Visiontek GF4 Ti4200 HSF making weird noises. Time to get a new one?

[Parn]

It runs fine, with the fan spinning really nicely, except every once in a while it makes weird vibrating noises for less than a second.

Is this from the fan being old, wearing out? Or could it be from it not having enough power? etc?

 

[Davegod]

if you can get into the bearing bit in the middle, try a drop of oil. if the fan really seems to be dying try email the manufacturer for a replacement fan.

 

[Parn]

It's weird, but it's not making that sound anymore. Maybe it's time for it to get a little lube like you say.

 

[GAZZA]

Try a bit of compressed air to blow out any dust etc that more than likely has accumulated on your fan/hs.

 

[Icewind]

Mine started to make this gawd awful buzzing sound every now and then. Eventually I replaced it with a copper thermatake cooling system, but the fan on that was loud and annoying, so I had to freaking rip that fan out and put the stock one back in so it wasn't so damn noisy running continously

 

[Parn]

I already tried the canned air to blow off dust. That didn't fix it.

What's funny is that now, It is running fine, but everytime I turn off my computer, it makes that noise for a while. I just have the computer running all the time now.

 

[shinji23]

My Ti 4200 from BFG made buzzing sound and vibration, so I bought vantec Solid Copper VGA cooling combo from SVC for $9.50. Noise and vibration is now all gone. It's not loud either.

 

[Naruto]

Shinji, how you take the hs off your BFG, mine is glued down pretty hard. I also have a vantec copper chipset cooler i want to put on, but its too hard to take off that BFG.

 

[shinji23]

I just took out pins from hsf, and used new hsf.

 

[Skoodog]

I had the same sound on my old geforce2 gts. The fan eventually died. The card lasted 6 months before I got a new one. It still functions.

 

[Naruto]

Your heatsink has pins?! Damn, mine is glued on.

 

[MDE]

My Visiontek Ti 4600 did the same thing. I'm guessing you have a "Blue Orb" fan. If you call Visiontek they'll probably say they don't have any of the fans in stock and to go get a new blue orb and swap fans like they did to me. I got the Thermaltake copper cooler. It's loud but it works. As for removing the heatsink, I pried VERY gently around the perimeter of the GPU untl it popped off. Make sure you don't scrape the yellow wire thing on the GPU (was on the top left corner on mine) and try to VERY gently sand off the remaining adhesive off the GPU with fine grit sandpaper (if you aren't overclocking you can skip the sanding). But if you want to play it safe, get another blue orb and swap fans. The site Visiontek referred me to is 1CoolPC. Pretty decent prices, fast shipping and emails are anwsered very quickly.

 

[VisableAssassin]

if it is dead or dieing i am a fan of the thermaltake GF4 copper cooler. yeah it is semi loud about 28db or so but ive got mine hooked to my rheobus so i can shut it up when i have to

 

[Icewind]

OMG the glued on HSF sucks ass major, mine had it. I spent 2 hours trying to get that damn thing off. I froze it in the freezer, I used pliers, I use chizels, I use screwdrivers. I twisted at it, I wacked it with a hammer. The ONLY thing that got it off was using a flat head screwdriver, then putting it betwee the HSF and the GPU, then wack on it gently with a hammer, and it POPPED right off. I had to scrap the glue off, clean it alchohol then apply AS3 on it. Whata pain....

 

[Parn]

Isn't it better to heat it with a hair dryer to make it soft?

 

[MDE]

The stuff on there is rock solid. Gently pry as described in my previous post (and read the rest for the 'safe' way). It worked for me.

 

[Icewind]

The heat the GF4's GPU puts out is twice that of a hairdryer. A hairdryer won't effect it in the least bit.

 

[Parn]

ah ok. I was just reading that the North bridge HS of 8RDA+ can come off with hair dryer, but I guess GPUs get much hotter.

 

[mechBgon]

Is the fan held onto the heatsink by screws, by any chance? If so, unscrew the fan from the heatsink, peel back the label on the rear, and feed it a drop of automatic-transmission fluid, then put the label back and screw the fan to the heatsink.

 

[MDE]

Go for it, just don't put too much in there. I'd say put in less than you think should go in there and go little by little unil it stops making noise (you don't want oil all over your card or case like mine... gigantic dust magnet).

 

[saber800]

How hard really is it to remove the HSF off the GPU? I also have a VisionTek GF4 Ti4200 and the HSF also makes noises like the fan is going to go. I was thinking of getting this:

http://www.3dcool.com/?module=product&sku=Geforce4CK

But I'm afraid I might damage the GPU. I'll have to think about it. Where are you guys getting your replacement HSF and what type are you getting (Make/Model)?

 

[VisableAssassin]

Originally posted by: saber800
How hard really is it to remove the HSF off the GPU? I also have a VisionTek GF4 Ti4200 and the HSF also makes noises like the fan is going to go. I was thinking of getting this:

http://www.3dcool.com/?module=product&sku=Geforce4CK

But I'm afraid I might damage the GPU. I'll have to think about it. Where are you guys getting your replacement HSF and what type are you getting (Make/Model)?

as of lately ive only been buying albatron cards...good stuff
well i am useing that same cooler. it is a bit louder than the stock one but it does a much better job !
if your a noise freak either 7v it or do like i did and hook it up to a rheobus

 

[Parn]

sorry to be noob... what's a rhoebus

 

[mosco]

a fan speed controller.

 

[saber800]

Originally posted by: VisableAssassin

Originally posted by: saber800
How hard really is it to remove the HSF off the GPU? I also have a VisionTek GF4 Ti4200 and the HSF also makes noises like the fan is going to go. I was thinking of getting this:

http://www.3dcool.com/?module=product&sku=Geforce4CK

But I'm afraid I might damage the GPU. I'll have to think about it. Where are you guys getting your replacement HSF and what type are you getting (Make/Model)?

as of lately ive only been buying albatron cards...good stuff
well i am useing that same cooler. it is a bit louder than the stock one but it does a much better job !
if your a noise freak either 7v it or do like i did and hook it up to a rheobus

Cool. I'll probably get that plus the Zalman inline speed controller at SVC.com. I think this would be the best bet since I will be lowering the fan speed. The large surface area will help to dissipate all the extra heat that is lingering (since fan speed is lower).

I might try first is to put the Zalman inline speed controller on the Blue Orb thats currently on the GF4 but I'm thinking it might overheat.

What do you guys think?