NVIDIA GPU Fans Auto Start ?

[ForkTheWire]

Hi,
I guess I waited too long to ask for this.. is there a way to automate the Nvidia GPU fans on system login instead of manually enabling and setting speed through the Nvidia Settings app each time? Ideally setting a fan curve as the heat rises would be nice, but just automating a set speed like my reference photo below will be more than fine for me.

Screenshot_NVIDIA Thermal Settings.png

A Session and Startup script maybe??

Screenshot_Session and Startup.png

[Snod Blatter]

Have you tried GreenWithEnvy? There is also Tuxclocker but that's not in the repos AFAIK.

[ForkTheWire]

Have you tried GreenWithEnvy? There is also Tuxclocker but that's not in the repos AFAIK.

None of those are in the MX 23 repos nor seem to be built for debian; also quite overkill and bloat for my needs. Thanks for suggesting them though. I was hoping more for like a trigger line like the one in the picture I posted above "Force Full Composition Pipeline"; an equivalent one to set fan speed to let's say 34 everytime I login.

[trawglodyte]

If I understand correctly NVIDIA's idea on fans is it's fine for NVIDIA GPU's to run 50-70C, preferable actually. So their fans usually don't kick on until over 52C, but are plenty strong to keep the GPU under 70C. (when they kick on, the temp is easily stopped from exceeding 70C unless something is very wrong). Mine does this automatically by default (I don't even have to "enable fan setting in nvidia-settings"), is yours doing something different?

[ForkTheWire]

If I understand correctly NVIDIA's idea on fans is it's fine for NVIDIA GPU's to run 50-70C, preferable actually. So their fans usually don't kick on until over 52C, but are plenty strong to keep the GPU under 70C. (when they kick on, the temp is easily stopped from exceeding 70C unless something is very wrong). Mine does this automatically by default (I don't even have to "enable fan setting in nvidia-settings"), is yours doing something different?

A few times that I forgot to turn them on it went up to like 57C but the fans never kicked in. The "NVIDIA Settings" app actually says "Slowdown Temp: 99C" so as I understand they will only throttle when said temp is reached.. To my knowledge as temperature in electronics rises above 60C generally performance starts to drop and they begin to wear out quicker, most datasheets say so. Unless Nvidia use Mithril and Adamantium...which I seriously doubt.

[trawglodyte]

To my knowledge as temperature in electronics rises above 60C generally performance starts to drop and they begin to wear out quicker, most datasheets say so. Unless Nvidia use Mithril and Adamantium...which I seriously doubt.

This doesn't sound right to me, but I'm not sure what I said about 50-70C was accurate either. Do you have a datasheet that says something implying "wearing out quicker"? I'm pretty confident that the largest factor in wearing out is the constant changing of temps. Simple physics of metals expanding and contracting. But we have materials which perform reasonably well and if we tried to devise a system to maintain a constant optimal temp it would be expensive to build/operate without anywhere close to enough improvement to justify it.

This says normal operating temp for NVIDIA cards (in general) is 40-90C --> https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers ... re%20range

This document brings up another issue, it says NVIDIA cards use thermal throttling above 85C which reduces clock speeds to help cool. So there would definitely be a performance loss there, and obviously NVIDIA is concerned about their cards going above 85C if they include this feature --> https://developer.nvidia.com/docs/drive ... IVE-OS.pdf

I think the main thing I want to say is that the optimal temperature for metals, plastics, and so forth in a GPU, or computer in general, is not the same as what is comfortable for human beings. Unless metal or plastic is melting, it probably can do it's job fine with only slight change in performance related to changes withing 40-90C range. But we keep them in environments optimal for human comfort, about 21C, just because some sensors in our pc's are 27C or 34C, and the GPU may be 60-70C does not mean that's "bad" or a problem. It may even operate slightly better at that temp. With the cpu, you might want fans to kick in well below 50C, not because above 50C is "bad" but because it gives you a safety cushion, a bit of extra time when the cpu cranks hard for fans to try to keep it well below 80 or 85C. With case fans it's good to keep some air moving most of the time just to keep heat from building up in one spot. But with an NVIDIA gpu the logic is a bit different, the fans are capable when necessary so no need for them to kick in at lower temps. I could be wrong on this though, I think what I had read about 50-70C was not from NVIDIA, I can't remember, and all I can get for sure from NVIDIA right now is they get serious about stopping temp rise above 85C on most gpu's.

[Snod Blatter]

I believe Nvidia GPUs aim to run at 80C, while modern CPUs aim for 90.. There doesn't seem to be any harm done at these temperatures, old broken GPU with "bad bumps" notwithstanding!

There are supposedly CLI commands that can work, a quick search brought me to this page:

https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/h ... l/72705/11

[Eadwine Rose]

Just chiming in with an older Nvidia GPU running happily for 5 years now at around 34C with the fan on 25%.

To edit.. that thing goes to 60-65C under load.

[trawglodyte]

Just chiming in with an older Nvidia GPU running happily for 5 years now at around 34C with the fan on 25%.

This is what I want to understand now. Does your NVIDIA automatically run fan 25% @ 34C? Or did you set it to run fan 25%? While it's your computer and you can run your fans however you want, I think NVIDIA's position is there is no need for your fan to be running at 34C. It's a waste of electricity because your gpu operates just as well, or better, above 50C where NVIDIA's fans come set to kick on. NVIDIA's fans kicking on as designed (52C for my GTX1060) is all the protection you need against truly dangerous temps (85C+).

I could be wrong though, and maybe that does not apply to all NVIDIA gpu's. If you have a laptop that struggles with cooling, for example, you may want to get every fan running early or something?

[Eadwine Rose]

Just chiming in with an older Nvidia GPU running happily for 5 years now at around 34C with the fan on 25%.

This is what I want to understand now. Does your NVIDIA automatically run fan 25% @ 34C? Or did you set it to run fan 25%? While it's your computer and you can run your fans however you want, I think NVIDIA's position is there is no need for your fan to be running at 34C. It's a waste of electricity because your gpu operates just as well, or better, above 50C where NVIDIA's fans come set to kick on. NVIDIA's fans kicking on as designed (52C for my GTX1060) is all the protection you need against truly dangerous temps (85C+).

I could be wrong though, and maybe that does not apply to all NVIDIA gpu's. If you have a laptop that struggles with cooling, for example, you may want to get every fan running early or something?

Regular case here. I have never fiddled with its fan settings, it regulates it automatically. They are spinning from the moment I turn the system on. Fans start lower than the 25% but in about 15-30 minutes they are there and they stay there unless they come under load. It's been running fine for all these years, even with dust now excluded after its yearly clean out. Operating temp on load is 60-65, and from what I can see on for instance Reddit is that this is a beautiful temperature.

I see no need to turn fans off just so a chip can run hotter than on its obviously default factory settings.