ATI Radeon 9800 Pro: Can I do anything about the INSANELY loud noise?

[sofakng]

I just purchased a used ATI Radeon 9800 Pro AGP video card and the fan is rediculously loud. It's so loud that I thought my power supply had blown and for some reason the fan started going out of control, or something.

Also, the fan noise is constant (eg. it doesn't start/stop or anything like that)

Anyways, can I do anything to fix this? The fan doesn't sound broken and it's not touching any wires so I guess the fan itself is just a super loud fan.

Can I buy a cheap replacement fan or just disconnect it completely? If I can buy a replacement, what size I do need to buy and what other parts do I need?

Thanks for any help!

 

[crisium]

I can't tell you what to replace it with, but I know that Radeon 9800 Pro's are notorious for having the fan break and stop spinning. Perhaps yours is on its last legs. I would suggest replacing it.

 

[MarcVenice]

Try using a few drops of oil. If that doesn't solve the problem you might want to replace it. I think some accelero passive cooling solutions can be mounted on the 9800's. You'd have to look it up. Disconnecting it is probably unwise, your card will most likely overheat in no time, and you might damage it like that.

 

[sofakng]

Originally posted by: Crisium
I can't tell you what to replace it with, but I know that Radeon 9800 Pro's are notorious for having the fan break and stop spinning. Perhaps yours is on its last legs. I would suggest replacing it.

What would I replace it with? Would I just replace the fan itself or the entire heatsink/fan unit?

Originally posted by: MarcVenice
Try using a few drops of oil. If that doesn't solve the problem you might want to replace it. I think some accelero passive cooling solutions can be mounted on the 9800's. You'd have to look it up. Disconnecting it is probably unwise, your card will most likely overheat in no time, and you might damage it like that.

I have 3-In-1 oil that I could use, but where would I put it? I'd be really afraid of it leaking onto the PCB and ruining the card...

 

[Denithor]

Evercool VGA Cooler $25 shipped at newegg

One recent review:

Pros: Good fit no mod needed. Ample memory heat sinks.
Cons: Power Adapter needed but it is included
Other Thoughts: ATI Radeon 9800 pro. Built by ATI not powered by ATi. Works well good fit. No mod needed. Very quiet. Power adapter included. What more could you ask for. OH keeps my Processor on my video card at about 36c Even under load.

You may be able to find something cheaper if you look but this looks like a win. Did you buy the card used (I assume so)? Could you return it as defective instead of spending probably about as much as the card cost for a new cooler?

 

[sofakng]

Originally posted by: Denithor
You may be able to find something cheaper if you look but this looks like a win. Did you buy the card used (I assume so)? Could you return it as defective instead of spending probably about as much as the card cost for a new cooler?

Yeah, I bought the card used on eBay but I have a 3-day DOA warranty (eg. I have until tomorrow to send it back if it's defective).

However, the card works perfectly it's just that the fan is loud.

I was thinking I could buy a $5 fan replacement and be done with it though...

You guys are making me think I need an entire need heatsink/fan unit to fix this

 

[mwmorph]

The 9800 diamond shaped fan is not supposed to be loud so i think it's on it's last legs.

As for replacement fan, it's not exactly some standard fan size so I'm not sue how replacement would go for you.

 

[Denithor]

Yep, I had a 9800 pro that suffered from premature fan death. Had to replace the whole hsf unit not just the fan itself. It started making lots of grinding/scraping noise and then just quit running (at which point the card got very hot and very unhappy).

Granted, this was about four years ago and the card was worth considerably more at the time. For you, if you can return it, do so. Instead buy a new x1650pro or HD2600pro ($50-75 after MIR at newegg) both of which will be much faster than the old 9800pro (and probably cost about the same if you have to replace the hsf on the used card).

 

[panfist]

My roommate has a 9800XT. The fan died on his a long time ago. He literally clipped a standard 80mm fan to it with insulated wires and it runs cooler and quieter than it ever did. It's a very cheap mod if you're interested in ghetto-rigging your video card. Here are pics...

http://picasaweb.google.com/se...to#5185084646640645810
http://picasaweb.google.com/se...to#5185084659525547714

One of the wires is threaded through the cooler and the other one just wraps around the video card.

 

[spittledip]

Originally posted by: panfist
My roommate has a 9800XT. The fan died on his a long time ago. He literally clipped a standard 80mm fan to it with insulated wires and it runs cooler and quieter than it ever did. It's a very cheap mod if you're interested in ghetto-rigging your video card. Here are pics...

http://picasaweb.google.com/se...to#5185084646640645810
http://picasaweb.google.com/se...to#5185084659525547714

One of the wires is threaded through the cooler and the other one just wraps around the video card.

That looks like th HSF of some type of x800

 

[JACKDRUID]

go on ebay, get lke an x700/800 or 6600/6800 agp for around $30 - 40 shipped..

sell your 9800 for $10 reimbursement...

 

[panfist]

Originally posted by: spittledip

Originally posted by: panfist
My roommate has a 9800XT. The fan died on his a long time ago. He literally clipped a standard 80mm fan to it with insulated wires and it runs cooler and quieter than it ever did. It's a very cheap mod if you're interested in ghetto-rigging your video card. Here are pics...

http://picasaweb.google.com/se...to#5185084646640645810
http://picasaweb.google.com/se...to#5185084659525547714

One of the wires is threaded through the cooler and the other one just wraps around the video card.

That looks like th HSF of some type of x800

Wow...do I need to prove what video card it is to you? How's this for proof. Unless you know of some x800 that says "r98xt" on the back...

http://picasaweb.google.com/se...to#5185113908252833490

 

[webada]

The fan itself would be hard to place unless you find an exact same ones.


Oil might help, you should use a very tiny nozzle or drip it on a tooth pick, aim for the underside of the center nose.


There is no $5 fan that would fix this. Local bestbuy sells 2600Pro for $25 and 2600XT for $45. Ebay yours back and get that. (it will not show on internet, there is a thread on fat wallet on this deal, I personally got a 2600XT AGP for $45)

 

[Throckmorton]

Don't listen to these guys. A $20 HSF would not be worth it for what is probably a $20 video card. Unplug that fan and epoxy or superglue a regular 80mm case fan to the heatsink. I did that with an old Ti4400 and it worked great for a long time.

Or return it and get that 2600

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: panfist

Originally posted by: spittledip

Originally posted by: panfist
My roommate has a 9800XT. The fan died on his a long time ago. He literally clipped a standard 80mm fan to it with insulated wires and it runs cooler and quieter than it ever did. It's a very cheap mod if you're interested in ghetto-rigging your video card. Here are pics...

http://picasaweb.google.com/se...to#5185084646640645810
http://picasaweb.google.com/se...to#5185084659525547714

One of the wires is threaded through the cooler and the other one just wraps around the video card.

That looks like th HSF of some type of x800

Wow...do I need to prove what video card it is to you? How's this for proof. Unless you know of some x800 that says "r98xt" on the back...

http://picasaweb.google.com/se...to#5185113908252833490

I think he was just making an observation, not doubting your claim. ATI reference coolers are evolutionary in design, the 9800XT started this ducted cooler trend which was followed up by the lower end X800/850 Series with single slot cooling and the lower end X1900series. My X1950Gt has a similar looking stock cooler.