kevinc313

5PTSLOWWell, I found a sweet spot when I set the target power and range to 87% and I think it is around 71C as the temp target. I use the fan curve you suggested and when I called EVGA, they explained it is perfectly normal for temps to idle about 40-50C and be around 70-80C on full load. Even though I explained I'm not running max graphics and still getting over 70C, they insist there is nothing wrong.
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So, I'm trying to find a hybrid kit, but, no one has stock.
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The fans have been steady at 80% speed and don't really go above that. 
 
Yesterday, temps never went above 68C for the hour I played. On Monday, fans hit 72C, but, never kicked on over 80% speed.  Sunday, the fans were all over the place with the same X1 configuration I've been running since we discussed this. 
 
However, I'm still not able to run games on max load without temps nearing 80C. My CPU under full load now, not overclocked barely hits 65C on the regular. So, to me, it seems the thermal paste helped, but, also this is a sign that airflow is decent in my case, maybe not optimal, though.
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It sounds like you're still on the stock bios fan curve which lets the card run 80C at 100% power.  
 
If you were using the curve I recommended, you would be hitting 100% fans at 70C.  
 
I'd STRONGLY recommend figuring how to run the GPU's fans at 100% before upgrading your PC or buying a hybrid kit.  It's really not even that loud.

kevinc313

5PTSLOW
In the bios, the fans for the GPU were not listed. Just the case fans, CPU fan and the "external fan" which was the side panel fan on my case.
 
However, I did use the curve you suggested a page or two ago and was still going over 70C and the fans were increasing constantly in RPM getting louder and quieter.
 
I ended up calling EVGA Tech on Sunday and explained what curve I had loaded in the X1 and I was told it was way too aggressive and I should adjust the third bullet on both fan curves at 100% to 80C so they don't keep kicking on so much. This helped a bit, but, temps were pretty much consistently over 70C after an hour or so of gameplay. 
 
I did change them one time in X1 to 100% instead of auto and ran into an issue where they would go over max RPM listed for them and the EVGA tech kind of implied I was lying when I told them they were going that fast. 
 
At this point, since the build is in progress, I am going to test the GPU in the new case. If the same thing happens, then I will talk to EVGA again and hopefully get this figured out. 

Sorry, let me clarify.  
 
The GPU card itself has a bios, that is the bios that I'm referring to.  It has a fan curve built into the bios, that will set the fan speed if you are running the card without Afterburner or X1, or it you don't activate fan control in those.
 
EVGA thinks it's perfectly OK for YOUR (and everyone's) GPU to run at 100% power, 80C and 70% fans, per the stock bios.  I think that's a bit (crazy) on the hot side.  Thus they think that 100% fans at 80C is ok.  IMHO that's too hot.  Like I said before, my fans are 100% by 65C.  
 
If you can't get the fan and temp to stabilize with a curve, I recommend you manually locking the GPU fans at a fixed level using X1.  Preferably at 100%, or at least 90%.  Then do some gaming and adjust your power level settings till you hit a comfortable equilibrium temp. 
 
Or you could set your GPU fan curve to go 100% by 50C or 55C, that way at any gaming power levels you lock in at max fans.