Check your VRAM heatsinks, maybe a couple have fallen off. It's likely that at the max res it's utilising most of the 1GB of VRAM so they're heating up.
thanks for the quick replies
um my gigabyte 9800gt oc 1gb doesn't have any heatsinks on the vrams lol however if u read my update, it makes no sense...unless gta4 takes up more vram at 5040x1050
could it be 1 bad ram chip? it has 8 i think, but then again rivatuner is monitoring the core temp? not the vram temp?
I have a thermaltake m9 case hehe I have 2x12mm + 2x8mm fans 1 which is blowing the graphics card so i don't think it's an airflow issue.
update: i just played 1 hour of stalker clear sky at 5040x1050 high settings and rivatuner was hitting 63c max 0_0. I just don't get it, why would GTA4 be a difference???
Can someone please do a 20min test with gta4 and temps at 5040x1050 high/very settings and at 1440x900 then monitor the temp differences.
thanks
update 2: just played 1 hour of left 4 dead at 5040x1050 and max temp was 63c o_0 DAMN U GTA4 ><