Anyone know of a cheap replacement HSF for x850xt?

[jm0990]

So I've got a Sapphire x850xt that I've had for nearly five years. I'd like to keep it running, but the fan on the heatsink is starting to get louder and louder. I'd like to go back to the nice whirring of air without any hint of that electronic grinding noise. Is there an easy fix for this, or does anyone know of an aftermarket HSF that will fit on this card?

If not, I'll probably just buy another cheap card to replace it as I'm not much of a gamer anymore. Since I keep my pc in my bedroom, it would be nice to sleep without the extra noise.

Edit: here's a link to the card if it helps: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102688

 

[MentalIlness]

If I were you, Id just pick up a new card. How much are you willing to spend ?

Because I think, even a $40-$50 card will totally outrun that 850XT. And have all the newer features.

 

[jm0990]

If I were you, Id just pick up a new card. How much are you willing to spend ?

Yeah you're probably right. I was thinking I might just spend $65-80 and pick up a new sapphire 4670 or 5670 - mainly because I like the looks of the big fan. The XFX cards seem much more popular than Sapphire at the moment, but the fans are tiny, and I worry about the noise they might make. Think either of those would be the best choice in that price range?

XFX 5670
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-504-_-Product

Sapphire 5670
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-871-_-Product

 

[kmmatney]

You should be able to ix this with some oil on the fan. There is a cap on the fab motor housing, usually under a sticker. remove this cap, and put in some oil. I usually use a light oil like gun oil, but any all-purpose oil should work OK. The fan also just might need some cleaning.

I still have an X850XT running at home on my son's computer, and it still is used for gaming. I've re-oiled the fan about a year ago, and its been fine ever since. You don't have much to lose by trying to re-lube the fan - worst case you just buy a new card.

You can always get an Accelero S1 for about $30, and this is fanless. I have one on my HD4890, and it keeps my card plenty cool with a silent slow moving fan blowing on it. It's probably not worth spending money on this card, though.

 

[MentalIlness]

I prefer XFX myself. But the bigger fan on the Sapphire may actually be quieter. However, both of these run extremely cool anyway, so keeping the fan speed low wouldn't/shouldn't allow the card to get loud by any means.

 

[jm0990]

You should be able to ix this with some oil on the fan. There is a cap on the fab motor housing, usually under a sticker. remove this cap, and put in some oil.

I just blew out all the dust I could find and pulled off the sticker to hit it with some WD40. It doesn't seem to have become any quieter, although now it's making a funny noise as if the fan is coming to a halt a few times a minute. Maybe there was too much much dust in there still...

Oh well, thanks anyway for the suggestion . I just ordered a cooler master hyper 212+ yesterday, and I think I'm going to order a 5670 now to see if I can quiet this PC down a bit (I agree if the aftermarket cooler for this card is 30 bucks, I'm better off just going with a new card). Thanks for your help!

 

[Ghiedo27]

I think the wd40 is too thin. It'll probably do a great job cleaning it out, but I'd apply something a bit thicker if you have some on hand.

 

[Schmide]

$5 fan + twist ties = profit

 

[Arkadrel]

$5 fan + twist ties = profit

EPIC! I love seeing pics of people doing ghetto mods

 

[airdata]

$5 fan + twist ties = profit

haha...

I didn't attach the fans, but I have a few systems around the office w\ a fan velcroed to the bottom of the case to blow on the video card

 

[TerabyteX]

X850XT, nice and powerful when it was released on 2004. Good times, good times....

 

[BoomerD]

X850XT, nice and powerful when it was released on 2004. Good times, good times....

I just replaced my system that was running a VisionTek AGP X850XT PE. Noisy sumbitch though...and ran hot all the time.

 

[Cerb]

$5 fan + twist ties = profit

If the OP if up for disassembling the HSF, and has both a fan and TIM on hand. Those shrouds can get annoying, sometimes.

However, OP: definitely add some oil. WD40 is not a lubricant, even though it plays one on TV. If you don't have anything handy, some Super Lube from Radio Shack should do the trick, or good old mineral oil type 3-in-1 from a hardware store.

 

[PingSpike]

$5 fan + twist ties = profit

This what I was going to suggest. There are great coolers for this card but its hard to justify spending a lot of money at this point in its life span. I really loved my x850xt when I had it though.

 

[Termie]

This Zalman cooler would work: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-117-_-Product. Mounted one on my x800xt, then busted the card when I shipped it installed in a computer and the heavy copper cooler pulled the card apart somehow.

That being said, spending $60 on a 5670 (the Sapphire would be cooler, the XFX has a better warranty) is really a better investment. A 5670 is about 4x faster than your card, sips power at idle, and will be just as quiet as an x850 with a Zalman.

 

[hdfxst]

If your looking at a new card,maybe something like this http://www.frys.com/product/6139339