Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB - Fan probs

The warrenty is up

I dont know how long the fan hasnt been spinning. I cant play games because thats when the monitor turns itself off but the comp runs ok otherwise. Windows is telling me the card is ah.. functioning ok..

I'm after some suggestions on what to do...

Is the card dead and in need of replacing?

OR is there any chance that I could just replace the fan and all will be well?

I'm trying to be optimistic here

 

You can replace the fan. Most computer stores will sell video card fans. I don't mean big stores that have a computer section. I mean computer stores, bigger stores with computer sections like a walmart won't sell the fans.

Alternativly you could try fixing the fan. When a fan stops spinning it's almost always because it ran out of oil. So simply oil it. You can buy oil for this at a computer store as well. But any fine oil will do. Something a lot of people have access to that works well is sowing machine oil.

To oil a fan you remove the sticker from the center and there SHOULD be a hole under the sticker. This is where you'd apply the oil. Usually (and I think they do this to annoy people) the side with the hole will be the side that is the hardest to access. Although it is worth noting that not all fans can be oiled. If you can't find a hole under the stickers then you'll need a new one. The hole is usually plugged with some form of a rubber stopper and the stickers can be annoying to remove as well.

 

thanks for the quick reply

so you think there could be a chance that I can save the card?

whats the worst damage I could have done to the card?

~ Izabela

 

well, oil and remove any dust bunnies or lint that may have stopped up the fan and see if it works then post back

 

"so you think there could be a chance that I can save the card?"

Absolutely, but first you need to get the fan spinning again.

"whats the worst damage I could have done to the card?"

The card could be a paperweight. But, you shouldn't start your computer without first making sure the fan is spinning.

 

you're all being so helpful

the other thing i wanted to ask was..

after i clean out the fan. can i actually plug the fan into something to see if it works without having to connect the graphics card to the computer?

or should i just clean it and put the card back in and hope for the best?

 

im having a bit of a problem finding the oil.

ive called around to a few places but of course they recommend that i bring in my card so they can have a look at it or they try to tell me that different graphic cards need different oils or that ill damage the processor if i touch it.

i swear its because im female..

 

The oil is really just any fine oil. I personally just use sowing machine oil that I get off my mom whenever I'm in town. Not all computer stores even sell oil. You'd almost be better off going to a fabric store and buying sowing machine oil if you really can't get it off some family member.

As for the other stuff, like diffrent cards need diffrent oils, well that's just complete BS. Ignore them.

Also, did you check to make sure you can find where to oil it? You may want to, since it might not even be possible to oil. If thats the case, you don't want to waste time getting oil.

As for testing the fan. You could power the fan other ways, but to be honest the easiest way is to simply plug the card back in and turn the computer on. You don't have to close the case to test it. You don't even have to plug any of the cords into the back (except the power cord). You won't need a mouse or monitor, just turn it on and if the fans spins it's good to go. If not, you'll need a new fan.

 

you can test the fan with a 9 volt battery, you might need to use pins to make contact with the connector. I peel the sticker off,then pop the aluminum disk, remove the rubber seal, take out the spring ring, slide off the blade assambly, clean and oil the shaft. then reverse the procses. The fan will be as good as new
Howiefix

 

i havent had any free time to do anything to the card till today

there is nothing under the sticker (except the fan ) and after removing the fan ive noticed that there is a lot of dust under the heat sink as well. im assuming ill need to clean that out as well *sigh*

i guess i need to replace the fan as this one is looking pretty flimsy but what kind should i get?

~ Izabela

 

Just bring the card into a computer store and ask them for a fan that fits it (just telling them what you have could work, but lots of places might mess this up, so I'd suggest bringing the actual card). Depending upon your area you might have trouble finding a replacement fan since not a lot of people actually replace video card fans, it's kinda considered a specialized piece. If you don't want to find something locally (or can't) there are numerous websites you could order off of like newegg (states) or NICX (canada).

 

is there any particular way to get the heat sink off.

Ive unscrewed the fan but i cant get the clips out for the heat sink. ive tried using pliers on the back but that hasnt seemed to work

 

hmm.. nevermind.. its off...

poor little dusty thing..

there is an insane amount of thermal paste on it which is coming off in chunks