Why do graphics cards run so hot nowadays?

[Rocket3]

Hotter = bigger and more powerful HSF required.

I know more powerful graphics means hotter. But die shrinks, lower voltages and other advancements mean less heat right?

In 2000
State of the art graphics card then

Small and simple HSF only.

In 2013
State of the art graphics card now

Big and complex HSF.

Budget graphics card today

The HSF on today's budget graphics card is much bigger than the Geforce 2 Ultra's!

How come?

 

[kawaii_boy]

Time flies ...

 

[Phelan]

Because they're cramming more and more transistors into that small die area.

 

[AnTiLooP]

not hot lah, compared to my AC68u router's ARM's dual core CPU...

idle 95C non-air con room, load temps 107C....

cooled by thermal pads, no fans whatsoever......

 

[watzup_ken]

Goes to show how much changes its been undergoing over a decade.

Despite the die shrink, the power requirements have also gone up quite a lot. Thus, resulting in a dramatic increase in heat output as well.

 

[coyote]

Well, if you don't need a lot of graphic power... there are choices around...

 

[muddle]

You can't run crysis 3 on a year 2000 flagship card, can you? Tell me, in that year what was the most graphical intensive game?

What i want to point out is, games were not as intensive as present day. It takes a bit more horsepower and more complex gpu. As a result more transistors are cramped in way smaller die than before. That requires active cooling.

TS mentioned lower die shrink and voltage should result in cooler temp. That is true. But you forgot that the density has increased. Example a 90nm die with 1 million transistors, compared to a 22nm die with 10 million transistors. All those will result in more heat trapped.

And i dont doubt that gt610 coyote posted should be way more capable than that year 2000 card.

 

[Felfirez]

And i dont doubt that gt610 coyote posted should be way more capable than that year 2000 card.

Yup it is. The Voodoo 5, geforce 4 era.

 

[Rocket3]

Well, if you don't need a lot of graphic power... there are choices around...

The Geforce GT 610's heatsink is gigantic. If someone were to time travel from 2000 to today, he would be surprised that an entry level graphics card needs such a big heatsink.

Yup it is. The Voodoo 5, geforce 4 era.

Voodoo 5 was released during the Geforce 2 era, not 4.

Although it was the most power hungry graphics card released in 2000, it's two graphic processors needed only simple cooling - much simpler than the cooling needed for today's budget graphic cards.

 

[Ark Law]

What i want to point out is, games were not as intensive as present day. It takes a bit more horsepower and more complex gpu. As a result more transistors are cramped in way smaller die than before. That requires active cooling.

TS mentioned lower die shrink and voltage should result in cooler temp. That is true. But you forgot that the density has increased. Example a 90nm die with 1 million transistors, compared to a 22nm die with 10 million transistors. All those will result in more heat trapped.

Nail on the head

 

[MoneyFace =p]

It's the mother nature... unless you are able to defy the laws of physics...

 

[Techno Pride]

I've this...

Waiting for a 2nd card.

 

[Maeda_Toshiie]

The 610 is a 520 rebadged, and the 520 is apparently weaker than 420.

 

[XseanX]

Geforce2 Ultra has a transistor count of 25 million whereas for modern card like GTX 780, it packed a total no. of 7.1 billon transistors on it, that is 284x times more than Geforce2 Ultra's total transistor count...

This explain why GPU & CPU nowadays need a huge heatsink to cool those crazy amount of transistors on board.