Problem with my Radeon HD 6870 (Sapphire) - Temperatures/Fan/Sensor?

IrionDaRonin

Junior Member
Jan 6, 2015
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Hi, there.

After looking many replies i decided myself to make an account here and ask directly about my problem.
I hope you can help me, as i have headache since weeks looking for a few solutions.

Firstly, i bought a ATI Radeon HD 6870 3 years ago. No in warranty anymore.

The main problem was the temperatures and a strange behaviour since months, but i didn't pay too much attention till now i'm playing Metal Gear Solid V.
The graphic card usually is at normal temperature. 35-60 Celsius (depends on the weather), going normal, still playing, and suddently, the gameplay start stuttering, due the higher temperatures.
When the card detects this for a few seconds-minutes, the fan start running so fast (like the one in Xbox360 if you know what i mean) like a turbine/reactor.

Well, what i wanted is to put this reactor ON by myself everytime i want to play smoothly, so i don't need to wait the graphic card get higher temps.
I was using Catalyst Control Center, MSI Afterburner, SpeedFan. But no luck.

The speeds show that this fan in the graphic card is going at 4700 RPM at 100%, but i can't hear the typical reactor sound. So i guess this fan is nuts, or even the sensors, no idea. I have tried many times, different things to make this work manually.

A few days ago, i could manage to manually keep running this fan, but only when it gets in reactor more from the game.
I mean, if i'm playing the game, then the stutters, the waiting for the high temperatures, and bing! the fan starts to going in reactor mode. Then i go to Speedfan application and i can maintain this speed.

But, this is not happening any longer, i was playing the game and no went into "turbine" mode even if i have been playing during hours.
However, the speed of the fan is at 100%. And still i can't listen that turbine sound that i used to listen time ago.

This is the first problem, if you can help me with this, perfect, i will be grateful and happy.

But, as this looks like it's impossible to fix and i almost throw the towel, i'm also asking what cheap fan replacement goes good for this video card. So in case it's the fan, i could change by myself, i have open the card many times, to clean of dust, to change the thermal paste, and other things.
The fan that comes with this video card is:
·The cable comes with 4 pines.
·The screw pins are also 4 in a perfect square.
·The size between each of them is about 4 centimeters or so.

This is my Radeon.
293624d1292361159-sapphire-radeon-hd-6870-a-l_09002344.jpg


At the moment, i can't buy a new graphic card, probably during June i will, before "Metal Gear Solid V The phantom Pain" gets released.

Anything you need to know, pics, specs, let me know it, please.
I hope you can make my headache softer.

Thanks for your help and have a nice day. :)
 

Elixer

Lifer
May 7, 2002
10,371
762
126
Fans do go bad, or it may need a cleaning.
Remove the heatsink/fan, reapply thermal paste clean up all the dust, and try again.
If still no luck, then you need to source a new fan.
 

IrionDaRonin

Junior Member
Jan 6, 2015
3
0
0
soundcloud.com
Fans do go bad, or it may need a cleaning.
Remove the heatsink/fan, reapply thermal paste clean up all the dust, and try again.
If still no luck, then you need to source a new fan.

As i said in my post, i already cleaned it, perfectly, and also added thermal paste once again.
I do this at least once per 6 months.

So, i think i will need a new fan. Do you know where i can have a fan that fits nice in the case for a cheap price?

Thanks :)
 

IrionDaRonin

Junior Member
Jan 6, 2015
3
0
0
soundcloud.com
Try ebay or online garage sales. You need to have a certain post count to be able to post in the FSFT on AT.
http://forums.anandtech.com/forumdisplay.php?f=19
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/sapphire-fan

Thanks for the info! :)

I was watching the link, but i can't find one for my video card for now.
Mine has 4 screw pins, and i can only find 3 screw pins in triangle shape, or 2 pins cable, etc.

Let's see if someone can point me out where is the one i need directly.

Have a nice day :)
 

WT

Diamond Member
Sep 21, 2000
4,816
60
91
You say you replaced the thermal paste on the GPU already. What brand of paste did you use ? I use Noctua NT-H1 ... I swear by that stuff. Its pricey, but you get what you pay for. Its also non-conductive should you get sloppy with it.

While you had the heatsink off, how did the thermal tape (TIM) look like on the memory chips and the VRMS ? You also may need to replace that, and here I will suggest Fujipoly Extreme, but be SURE to order it in the proper thickness for your card. I made the mistake of putting some 1.5mm on a 6970 card I had that I had previously used on a 4870x2. Turns out, the 6970 card needed .5mm, NOT 1.5mm.

I really take these overheating or 'dying' cards as a challenge, and I probably buy at least 1 or 2 a year and restore them to working condition. I'm sure some have cost me more than the card may be worth, but you learn something from every one, so it's worth the time and $ investment in the end in most cases.
 
Apr 20, 2008
10,067
990
126
I have the same card. I use sapphire trixx to create a sloped fan profile with fans near these values.

35C-0%
40C-20%
45C-30%
50C-45%
55C-55%
65C-70%
70C-85%
75C-100%

I've never had it past 75C, however. No slowdowns have occurred yet.