Bad fan on Video Card

jsaklas · Joined: Apr 24, 2007 Posts: 7

My computer has Siluro GF4 T14200 OTES video card. I play no games so I am happy with this cards performance.

However, the fan has started to make a whirring/whistling noise.

I have 3 questions.

1. Can only the fan of the Thermal Exhaust System be replaced?
2 If not, is this card still available?
3. If neither #1 nor #2 are affirmative, then what card can I install to replace the one I have. My main criteria are that it installs easily, software, drivers, etc., are easily loaded and compatible with XP Home, and lastly cheap but reliable. Since I don't play any games, I don't need any more capability than what I now have.

goretsky · Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 2:33 am Post subject:

Hello,

The Abit Siluro GF4 Ti4200 OTES SVGA AGP video card dates back to 2002, so it may be difficult to find a replacement blower for the video card. You could try contacting Abit directly to see if the card has a lifetime warranty and if they will replace it with a working video card.

This particular video card is an 8X AGP video card, so I am assuming any other AGP 8X video card would work in your computer. Any of the following video cards listed here on NewEgg or here on MWave should work in your computer.

Since you have been happy with your nVidia-chipset based video card, you might want to consider purchasing one which uses this chipset as well.

Some higher-end AGP video cards may require an internal power connection. I would recommend staying away from these unless you are certain your power supply has enough wattage to power it and the other peripherals inside the computer and an available power connector which reaches the video card.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

bern · Joined: Mar 12, 2007 Posts: 1434 Location: ann arbor

bern · Joined: Mar 12, 2007 Posts: 1434 Location: ann arbor

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1546 Location: Central FL, USA

jsaklas,

To just expand a little on Bern's post.

I'm not familiar with your particular Video Card, BUT,
many GPU coolers are little 40mm fans that sit down inside the Heat Sink.
I had one that was howling like a banshee and I did the clean and oil trick several times, but finally the little fan just locked up tight.

(take the little fan out of the heatsink, clean it and the heatsink thoroughly and you can usually oil the fan bearings thru the label on the bottom of the fan.
I just inject high quality oil with a hypodermic needle.)

So since the little fan was shot, I took it out and snipped the wires off of it and threw it away.
Then I scrounged around my junk box and found a 50mm cooling fan from an old AMD K6 CPU cooler.
I just set it on top of the GPU heatsink and secured it with two screws, going down into the heat sink fins. I wish I had taken a picture of it, but alas, I did not.

But whatever, don't go out and buy a new Video Card just for the case of replacing the cooling fan. There are many little fans that would do the job, one way or another! Wink

You may have to get a little bit inventive, like I did.

Happy Holidays Everyone!
The Doctor Cool

jsaklas · Joined: Apr 24, 2007 Posts: 7

Thanks to everyone.

Since my posting, I also smelled something burning. The oil helped, but not much. Being an over 60 year old computer novice I have no spare fans (or parts of any kind) and since the card is probably 5-6 years old, and since I don't game I and my box has 2 fans in addition to the power unit fan, I assumed I didn't have to worry too much about the card overheating so I took the cowardly (but costly route) and ordered a new card. I ordered a: PNY VCGFX522AEB GeForce FX 5200

I tried to match the specs of my Siluro -- is the PNY a good (and compatible) card or did I goof up?

bern · Joined: Mar 12, 2007 Posts: 1434 Location: ann arbor

goretsky

Hello,

I have not used PNY brand video cards myself, but am told they work well. The new video card you purchased should work well. Aside from being faster than your old video card, it uses a newer FX5200 video chip that runs much cooler than the Ti4200 chip and as a result does not require a fan for cooling.

You might want to check with Abit to see if they offer a lifetime warranty replacement on your previous video card. If they do, then you might get a new video card for the cost of shipping them the old one, which you could then keep as a spare.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

micker377 · Joined: May 27, 2005 Posts: 994

Thanks doc - I had a 6200 that just died (fan post actually melted!). I had been waiting until after Christmas to order a new fan ($15.00). I read what you said about the old CPU fan. I looked on the shelf, grabbed an old cooler whose fan was as small as my dead one. Clipped out the fan assembly from the plastic of the CPU cooler shell, and super-glued it in place of the bad one! Changed the plug, and viola!!!
Thanks!!!

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1546 Location: Central FL, USA

Ain't it amazing.......what a little (or a lot) imagination and Super Glue can accomplish?

I once worked at a little shop, where the boss put a sign over my bench that said "Super Glue Wizard".

I developed a FIX for Panasonic 24pin print heads, using a tiny little bit of Super Glue. God, I do love that stuff! Very Happy

Merry Christmas!
The Doctor Cool