What Is Safe GPU Temperature? Quick Answer
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Graphics cards are built in a variety of ways, with varying levels of performance. As a result, it’s only natural that their safe temperature limitations differ. As a result, it’s difficult to answer for all cards, What Is Safe GPU Temperature? Regardless, it’s long been accepted wisdom that graphics cards should be kept below 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit).
Even if some cards can withstand temperatures of up to 90 degrees Celsius (194 degrees Fahrenheit), it’s still a good idea to read the handbook or the manufacturer’s website to see how hot your card can become. You may also check your card’s maximum temperature limit with third-party software, which we’ll go over in detail below, providing download links.
What Is Safe GPU Temperature?
As a result, determining a safe temperature for all cards is difficult. Regardless, it’s long been accepted wisdom that graphics cards should be kept below 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit).

What Does A High GPU Temperature Indicate?
A high GPU temperature can indicate a number of issues. It usually indicates that your GPU is putting up a lot of effort. This isn’t generally a cause for concern, but if you notice consistently high temperatures for several hours or more, you may start to experience performance concerns.
When your GPU gets hot, it can start to self-regulate its performance to keep it cool. Even if you’ve optimized your system for gaming or cleaned out your computer or gaming laptop recently, you can notice a drop in FPS (frames per second) or image fidelity while playing. If your GPU gets too hot while rendering or editing videos, the process will take much longer.
Clean out all the digital debris that can cause your GPU to overheat to enhance your computer’s operational efficiency. AVG TuneUp examines your computer from top to bottom to identify and eliminate all typical causes of overheating and performance slowdowns, ensuring that it runs cool and efficiently.
How To Lower GPU Temperatures?
There are a variety of reasons why a GPU’s temperature is approaching the suggested maximum. Regardless of what’s creating the issue, the steps below should help you solve it.

Keep Track Of GPU Temperatures On A Regular Basis
Unless you have software that shows you the temperature of your card in real-time, you won’t be able to tell if you require the following. While there are several of them available for download on the internet, the MSI Afterburner is a well-known program that many experts use.
Purchase A Sufficient Number Of Case Fans
To achieve extremely low temperatures, proper ventilation is required. When compared to cases that only operate one or two case fans, having the correct number of case fans immediately results in lower temperatures.
Simply go to the manufacturer’s website or read the manual of your case to find out how many case fans you can fit inside. This should specify not only the number of case fans that can be installed but also the size of the case fan that is compatible with it. Because case fans come in sizes ranging from 80mm to 140mm, it’s important to know which one to get ahead of time.
Purchase The Correct Graphics Card
Graphics cards are divided into two categories:
- Reference card (or blower fans): Usually only one fan is used.
- Non-reference cards (aftermarket cards): These can feature up to three fans to keep the GPU cool when under load.
When compared to standard cards, aftermarket GPUs are more expensive, but they are usually safer and more stable when overclocked. However, this isn’t always the case; some of the greatest graphics cards have three fans, while others have only one.
In most cases, you’ll want an aftermarket card rather than a reference card to take advantage of the multiple fan setups.
Reference cards, on the other hand, should not be a concern if your budget is absolutely limited or if your cooling system is really efficient. When these are loaded, expect them to sound exceptionally loud. Do you know the advantages of virtual routers? If you don’t know anything yet then you will know everything from us.
When You Don’t Require The Full Amount Of Power, Underclock It
Underclocking your GPU may seem paradoxical, but if the card is too strong for the application(s) you’re using, you may want to underclock it safely. Underclocking is beneficial because it allows you to get the most out of your graphics card without putting it under too much strain. And this is just what you require to extend the card’s life.
Replace The Thermal Paste
If you haven’t changed your CPU and GPU thermal paste in the last six months or so, it’s probably time to do so. To avoid any problems, learn how to properly apply thermal paste to the CPU or GPU before altering the thermals.
Temperatures In The Environment
The ambient temperature is one of the most significant factors to consider while attempting to lower CPU/GPU temps. This can be a severe concern for your PC temperatures if you reside in a tropical area of the world or suffer extreme heat throughout the summer months.
Unfortunately, unless you have a large sum of money to invest, there isn’t much you can do about it. Air conditioning is a wonderful convenience, but it will almost certainly cost you more than the computer itself. If this is the case, you should consider purchasing a water-cooled AIO.
We have a number of excellent suggestions that will come in handy throughout the hotter months of the year. At the very least, I recommend using one of the apps listed above to create a more aggressive fan profile.
Lack Of Fans/Poor Airflow
More/better case fans are one of the simplest methods to influence your case’s internal temperature. Investing in good case fans, especially those with high CFM (cubic feet per minute) levels can significantly reduce internal temperatures.
To facilitate a more natural airflow across the case, make sure you have at least one intake fan and one exhaust fan. You may take it a step further by purchasing multiple intake/exhaust fans to truly boost your cooling system. This is something we recommend performing if your PC is under a lot of stress for a lengthy period of time.
Dust
Dust accumulation is one of the most common causes of excessive heat. Dust will naturally accumulate inside your case if you haven’t cleaned it in a few months. The dust will accumulate to the point where it will begin to obstruct the case’s internal airflow, resulting in less efficient internal cooling.
Dust may be a great headache to clean since it always seems to find its way into the most inconvenient areas. Compressed air is our number one recommendation for cleaning your case. A vacuum will, for the most part, remove the majority of the dust from your computer.
However, it will not entirely eliminate case dust. This is where compressed air comes into play. Simply take your case outside (to a safe, dry location) and use compressed air to blow the dust away.
Overclocking
Overclocking is one of the quickest and simplest ways to raise your hardware’s internal temperatures. You’re straining your components to their limits physically, and as we’ve already seen, increased stress translates into heat.
Overclocking profiles integrated into current hardware, on the other hand, may be unfamiliar to you. An OC profile, which physically pushes the component harder than you’d expect, can be found on GPUs and CPUs.
It can be recommended to set your OC profile to stock levels during the hotter months of the year, especially if you’re experiencing higher-than-average temperatures. This can be done through your manufacturer’s utility program or directly through the BIOS.
Inadequate Cable Management
Another overlooked factor that contributes to higher CPU/GPU temperatures is cable management or the lack thereof. If the airflow surrounding the GPU is blocked, your open-air cooling solution will not be able to perform at its best. When you combine it with summer ambient temperatures and a lack of correctly designed case fans, your hardware temperatures will quickly raise.
Is 72 Degrees Celsius Hot For A GPU?
For a full load, 72°C is ideal.
The Safe Temperature For CPU And GPU
Let’s have a look at what is considered a normal operating temperature for most GPUs: 30° to 45° C (86° to 113° F) at idle Temperature range: is 65° to 85° C (149° to 185° F) Rendering temperature: 70° to 80° C (158°F to 176°F).
Conclusion
So there you have it: our whole approach to gaming at optimal CPU/GPU temperatures. While there is no definitive answer to the question What Is Safe GPU Temperature? it is always a good idea to keep them as low as possible as a general rule of thumb.
This ensures that performance levels are always optimized, while also extending the life of your gear. Now that you know the average optimal CPU/GPU temperature for gaming, use the tools we offer to monitor your CPU and GPU temps and follow the simple measures to stay inside the safe zone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it too hot for a GPU at 80 degrees Celsius?
NVIDIA GPU Boost 2.0 has a target temperature of 80°C, so anything around that is good. Essentially, your card will overclock till it achieves the target temperature of 80°C. This is exactly how NVIDIA intended it to work, so as long as you don’t go too much beyond that, you shouldn’t have any issues.
Is a GPU temperature of 80 degrees safe?
On a GPU, 75-80° is totally okay. You might reduce this by increasing the number of case fans to enhance ventilation, but the temperature isn’t damaging your GPU.
What is the maximum temperature that a GPU can safely operate at?
With this in mind, AIBs typically set their GPUs’ maximum temperature at around 203°F (95°C). This is done in the hopes of preventing lasting harm to the GPU. Even if certain GPUs are rated higher, the recommended GPU temperature for gaming should not exceed 185°F (85°C).
Is a temperature of 72 degrees hazardous for a GPU?
Yes, there are GPUs that can safely exceed 90 degrees Celsius without causing damage (although it might shorten the lifespan in some cards). In any event, there are ways to keep gaming temps at 50°C-60°C, with a maximum of 70°C.
Is 82°C a safe temperature for a GPU?
A temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit is considered normal. To roughly 80-85C, most GPUs will run as fast as they can. It’s something to be concerned about if the GPU temperature rises above 90 degrees Celsius.
Is a temperature of 75 degrees OK for a GPU?
GPUs are designed to endure temperatures of up to 120 degrees Celsius. You’ll be alright as long as it doesn’t get into the 90s. For a GPU, 75 is sufficient. They are really heated.
Is a temperature of 70°C safe for a CPU?
No problem if the temperature is 70°C at full load. It’s a little hot, but it’s absolutely safe. These days, heat cannot harm your chip in any manner. This chip has a maximum temperature of roughly 100C, and once it hits that temperature, it will begin to throttle down.
Is it safe to run a GPU at 70 degrees Celsius?
When in a steady idle state, 70°C is too hot. When idle, the temperature of a GPU should not exceed 40°C to 50°C. On the other hand, I can tell you that most graphics cards can endure safe temperatures of 75°C to 80°C under extreme strain; anything higher than that may cause chip damage.
Is 85°C too hot for a GPU?
It’s fine if it’s 85 degrees. Anything over 90 degrees isn’t allowed. This should not be a problem because high-performance GPUs and CPUs are designed to reach these temperatures while playing games. If your computer is slowing, stuttering, shutting down, crashing, or overheating, it’s time to take action.
What’s the deal with my GPU being so hot?
Under excessive use, graphics cards in the performance class can achieve dangerously high temperatures. The graphics card’s heatsink and fan components are designed to take heat away from the graphics card. Additionally, the fans on graphics cards might collect dust over time, reducing their ability to cool the GPU.