Geforce 4 fan loose and making a lot of noise.

[Baronz]

its been making little vibrating noises for awhile now...now it seems to have really gona haywire and is not rotating on it's axis, but venturing 1-2mm off its axis while spinning. It seems to be spinning fine but it's making alot of annoying noise and i dont want it to die on me.

Can I order a replacement heatsink and fan for this or something? Is there someplace I can tighten it up?

 

[AnAndAustin]

If you haven't yet made any mods to the card then simply inform the manu or retailer and you should be entitled to a free replacement. If you think this is more to do with a poor HSF implimentation then the retailer should be happy to exchange the card for a different brand. I would pursue these avenues before trying any fixing or modding yourself.

If you have taken off the HSF in order to add AS (etc) or have fitted your own RAM HS (or other mod) then your warranty is void, for anybody in this position I hope the extra 10mhz o/c you gained was worth it.

 

[Jugernot]

Or you could just replace it with a $10 Crystal Orb? I don't see the point in returning a card just because the fan is making noise... just spend a few bucks and replace it.

 

[AnAndAustin]

If the card's fan is making noise it may not be cooling the GPU efficiently and as such damage could have been done to the core, if only shortened it's life. If you make any kind of mod to the card then your warranty will be void, a big shame if the GPU has been compromised or a different hw fault becomes evident. IMHO I'd RMA it and if you believe the manu is a bit below standard then get a swap for a different brand. At the end of the day the new card you paid your money for has a fault, as such you are entitled to a free replacement or refund if you so desire, but laws do vary depending upon country.