Radeon 8500 Fan

asb002

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Feb 17, 2003
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My Radeon 8500LE 64MB's fan on the heatsink works intermitently (sp?), sometimes it works great, other times it craps out and makes very loud spinning noises. I was just wondering if it is safe to run the card without the fan running, or if I should persue the matter and get a replacement fan (man they are tiny), or put a whole new HSF on it.
 

clicknext

Banned
Mar 27, 2002
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It's probably not safe to run it in heavy 3d stuff without the fan. When I disabled my fan to see if it works, my computer crashed while playing max payne.
 

asb002

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Feb 17, 2003
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Would Quake III/clones be heavy 3d? It seems to be running OK now without the fan, but I just want to make sure I'm not damaging the card by letting it heat too much.
 

RalfHutter

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2000
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I wouldn't run it without a fan for too long.

You should get one of those Zalman FB123 brackets and mount a low speed 80mm fan like a Panaflo L1A above your vidcard so it's cooling the front and back of it. That's a fairly common procedure over at SilentPCReview where the guys pull the stock (noisy) fan off of their 8500s.
 

asb002

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Feb 17, 2003
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OK, I suppose I'll get a new HSF for this thing. Any suggestions? It's really starting to get hot, and I don't want to run it too long without a fan. Do the "standard" VGA HSF's fit the Radeon 8500, or will I have to do a custom job? (Eep)
FYI, I've been looking at something like this: Vantec IceBerg Copper, or maybe this, for a cheaper version: Vantec IceBerg Aluminum Something else, maybe?
 

asb002

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Feb 17, 2003
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You could just get the monster Zalman heatsink...
:), Right.

I was looking in detail at the heatsink area, and there didn't seem to be any of these screwholes that the GeForces have, and that the heatsinks fit into. Will they still work, even though they won't screw in? I suppose thermal adhesive would work to hold it on...
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
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Originally posted by: asb002
You could just get the monster Zalman heatsink...
:), Right.

I was looking in detail at the heatsink area, and there didn't seem to be any of these screwholes that the GeForces have, and that the heatsinks fit into. Will they still work, even though they won't screw in? I suppose thermal adhesive would work to hold it on...

You could get this or maybe the aluminum one, as was suggested earlier on, and pick up some Arctic Alumina adhesive while you're there. It's epoxy though, so it'll be pretty permanent once it's attached.


You say there are no holes around the chip, so I'm guessing that the current heatsink is glued on. You'll want a razor blade then; at least that's what I've found to be effective...though if I remember the one Radeon 7000 I worked on, I used a screwdriver and hammer to get it off, after it had been in the freezer for awhile. That did the trick quite well, though this method can rip the chip off as well.
 

asb002

Member
Feb 17, 2003
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I think I'll try a razor blade, shoving a hammer and screwdriver into (or even near) my video card makes me flinch. I don't exactly have the money to buy another video card right now. So, that stuff is glorified epoxy? So that would mean if this fan dies, I'd kinda be screwed.

EDIT: Another question: Does my computer need one/some of those case fans? It came with one, but like nearly all of my fans, it died. Any reccommendations on a relatively cheap, QUIET 80mm case fan?

Fans hate me. :(
 

jei3

Junior Member
Jul 7, 2003
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I am running a Radeon 9200, and have noticed that the card gets extremely hot while playing Battlefield 1942. I was wondering where I could find a good HSF for my card... Please let me know where I can find one, and also any suggestions on which kind to get would be appreciated.
 

asb002

Member
Feb 17, 2003
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The Radeon 9200's don't come with a stock HSF? That'd be unusual. If it already does have a HSF, the temperature the card gets is likely within the operating limits, otherwise ATI wouldn't (or at least shouldn't) have let it go. You could always do what was suggested a few replies above, it would still work on a 9200.

EDIT: Welcome to AT, jei3.