The fan melted off. There was no over-clocking (I don’t risk it
because I demand stability) and I noticed prior to this happening the
fan was making noise and the noise stopped.
Video card fan failure is quite common. The moment the fan
starts making noises the system should be shut down and
replaced. If the system (that video card) needs be
operational until a replacement fan is received, lube it
with heavyweight oil (almost grease) by removing the fan,
carefully pealing back the sticker and putting one good drop
in it.
Then graphic corruption.
I rebooted and it wouldn’t boot. So far researching this issue,
apparently it’s a common problem with the AIW 9800 Pro.
It's a common problem with any video card, but more common
that the card might be damaged if it's one that has a high
core heat density.
I placed a new
fan and it wouldn’t boot at all. The card is fried. I noticed the
wires to the fan "burnt off" and I did smell a mild electrical burn,
you know what I mean. Now I bought this card back in 2003 and it took
about 2 years until it crapped out.
Now I had it RMA and did ATI improve the cooling fan? Does anyone
know?
I don't trust stock video card fans- seen far too many of
them fail. When I get a card I benchmark & stress test it
to be sure the card isn't a dud, then pull the fansink off
and seal it up for storage, replacing it with
whatever-is-appropriate for the particular card. Often that
"whatever" is an old slimline socket 7 CPU with a 50mm x 15
mm dual ball-bearing, low RPM fan on it. In other cases the
card benefits more from a low profile copper-bottomed
cooler, either one made for that familar of cards or a
typical 1U server style thin copper 'sink, again with a 15
(or thicker as the space allows) dual-ball-bearing low RPM
fan.
Small, thin, higher RPM sleeve-bearing fans just don't last
very long. Unfortuantely some of the most long lasting
stock fans are the squirrel-cage type which are almost
always significantly louder and generally found on cards
that already take up two slots.
All you'll have to do is just compare the new fan to the old
one (from memory?). If it looks the same it most likely is.
If you want to get most life possible out of a stock fan
then use a good thick lube in the bearing right away- even
before it starts wearing and making noise. Thick lube is
essential, thin lube runs out of the bearing on these
vertically oriented fans. If it is a ball-bearing fan it
might last longer but may not respond well to being lubed .
