geforce 6800 ultra OVERHEATING

[divine_sage]

my video card used to run idle at about 50 degrees (by idle i just mean in windows) and when i played games it would get to about 75 degrees, now at idle it runs at about 65 even though i took the side of my case off and put a huge house fan there, and when i play games it pushes 90 degrees and i get artifacts and frequent crashes. NONE of my components are overclocked and i used rivatuner to crank my video cards fans wayy up and it changed nothing..i no there spinning faster cause i can hear it. what is going on.

 

[JMMD]

Have you checked to see if the fan or heatsink is full of dust?

 

[divine_sage]

i checked the fan a long time ago and it was really dusty...i cleaned it out but it didnt make any difference....what exactly is a heatsink?? and how do i get too it.

 

[divine_sage]

nvm i figured out...yea i took the card right out and blew some compressed air on it and through the heatsink...blew out some pretty sizeable dust bunnies...it now runs just like it used too....thanks dude i can play games without my computer crapping itself.