First the theory: there is thermal paste between the graphics chip and the cooling system, which helps the graphics card to dissipate heat. However, the constant influence of high temperatures changes the consistency of the paste – it literally dries up over the years. If graphics card manufacturers also use low-quality paste, drying out accelerates. The result: graphics cards with dust-dry thermal paste do not dissipate the waste heat via heat sinks and fans, which does not last long – in the worst case, the graphics chip burns out. The following rule of thumb applies: After three years of operation, the graphics card is ready for refreshing the thermal paste. A renewal is also recommended after buying used graphics cards. COMPUTER BILD shows you how to do it in simple steps.
The best graphics cards
MSI
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti SUPRIM X 12GB GDDR6X
Test details
Per
Very high speed in 4K and Full HD games
Very fast rendering speed
Cons
Very high price
High power consumption (max. 428 watts)
Zotac
Test details
Per
Very high speed in 4K and Full HD games
Very fast rendering speed
Cons
Very high price
Somewhat high power consumption (max. 351 watts)
MSI
Test details
Per
Very high speed in 4K and Full HD games
Very fast rendering speed
Cons
Extremely high price
High power consumption (max. 450 watts)
Zotac
GeForce RTX 3080 AMP Holo
Test details
Per
Very high speed in 4K and Full HD games
Fast rendering
Cons
Very high price
Slightly high power consumption (max. 343 watts)
Zotac
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti AMP Holo
Test details
Per
Very high speed in WQHD and Full HD games
Fast paced 4K games
Cons
High price
Slightly slow speed with ray tracing
Powercolor
Test details
Per
Very high speed in 4K and Full HD games
Efficient mining possible
Cons
Very high price
Slow ray tracing speed
Zotac
Test details
Per
Very high speed in Full HD games
Fast paced WQHD and 4K games
Cons
High price
Slightly slow speed with ray tracing
MSI
Test details
Per
Very high speed in 4K and Full HD games
Efficient mining possible
Cons
Very high price
Slow ray tracing speed
Sapphire Technology
Test details
Per
Very high speed in WQHD and Full HD games
Fast paced 4K games
Cons
Very slow ray tracing speed
A bit loud under full load (5.3 sone)
Zotac
Test details
Per
Fast work pace
Fast paced 4K and full HD games
Cons
Somewhat high power consumption
Complete list: the best graphics cards
How hot is my graphics card?
Is your graphics card booming? And still you experience a drop in performance while gaming? If the fans can’t keep up with the cooling, graphics cards reduce their performance by lowering the clock frequency – so they also develop less heat. Tip: You can use the GPU-Z tool to determine how high the temperature of your graphics card is. The chips on graphics cards can withstand a little more heat than processors in the mainboard, but should not exceed 60 degrees in normal operation. When playing, the pain threshold is around 90 degrees Celsius. At 100 degrees and more, you should act immediately: First remove the PC wall and check whether the fans installed on the graphics card are still turning. If they rotate, it’s time to freshen up the thermal paste.
Safely remove thermal paste
Before applying new thermal paste, you must remove the old one. A fine cloth and highly concentrated alcohol (isopropanol) are sufficient for this. First, carefully wipe off most of the thermal paste from the base and cooler. Then moisten the rag with the alcohol and carefully wipe away the remains. It takes a while, but patience pays off.
If you have an eye on the temperatures of your graphics card, you are on the safe side.
Graphics card: apply thermal paste
So that your graphics card survives the maintenance unscathed, COMPUTER BILD explains step by step how you should proceed in the photo gallery. It is important that you take your time and always exercise caution. If the repair is successful, it will increase the service life of the graphics card. You can also look forward to more performance – in many cases up to 20 percent! The new paste also relieves the cooling system, the noise level drops. Please note, however, that a possible residual guarantee expires as soon as you open the housing.
Renew thermal paste on the GPU
Preparation is half the battle
Before you get started: First, prepare well. If you want to maintain your hardware regularly, you should treat yourself to a repair kit for computer technology. This consists of screwdrivers with different bits to attach. It is usually also suitable for use in cell phone maintenance. Also indispensable are a container for the screws, alcohol for cleaning the chip and cooler attachments, cloths for cleaning or drying and of course solid thermal paste.
The best processors
Intel
Test details
Per
Very high pace of work
Very high game speed with a separate graphics card
Cons
Built-in graphics chip too weak for complex games
Somewhat high power consumption under full load
Intel
Test details
Per
Fast work pace
High game speed with a separate graphics card
Cons
Built-in graphics chip too weak for complex games
Intel
Test details
Per
Fast work pace
High game speed with a separate graphics card
Cons
Built-in graphics chip too weak for complex games
Somewhat high power consumption under full load
AMD
Test details
Per
Extremely high working pace
Very high game speed with a separate graphics card
Cons
Extremely expensive
Very high power consumption
Intel
Test details
Per
Fast work pace
High game speed with a separate graphics card
Cons
Built-in graphics chip too weak for complex games
Somewhat high power consumption under full load
Intel
Test details
Per
Fast work pace
High game speed with a separate graphics card
Cons
Built-in graphics chip too weak for complex games
AMD
Test details
Per
Very high pace of work
Very high game speed with a separate graphics card
Cons
High power consumption
No integrated graphics chip
Intel
Test details
Per
Fast work pace
High game speed with a separate graphics card
Cons
Built-in graphics chip too weak for complex games
Intel
Test details
Per
Fast work pace
High gaming performance with a separate graphics card
Cons
Integrated graphics unit too slow for games
Somewhat high power consumption under full load
AMD
Test details
Per
Very high pace of work
Very high game speed with a separate graphics card
Cons
High power consumption
No integrated graphics chip
Complete list: the best processors
Graphics card still too hot
If your graphics card is running at well over 90 degrees Celsius despite the new thermal compound, the cause may be that the heat is accumulating in the housing. Tips on how to cool your computer properly can be found in a guide from COMPUTER BILD.
