Computer

What is the maximum temperature your graphics card can support?

The temperature at which the components of our computer work is a crucial element, but we cannot monitor it at all times and that is why there are integrated security measures to prevent overheating.

In this article we introduce you to the concept of Hot Spot applied to graphics cards. Which refers to the highest temperature value that can be reached while in operation. However, this concept hides much more than a maximum value and it is important to understand concepts such as overclocking and how Boost speed works in a graphics card.

What is the Hot Spot on a graphics card?

Don’t worry, this is not an unknown component so far, but rather a concept that will not cost you much to understand once we have explained it to you. To begin with, we must bear in mind that graphics cards have several clock speeds that fluctuate depending on the workload they have, but one of them is the Boost speed, which is reached in very short bursts of time. The reason? A higher clock speed means an increase in the temperature at which the chip works, called the junction temperature, so it is necessary that before reaching critical levels it can be lowered.

Rsadeon VII Hot Spot Sensors

How does the GPU know when it’s too hot? Imagine for a moment that you are the graphics chip and you are doing an aerobic exercise. Suddenly we find that we start to get tired and flatus appears. On the other hand, if we have a device that marks our heart rate, we can regulate our rhythm in time and avoid greater evils, such as a heart attack. Well, the graphics chips in the graphics cards have a series of sensors that are dedicated to measuring the temperature at all times.

Actually, Hot Spot or hot spot is nothing more than the highest temperature reading that a graphics card reaches at any given time. And here we go into a detail that is important. Not all chips are created equal, even within the same wafer. The fact is that if our graphics card exceeds that temperature, then it will stop working.

Is there any way to know the Hot Spot of my graphics card?

Yes, it is as simple as going to the “Sensors” tab in GPU-Z where you can see both the temperature reached by the different sensors installed on our graphics card and also in real time.

GPU-Z Hotspot

What is the difference in junction temperature?

The junction temperature is the temperature emitted by a chip that is in operation, which is affected by the temperature of its environment or ambient temperature and also by its ability to dissipate heat from the cooling system that is used. find it installed on the system. This is defined by the following formula:

TJ =Ta + (PD * EITHERHA )

Where:

  • TJ is the junction temperature and therefore the one emitted by the GPU in this case, as well as its VRAM. (Celsius degrees)
  • TA It is the ambient temperature, that is, in which the box where our graphics card is located is located. (Celsius degrees)
  • PD is the heat dissipation capacity per watt. (watts)
  • EITHERHA is thermal resistance of the cooling system (Degrees Celsius/Watts)

Hot Spot Graphic Temperature

It is nothing more than pure thermodynamics, in which an object of lower temperature absorbs the energy or heat of another that is hotter. In the end, the objective of any cooling system in a semiconductor device, such as a graphics card, is none other than to keep its junction temperature as far away as possible from its maximum point, which is the Hot Spot. And what happens if this is reached? Well, then the overheating problems come.

In the best case, the system will simply turn off to cool down and turn on again, in the worst it will accumulate heat until it affects the structure of the circuits due to the change in chemistry due to the increase in temperature. The point will come when the cooling system exceeds its operational limit and the consequences of this will be the operational death of the device. Come on, your graphics card stopped working permanently.

That is why the designers of chips with the ability to raise the clock speed temporarily, usually relate them to temperatures that are between 10 ° C and 15 ° C below the hot spot or Hot Spot. So that the system has time to return to base speeds through the relevant voltage drop. That is, technically a GPU can reach speeds higher than its specifications, but they are not safe for the health of the chip.

Binning, liquid cooling, custom models and Hot Spot

The use of liquid cooling in any type of chip is key, since it greatly reduces the junction temperature, since it is much more difficult to reach the Hot Spot temperature, this allows models of these graphics cards to reach much higher clock speeds. Another point is the binning of the chips, which is based on preselecting those wafer chips with greater tolerance to high temperatures. This allows launching much more powerful and advanced versions in terms of performance. Although always with a more advanced cooling system than standard graphics cards and, therefore, at a much higher cost. Of course, the manufacturers hope that the additional power obtained will justify the launch of a more advanced model.

AIO liquid cooling for GPU

The other side of the coin can be found in some custom graphics card models, where not only the design of the analog circuitry that is responsible for controlling the voltages and currents is designed to the millimeter, but also the cooling system. Things like the material used in the heatsink, the types of fans, the Backplate, the heatsink, etc. All this with the objective that certain speeds can be reached as far as possible from the Hot Spot of the graph.

The fact that a graphics card manufacturer with a GPU from NVIDIA, Intel or AMD manages to get a higher clock speed out of their graphics card model compared to the equivalent of other brands is key. Since it can make your graphics card much more in demand than its direct competition and become a better choice for those looking for raw performance over other values. Which is important in a zero sum market.

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