like five times now, nothing. I asked tech support, they said its not overheated... whats going on?

07-09-2009, 10:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 7,087 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Sudden FPS drop? Did you check the temps yourself and confirm it's staying under 70c under load? __________________ Gpu Benchmarks Cpu-Z Power supply information and selection Gpu-Z Video card quick list

07-10-2009, 02:55 AM	#4 (permalink)
Niram Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: croatia Posts: 169 OS: xp service pack 3 My System	Re: Sudden FPS drop? download GPU-Z and Speedfan they show everything, fans and speeds, I had the same problem and my graphic was overheating, now I'm waiting for my comp to get back(at work atm) ps. I have the exact same card :D __________________ Damn those critters! Have to kill em all! (referring to viruses) Last edited by Niram; 07-10-2009 at 03:04 AM.

07-10-2009, 06:14 AM	#5 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,769 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: Sudden FPS drop? what are you running video card cpu m/board ram power supply brand wattage check the listings in the bios for voltages and temperatures and post them __________________

07-10-2009, 03:41 PM	#7 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,892 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Sudden FPS drop? You're definitely overheating. The hottest I've ever seen my 4870 was 97C, running Furmark's stability test, and no card should ever go that high unless running something insane like Furmark. You want to be seeing around 70C at maximum during games. What type of case do you have? If you don't know or if it's a manufacturer's case (like HP or Dell) then how many fans does it have and where and what size? Cheap pre-made computers will often only have one or two 80mm case fans. For reference, a 120mm fan is about as wide as a CD. One thing that's bound to help is to blow out the dust inside the case. This can clog fans and heatsinks and stop your parts from being cooled. You can get a can of compressed air at most hardware stores for like ten bucks and blow it all out. If your temperatures are still high after that it might be your case isn't getting enough airflow. If this is the case I would suggest putting in as many and as large fans as will fit. You can spot the fan locations as circular vents with four screw holes around them in a square. If your computer only has a place for one 80mm fan (as my old HP Pavilion did), then you have three choices, none of them extremely easy: A.) Drill/cut space for a new fan or two. This will likely be difficult and give sub-par results. B.) Get a new case. For one that's cheap and has good airflow I suggest the Antec 300 or Coolermaster Centurion. C.) Get an aftermarket VGA cooler like the Zalman 700vf or 900vf. This may or may not be worth the effort, and I would recommend a new case before trying this, but if that isn't an option then it's worth considering. Chances are you just need to blow out the dust and max out your case fans. That alone should lower your temps by twenty degrees Celsius, best case. Worst case, new case or VGA fan. Anyway, get a can of compressed air, clean the computer, and tell us how that works out for you. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for. Last edited by Phædrus2401; 07-10-2009 at 04:02 PM.

07-12-2009, 07:10 PM	#8 (permalink)
ZogJhones Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: Windows XP	Re: Sudden FPS drop? i oppened my computer, turned it on, ran Team fortress 2, and i found the problem... the small fan on my graphics card is NOT spinning, thats why my card overheats... is there a way to fix this?

07-13-2009, 01:35 AM	#9 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,892 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Sudden FPS drop? Ouch. You could try fixing it yourself, but probably your best bet is to return it to the manufacturer or retailer for a replacement, as long as you're still in warranty. When and where did you get the card? __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

07-13-2009, 11:14 AM	#10 (permalink)
ZogJhones Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: Windows XP	Re: Sudden FPS drop? around six months ago, i got it at some computer place... not exacly one of those big companies if you know what i mean, just a shop...

07-13-2009, 12:07 PM	#11 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,892 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Sudden FPS drop? Well, try them first and see if they're willing to replace it. If not you should still be under manufacturer's warranty. Apparently, from googling around, Zotac doesn't really have a great return policy. Seeing as how their website doesn't even have instructions for contacting them for an RMA, I'm inclined to agree. Still, it's worth a shot, especially since the website says their products come with a two year limited warranty. Try calling them and seeing what the policy on RMAs is: http://www.zotac.com/index.php?optio...=95&Itemid=511 If they won't take it back, or if they're going to charge you more than about forty dollars, you might consider getting an aftermarket VGA cooler. Installing a VGA cooler is a little more involved than most computer hardware tasks, but most come with instructions for installation. I've heard good things about Zalman's VGA coolers, and for the 8600GT this one ought to be sufficient: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118117 This one is good too, but more expensive, and may be overkill for an 8600GT: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118037 It's apparently fairly similar to installing a CPU heatsink, and likewise you'll need thermal paste, so pick up a tube of Arctic Silver 5 as well: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100007 If you don't feel you're up to that (or if it turns out my knowledge on this subject is wrong--feel free to correct me, mods!), and Zotac/the shop still won't replace it, you can always get a new card. 8600GTs are selling for pretty cheap now; this one is $50, though it only has 256MB of VRAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130297 This might also be a good time to upgrade. You could get a 9600GT or 9800GT for ~$90 or ~$110 respectively. The ATI equivalents are the Radeon 4830 and Radeon 4770. Just make sure that you get a good brand; EVGA is the best for Nvidia cards, Sapphire and PowerColor are both good for ATI. But again, try Zotac's return policy first. Aftermarket graphics card fans are a bit of a last resort, and I'm sure you'd like to avoid having to get a new card. Oh, and you should still max out your case fans, just out of principle. ;) Good luck! __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for. Last edited by Phædrus2401; 07-13-2009 at 12:12 PM.