Odd fan problem in video card

First off the video card i'm using is a bit outdated but plenty good enough to run anything out there fine. No issues there, but off and on i'm encountering a real pain in that my video card build in fan somehow just suddenly will make a fan noise like its hitting something or off kilter, whatever. Sometimes i can go for days with no issue of this sort and then some days like today ,it seems to be working fine (putting my ear to as close to it as possible ) . With an open case i hear litery nothing but a sleek and smooth machine.. hardly audible overall system runnng.

Today like i said, I'm watching some TV and all of a sudden it goes off again. This is odd as nothing i'm doing or in my environment is making this happen. At first i thought it was either one of my case fans, CPU fan, or ?, but i checked all and they are fine, and then i could tell it was the video card.

What I notice is when i tap it a bit it stops for awhile or longer, then might start up again out of the blue. When i slightly push up on the card all runs fine again, which makes me wonder if the card got warped somehow. I kind of think this is the case. Can video cards warp some? I wonder if this kind of thing has happened to anyone else. Nothings perfect I know. I have not dropped it or other as far as i know.

A shame, as my future upgrades have a video card at number three on the list, which is a ways down the line, like March of next year maybe. By then i beleive i will have spent waht i can afford max on a new CPU and Memory. ( about $165.00 total ) , which is cheap but i am on a very fixed budget, and heat bill is going way up during winter.:rolleyes::confused::t

Place a dowel in there to hold the fan up.

And the other thing is the fan bearing could be worn out. That are replacable but that can be hair pulling.

Then that falls into the "Unconventional Repair Job Instead Of Expensive Replacement" category.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/coolin...-32320-11.html

I have a video card like his... The colder it is in the room when I turn it on - the more noise it makes.

Bearings drag until they heat up. I replaced mine with a Blue Orb using nylon bolts. Been some years ago now.

Guys, Trully thanks for the response. Sounds like a major repair to me for sure. I'm pretty darn good mechanically and am good with rigging something up at times, but your solutions although sound, I'm sure leaves me pondering on just how to do any of those things.

For instance right now its hummming along just fine, but I'll bet before too long now it will act up again. Oh me! I just bump it a tad ,it stops and life goes on until minutes later or?
I thik the bearings and heat issue are the real problem. I was thinking about that last night, and that makes me feel a bit better knowing just what it is. Now..??, I need to find a small enough screwdriver so i can take the fan shroud off. Those pesky little buggers. Figures what i have does not work. Need a repair kit, which as usual I put off buying. The card seems pretty hot ,even when the fan is running fine.

Oh well, like all things, something new and in time I will either figure how to do all that, live with it till I get a new card or ? Darn i cannot come to grips with another living without my computer. I went through that two years ago and started drinking heavily .. Haha!

The new card is cheaper is my bet.

Train, I might agree with that. I paid like $168.00 for it back a few years ago now. Worth like maybe $60-70 now.

Here is the one i am getting REAL soon. What do you think? The Raedon 5770 is alright too and a bit cheaper.. like around $89.00. This one is a bit newer and higher end. Much faster,more memory, DX, and uses no power connector.




http://www.amazon.com/XFX-Radeon-HD6...1922463&sr=1-8

Actually, this is the one i saved in one of my folders for upgrades. I hope its still available by the ist of next month. I am going to write to them and inquire about that. it is now listed as $98.00 , about $8.00 less then a coule of days ago.


http://www.amazon.com/XFX-Radeon-HD6...1923015&sr=1-3

Here is a Tomshardware link where we can check to see where video cards kind of sit.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...ce,3067-7.html

Frys, in Renton, had a good price on the 6750 last week.
Remember the closer they are to the top of the chart, the faster they are.
So, when you see something like this,
Discrete: HD 4870, HD 5770, HD 4890, HD 5830, HD 6770, HD 6790

Those are video cards that are pretty much the same in output.

By the way the 9600 is at least 3 levels below the 5770

Train, Seems i keep looking at the hardware deals, which is fun always to dream and see whats out there.

My final thought is i have decided to get either the 5770 or the 6770 as both can be had for only a minor few dollars more, which is worth it. I went to the ATI site and glanced around the latest cards, specs, and all that. My case although only a mid size tower will hold a dual slot card, which one or both of those are. ( stacked DVI connectors )

On a related note we discussed above, the other night i got the main body card sperated from the fan shrouding where the fan is encased ( which it is and almost impossible to get to that so? ) decided nothing could be done now, put it all back together and on my board,booted up and knew the problem would still be there. If it is the bearings, I came to conclusion that wasn't making the noise but the fan blades hitting the shrouding off and on,like riding high a bit maybe. graphics regardless are always fine no issues, so i live with tapping it just so every so often.
Sice December is Christmas month I think i can wait a bit till January if it holds up and i think it will just fine. Fixed budget and Holiday funds are priority now, and with loan money i'll only have to add like around $20.00 out of my check to cover it.

Sometimes, what we think is the right path or order of things turns out not to be what we thought. After all this, I believe this was meant to happen ,meaning the video card first and not last. Makes more sense to me.

After a final response, you can close this thread. Thats all. Have a happy Thanksgiving and to Steve also. Thanks for being there and the great response to my needs.

Sounds like the bearings alright. Seen only one where the wearing allowed the fan blade to strike like that. May you have a Happy thanksgiving !