Maximum PC

Alright. Had my HD 4850 since 2008, running very strong, no problems, until not too long ago... SOMETIMES when i start it up (doesn't happen always; INTERESTINGLY problem is solved if i immediately shut down and restart, fan noise stops) there is this whirling, awful sound being produced by the fan. All i have to do is pop open the case while it's running, and give it a ever so gentle touch with the tip of my finger, then it stops... Or what i mentioned earlier, immediate shutdown/restart.

Things i can say for CERTAIN:

Not overclocked
Have not messed around with the voltage.
Problem does NOT persist once i've intervened with the aforementioned ^. The Noise stops, and it stays quiet.

Sounds like the fan bearings are going out. You will need to replace the fan/HSF.

Eeer...damn... Why would that happen on a card like this, that isn't even that old?

Anyhow, if that IS the case, how would i go about doing that? Can i take it to my local Tigerdirect or something, and could they fix it?

It could still be under warranty, some have "lifetime" warranties, if you registered. It's all up to the manufacturer.

Alright, this thing is whirling as i type this. The fan has clearly ran it's course. How do i get it repaired, or, if possible, how can i get a NEW fan?

I need this fixed, and every second this thing runs like this, it just worries me...

EDIT: Oh, and according to the CCC, the fan speed it at 2%, goes between 0,1, and 2. Just thought i'd throw that in there...

OMG, this thing needs to get fixed, but.. But i don't even know how graphics cards get repaired.

If a fan needs replacement, what are your options?

As for the warranty, no. I never registered... Oh well, you learn from your mistakes.. Won't happen when i build my monster system in the future...

ALSO, how do i found out what the fan size is on an HD 4850? Just gonna go and buy a new fan, and install it myself.

This fan will fit that card: http://www.zalman.com/eng/product/Produ ... sp?idx=276

Newegg has them here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835118037

I have similar problem with a different AMD card. After it gets warmed up the noise goes away. My theory is that the blades are rubbing against the fan shroud. When the shroud expands after warm up the noise goes away. Again, it's my theory.

Sometimes the fans will spool up at start up, but settle down pretty quick. I have a Gateway FX6800-01e that has a manufacturing date of Jan. '09. It came with the HD4850 1 Gb card ( have a 5770 in it now ), so the card has been around for a while. The fans can be changed on those things, but I have never done it, as it was usually something else that I had to just buy a new card.

Get that fan fixed ASAP or you will kill the GPU. Call the manufacture and explain that you need a new fan, sometimes for good faith they will just send you one for free or for the mailing charge. That is what XFX did for me and I never registered my cards.

Nasty

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/ ... CatId=4027
Best one i found at my local tigerdirect. Wish it had ball-bearings, doesn't say. Either way, should kick the $**t out of the stock fan.

That's quite a deal!

Eeerrr... Believe it or not guys...I still haven't fit a new cooler on my card...

My local tiger direct don't have JACK in stock...

According to the compatibility list, my card it out of the question...But...Is it a possibility that this thing might still work with my 4800 series card?

Check it out. I like the price, and the design looks very, very good. Never heard of the make, though. Evercool? Again, though, the design looks excellent. And that Ultra cooler i linked in an earlier post. It looks too damn big...The height is ridiculous... Rather, the fan assembly, not the cooler itself. Only 48mm according to the specs. The thing looks too damn big.

What do you think about that Evercool cooler? Worried about the heat pipes. They might prevent it from fitting.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EverCool-Turbo2 ... 4d0011429d


As for the card. It's still fine. I don't think any damage has been done with it running on this half-dead cooler. It's still working, just gets loud sometimes, but it definitely (note that it is spelled correctly) needs replacing. In the end, though, i just want a cooler with similar dimensions to the stock cooler, with durability/longevity in mind. Preferrably with a ball-bearing.

I contacted Diamond...They said the card only had a 1 year warranty... Sooo... Yeah, looks like they're not interested in helping me.

I would remove the fans and shroud only, then mount a 80 mm fan to the existing heat-sink. Plug it into the motherboard for power and it should do the cooling for you just fine. I did this to a XFX 7800GTX video card and it works just fine... actually it runs 4 C cooler.

Nasty

How about the thing i linked? The Evercool? Also, those Zalman fans are way too much... 40-50? Damn...Im trying to spend something more like $20. I just don't know which ones will fit onto my card. I should make measurements of the space i have in my case.

Also, im looking at coolers like the Accelero S1 Rev 2... Im almost sure im not going to be able to fit anything like that...It's ridiculous... It's so HUGE! Why the hell does it sit so HIGH?! UGH!

I need something that's similar to the stock cooler shroud in terms of dimensions. I just need something. Something good.

I like the design of this thing: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=27172 It's nice and thin in terms of height.


But it doesn't look like it's compatible with my 4850...FFS! C'MON!

Lotsa fans to choose from:

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory ... GA-Cooling

I used a 3 buck 80mm fan I bought at a computer show and it works juat fine on my 7800gtx.

Nasty

Well, i need something that will fit, and that's preferably similar in design to the stock shroud/fan assembly. I like how it's thin, and fits right over the card. Something that isn't so...eer...Separate? I don't know how to explain it. I like how all those stock coolers have that wind-tunnel sort of design. It's a housing, with air flowing through it, simple as that.

Although, i can make some exceptions...The Thermaltake Duorb looks very, very awesome. Probably performs just as well.

Also, you have a 7800GTX? DAMN! What can that thing still do, Nasty?

I have two in SLI and they run quite well on lower settings for games written up to 2010. The earlier the game the higher you can set the resolution and settings. They cost me 400 a piece when I bought them. Only DX9 capable.

Right now it is sitting on my work bench in pieces, waiting for me to assemble a machine for the cellar.

Today my main game machine has two 6970s in crossfire and it runs everything real fine.

Nasty

Just reporting back. Got my new cooler. Bought a Zalman VF770, and i highly recommend it to anyone looking for an aftermarket cooling solution. It's quiet, and my temps under load have gone down over 10 degrees centigrade. I love it.

You can consider this thread SAAAAAAAAAAWLVED!