[mythtv-users] Why is OpenGL video renderer overheating my GPU?

[Michael T. Dean]

On 05/08/2012 02:43 PM, Gabe Rubin wrote:
> Hi List,
>
> I have an Nvidia 220 card with a fan and heatsink that takes up one
> slot.  I don't have that many slots in my motherboard and can't leave
> any open next to the video card.  When the system is idle (i.e., just
> displaying the menu screen but not playing video), the GPU temp is 62
> C (as reported by nvidia-smi).  This seems high to me.  It also
> reports the fan speed at 0%, but I can tell the fan is on by visual
> inspection.
>
> I have long ago given up on being able to use VDPAU with this card as
> it causes the temperature to raise above 100 C and the system shuts
> down soon after.  The temperature of my motherboard and my CPU are
> within reasonable range when this happens.  With the upgrade to .25, I
> am trying the OpenGL renderer, but that also raises the GPU
> temperature to a temperature where my computer will shut off, so I
> really can only use the "High Quality" playback mode which I believe
> uses XVideo and ffmpeg.
>
> As said, I can't remove the PCI card that is the next slot (a smallish
> firewire card that, although close to the heatsink of the video card,
> there is a little space between the two) and the other PCI slot is
> taken up with my PVR-350 card.
>
> First, is this type of overheating common with these cards using the
> OpenGL renderer?

I'll just say that the OpenGL video renderer is significantly less 
efficient/more resource intensive than the VDPAU renderer.  So, if VDPAU 
rendering was causing overheating, I'm not surprised the OpenGL 
rendering does, too.

> Second, what are my options?  I just ordered some thermal paste and
> will take the heatsink off, blow compressed air through it and the fan
> (although it does not look there is much, if any, dust in either) and
> apply some thermal grease.  Are there any other solutions?  Would a
> third party heatsink/fan be a good option and if so, can anyone
> recommend one that will not take up more space than the current one
> does?

I'll leave the suggestions to someone else who knows that stuff better 
than I do.

Mike