Maximum PC

So recently my MSI 4850 just started running it's fan as full capacity. It is louder than shit, and I wouldn't normally mind but my room mate and girlfriend certainly do. The thing is the card isn't even under heavy load, and is idling at 47 degrees. This just started several days ago, ironically right after I had ordered some new parts, one of which was a videocard. However I'd like to give the card to my little brother and besides getting an entirely new headsink/fan for the card does anyone have options? I've tried MSI Afterburner but that didn't alter the fan speed and CCC's fan controls do nothing. The card is three years old coming up in June, do you think it may have finally just met its maker? Any advice is always appreciated.

Thanks,

James

Sounds to me like the chip that controls the fan craped out on the video card.

Nasty

So replacing the heatsink/fan is no good? Sucker just kaput then?

You could opt for a solution that plugs into your motherboard. I think one of my Zalman GPU coolers did that once, as stupid as that sounds.

You could try finding an after market cooler for the card but may end up the same issue because the chip on the video card that measures temp may be gone.

Nasty

I recall when I replaced my 8800 GT's HSF with a Zalman cooler, you had to plug the fan into a motherboard header. It wouldn't fit in the video card's fan header. You can't do temperature based control, but at least you can cut down on the noise and manually set it through something like SpeedFan.