So I recently ordered an EVGA GTX 1070 SC (8GB) to upgrade my aging R9 270X, but I've run into some concerning behavior with this card that has me on the verge of RMA'ing the damn thing. I've spoken with EVGA support, and they only recommended that I try a few things before just saying to RMA it. Since it will cost me money to ship/insure it and then probably a two-week wait time to receive a replacement that may or may not have the same issues, I thought I'd reach out to PC GAF before going through the with RMA.
So here's my situation. Please let me know if this is normal operating behavior or something that indicates a defect with my GPU.
I'm using Overwatch in these tests because it makes decent use of the GPU, and I'm monitoring temps and clock speeds with MSI Afterburner/Rivatuner's overlay.
My EVGA GTX 1070 SC has a base clock of around 1500 and a boost clock of around 1800, but it can boost even higher if the thermal and load headroom is there. Also, I'm using a 144hz monitor so for most games I'm running at higher framerates capped at 144fps.
So, during gameplay or even in the menus where it is rendering a character and background at 144fps, my GTX 1070 jumps up to the low 80's within seconds and begins to his the 83C temp limit. At that point it begins to fluctate between the boost clock speed and the base clock of 1500 quite frequently. Also, the fans on the default curve kick up to around 75% in order to keep it in the low 80's. At this speed the GPU seems very loud to me, but maybe I'm just not used to it having come from a far inferior card before. That being said, most reviews for the GTX 1070 SC say that under full load it usually tops out in the 70's with the fan remaining relatively quiet. That's far from the case in my experience.
Basically once my GPU hits a load of 50% or more is when it jumps right up into the 80's almost instantly. At lower loads it remains cool in the low 60's. For comparison, even at 99% load my old R9 270X stays cool at 70 degrees with only 26% fan speed. This is at 90fps in Overwatch.
What do I do?! It never downclocks below the base clock (1500) during gaming, but since it so frequently dips down what's the point of having this factory overclocked GPU?
Here are all of the things I've tried to isolate the issue:
Any insight into this matter would be GREATLY appreciated. I have it packed up and ready to ship back to EVGA right now, but if what I'm seeing is within the realm of normal operation I don't want to do an RMA for no reason.
So here's my situation. Please let me know if this is normal operating behavior or something that indicates a defect with my GPU.
I'm using Overwatch in these tests because it makes decent use of the GPU, and I'm monitoring temps and clock speeds with MSI Afterburner/Rivatuner's overlay.
My EVGA GTX 1070 SC has a base clock of around 1500 and a boost clock of around 1800, but it can boost even higher if the thermal and load headroom is there. Also, I'm using a 144hz monitor so for most games I'm running at higher framerates capped at 144fps.
So, during gameplay or even in the menus where it is rendering a character and background at 144fps, my GTX 1070 jumps up to the low 80's within seconds and begins to his the 83C temp limit. At that point it begins to fluctate between the boost clock speed and the base clock of 1500 quite frequently. Also, the fans on the default curve kick up to around 75% in order to keep it in the low 80's. At this speed the GPU seems very loud to me, but maybe I'm just not used to it having come from a far inferior card before. That being said, most reviews for the GTX 1070 SC say that under full load it usually tops out in the 70's with the fan remaining relatively quiet. That's far from the case in my experience.
Basically once my GPU hits a load of 50% or more is when it jumps right up into the 80's almost instantly. At lower loads it remains cool in the low 60's. For comparison, even at 99% load my old R9 270X stays cool at 70 degrees with only 26% fan speed. This is at 90fps in Overwatch.
What do I do?! It never downclocks below the base clock (1500) during gaming, but since it so frequently dips down what's the point of having this factory overclocked GPU?
Here are all of the things I've tried to isolate the issue:
- Removing the side panel of my case to see if airflow was an issue
- Doing a total wipe and clean reinstallation of all my GPU drivers
- Trying Adaptive vs Optimal power profiles in the GeForce settings
- Reseating the heatsink/cooler on the GPU, and reseating the GPU into the motherboard
Any insight into this matter would be GREATLY appreciated. I have it packed up and ready to ship back to EVGA right now, but if what I'm seeing is within the realm of normal operation I don't want to do an RMA for no reason.
