My video card is running at XX degrees Celcius! Is this bad?!
Not at all. Graphics cards these days are rated to around 100C! For instance, people who fold or game heavily could see their GPU(s) reach upwards of 90C. This is normal, they can withstand the heat - it's like apples and oranges compared to CPUs, where 75C is the danger-zone these days. Don't panic!
I'm still really uncomfortable running my card(s) over XX Celcius!
If you're really worried about temps over say 65-70C, you could turn your fan up to 100% on your card. If that still isn't good enough, well, you could always watercool it or buy an aftermarket cooler.When should I be worried about temperatures?
Most would tell you about 105C is the point-of-no-return. Realistically though, for everyday use, you should not exceed 95-98C for extended periods of time.
How can I monitor my temperature on my GPU(s)?
You could use apps such as CPUID's HWMonitor, and in addition you could use eVGA Precision to monitor your temps as well.
How can I find the maximum temperature as specified by Nvidia for my specific GPU(s)?
You can find out the maximum temperature as specified by Nvidia by looking at the specifications page of your GPU on either Geforce.com or Nvidia.com. For example here is the specification page of the GTX 580 indicating it's maximum GPU temperature of 97C.
If you're running below 90C the majority of the time, don't panic!
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