ATI 9600 Pro fan quit

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dave
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Dave

The fan on my ATI 9600 Pro started making a whirring sound. When I
investigated, it was spinning quite slowly, maybe 60 RPM. I turned
off the comp and restarted. The fan spun up for a few seconds, then
started whirring and slowed way down again so I removed the card. The
fan spins freely by hand, but when I try to spin it at high RPMs with
canned air, it reaches a certain point and suddenly slows in the same
way that it does when it's in the computer. It seems to me that it
might be a bad bearing. Is this common? Can the fan be replaced?
The card is only a couple months old but I no longer have the receipt
*duh* so I can't get it replaced.

Thanks for any help
 
The fan on my ATI 9600 Pro started making a whirring sound. When I
investigated, it was spinning quite slowly, maybe 60 RPM. I turned
off the comp and restarted. The fan spun up for a few seconds, then
started whirring and slowed way down again so I removed the card. The
fan spins freely by hand, but when I try to spin it at high RPMs with
canned air, it reaches a certain point and suddenly slows in the same
way that it does when it's in the computer. It seems to me that it
might be a bad bearing. Is this common? Can the fan be replaced?
The card is only a couple months old but I no longer have the receipt
*duh* so I can't get it replaced.

Thanks for any help
Click to expand...

Never spin a fan, particularly a small one with a single bearing (like
that video card fan) with a can of compressed air. It will damage the
fan, though at this point that damage may not be significant compared
to the existing wear.

It's VERY common for the video card fans to fail... in an "average"
quality system that would be the part with the shortest lifespan, and
often they fail within a couple years... you were just unlucky to get
one that only lasted 2 months.

The fan can be replaced... contact the manufacturer and see if they'll
send a fan. If it's your only video card and they want you to return
the whole card, meaning system downtime (if that downtime is a
problem) then just source a fan yourself, they're cheap enough IF/when
you can find them.

In the meantime, don't use the card till you put a drop of heavyweight
oil or light grease in the fan bearing... might last a long long time
after lubed but hopefully at least keep it going till you find a
replacement.

It might be just as easy, worth the $ to buy a whole replacement
heatsink instead of just the fan. If you can leave the PCI slot under
the AGP empty, you could even fashion a socket 7 heatsink to work,
would "usually" be quieter and if/when the fan needs replaced again
someday, it's a lot easier to find standard ~ 50mm fans... You'll
just need to splice the old plug onto the new fan or possible the
contacts will slip out of the new plug and into the old.


Dave
 
I have lots of problems with ATI fans, same problem as you. I know of no
god way to repair them or replace them. What I did is get a replacement
from Radio Shack. Thay have a good selection in many small sizes. I had to
improvise to attach the fan, using 2 small, short sheet metal type/wood type
screws, just tight enough to hold it snug. The new fan works well, BUT
takes up the space used by the 1st PCI slot, closest to the AGP slot.

The other option is to look for video card fans on the internet. When I
noticed my fan failed, I could not afford to wait for a delivery.
 
What I failed to mention previously is that if you're going to use a
video card's original, stock fan, it's a very good idea to lube it
right after receiving it, that is, after confirming it's not DOA, not
waiting until it starts to fail, at which point it's already rapidly
wearing out the bearing. This applies only to sleeve bearing fans,
which are unfortunately the type most often used on video cards.
 
Thanks very much Kony and Bubkie.

I got it all apart and will try oiling the bearing first. I think
I'll look for a heatsink for the long run as I can leave the slot
below the card open.
 
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