How hot does SLI get?

[Spev]

So I was considering an elaborate water cooling build including my single GPU then thought, damn, I could just go SLI air cooling and even save money. So this has me wondering, how many of you SLI? I would be using two GTX 970 FTWs from EVGA. My 2nd question is how hot do they get, more hot in SLI? My current GPU is usually a consistent 72c when running a benchmark like valley.

[Lays]

In my experience, anywhere from 5-15 degrees warmer depending how fast you want the fans to spin.

 

(On the top card)

[Spev]

In my experience, anywhere from 5-15 degrees warmer depending how fast you want the fans to spin.

 

(On the top card)

5-15C?

[Lays]

5-15C?

 

Around there yeah.

 

If the cards are directly stacked on eachother, expect like 8-15 degrees around there.

If the cards have 1 slot in between, it's only a few extra degrees.

 

(This is how it was for my 780 SLI)

[connorpiper]

I usually run 10C hotter on the top card. Which is not that much of an issue for the GTX 760s.

970 also produce little heat, there should be no problem. 

[Spev]

Around there yeah.

 

If the cards are directly stacked on eachother, expect like 8-15 degrees around there.

If the cards have 1 slot in between, it's only a few extra degrees.

 

(This is how it was for my 780 SLI)

 

I usually run 10C hotter on the top card. Which is not that much of an issue for the GTX 760s.

970 also produce little heat, there should be no problem. 

Here is my motherboard and a picture of it: http://www.pccasegear.com/UserFiles/Z97-A-ftr.jpg

 

I would be installing the 2 cards in the two 16x 3.0 slots. It looks like there is at least the one small PCI lane in between.

 

So my GPU now runs at around 72C during benchmark, isn't that kinda high? I'm just a bit worried about temps I guess if it gets too much higher with SLI. I can arrange to have some fans blow air onto the ends of the cards, from the front of the case if that would be a factor.

[Lays]

72C for a benchmark is totally fine, the top one will most likely be around ~78c once you put the second card.

 

Cards are definitely OK all the way up to ~90C.

[connorpiper]

Here is my motherboard and a picture of it: http://www.pccasegear.com/UserFiles/Z97-A-ftr.jpg

 

I would be installing the 2 cards in the two 16x 3.0 slots. It looks like there is at least the one small PCI lane in between.

 

So my GPU now runs at around 72C during benchmark, isn't that kinda high? I'm just a bit worried about temps I guess if it gets too much higher with SLI. I can arrange to have some fans blow air onto the ends of the cards, from the front of the case if that would be a factor.

 

Most Nvidia cards are fine up to 85C (Or 90C depending on your cooler). My top card runs at 81 and the bottom at 78 when benchmarking. That is fine.

And in games you will have lower temperatures

 

I have the same motherboard setup as you with my MSI Z77A-G45. 

[Guest]

That really depends on the overall cooling capabilities of your setup, but like Lays said up to 10°C warmer on the top card is reasonable (especially if both cards have an open design cooler). Blower-type coolers should not be affected that much. My top R9 290 (one slot between the cards) has gone from 73°C to 85°C when both cards are being stressed 100%. Obviously they produce more heat than a 970 but you get the idea. Expect a bit more noise and higher temps on the top card, that's about it.

[D2ultima]

If you have good airflow and coolers and the cards aren't heating each other up by proximity, you'll find less heat (due to each card working less in each game). That's been my experience.

[warmmilk]

So I was considering an elaborate water cooling build including my single GPU then thought, damn, I could just go SLI air cooling and even save money. So this has me wondering, how many of you SLI? I would be using two GTX 970 FTWs from EVGA. My 2nd question is how hot do they get, more hot in SLI? My current GPU is usually a consistent 72c when running a benchmark like valley.

 

good move.  having blown a ton of money on my watercooling setup, I wish I would have gone this route instead...

[Spev]

good move.  having blown a ton of money on my watercooling setup, I wish I would have gone this route instead...

Hmm, so you would call not worth?

[warmmilk]

Hmm, so you would call not worth?

 

unless you absolutely must have a quiet system (there's no such thing as silent), then no, watercooling isn't worth it.  and with the new 9 series cards from nvidia with a relatively low tdp, you can still have a relatively quite setup even on air...  but you really don't gain any actual performance from watercooling.  maybe just a tiny bit from being able to overclock a little higher, but you'd gain a lot more from a second gpu

[SpriteNo5]

I've got 2 980s with a PCI in between. Without any fan speed mods the top card will go to between 80 and 85 while gaming, 80 - 95% GPU usage in afterburner.

I've removed the small back plates on each and adjusted fan curve in afterburner. Fans now spin up to 65% and top card will be between 67 and 75 while gaming, depending on ambient temp.

You wanna keep the cards away from the throttling temps, they will run in the 80s but you are gonna loose performance.

[maizenblue]

The backplates on the 900 series seems to be an issue in SLI. This is another example of Nvidia assuming their customers are idiots. The backplates on these cards dont actually do anything to help them run cooler, and in SLI can make the top card run a lot hotter. They just put them on there because they look cool and give people the illusion that they will run cooler, but the 900 ones are purely cosmetic.

 

Shit like this is why I avoid Nvidia.

[Spev]

The backplates on the 900 series seems to be an issue in SLI. This is another example of Nvidia assuming their customers are idiots. The backplates on these cards dont actually do anything to help them run cooler, and in SLI can make the top card run a lot hotter. They just put them on there because they look cool and give people the illusion that they will run cooler, but the 900 ones are purely cosmetic.

 

Shit like this is why I avoid Nvidia.

Lol what? Well I have a backplate on my 970, but I got it for free just for registering my product. I was under the impression they DID make the card a little bit cooler, this is false?

[SpriteNo5]

The small backdates held on with one screw (in reference)are meant to be removed when you use SLI. Since removing them I've seen about a 5degree drop in top card temp. This was while running in same room with same temp, same game and same fan curve so they do make a difference. Not sure about removing the entire backplate on reference or any if non reference cards as Ive only used 2 reference cards in SLI.

SLI does cause my top card to run about 10-12 degrees hotter so if you are gonna use the reference cards in SLI you are gonna want to create a custom fan profile.