Resolved Replacement Fan for ATI graphics card

My ATI graphics card has a noisy fan. I've pealed back the sticker a few times and placed a drop or two of light weight oil on the hub. That works for a while, but I would rather replace the fan. Are there any generic fans available to fit something like this?

I'm taking an estimated guess that this is a 40mm fan.

 

Ah, well, I was thinking along those lines, Pete, but I figured my issue was a lost cause...but thanks anyway.

Here is what Speccy pulled up...

Graphics

S/T 77E/76E (1024x768@75Hz)
128MB ATI RADEON 9100 Family
(Microsoft Corporation) (Sapphire/PCPartner)
​

This card is installed on my MSI XP setup.

Are Radeon fans proprietary to their graphics cards? (meaning that no generic fan will fit?)

 

Do a search on Ebay and see what you turn up. I had a look on our Trademe and found 3 ATI Radeon fans for sale. Neil.

 

Many, not just Radeon fans are "non-standard ". I would not call them proprietary, but rather generic in non-standard sizes. Standard graphics card fans are 40mm and 60mm with some newer cards coming with 80, 92, or even 120mm fans. Standard height is 10mm and 25mm. You do need to measure (instead of an estimated guess). The height may not matter. The cover or "cowling" may be for looks, or may be used to channel the flow to sensitive parts or out the back (in double wide cards).

Since fan blades are basically spinning wings, aerodynamics is the applied physics that determines the key factor - that is, CFM (cubic feet per minute). The length of the blade is set by the width of the fan's housing. And the width and pitch (angle) of the blade are set by the height of the housing. These determine how much air the blade will catch as it spins. The final factor is the rotation speed. The greater the RPM, the more CFM - and greater noise too.

My point for the above is to select the correct replacement to ensure proper cooling, you need to find one with the correct housing width, but also CFM and maybe height.

And that sounds like a real PITA to me!

If XP support was not ending in just a few short months, I would recommend you simply replace the card. For less than $40, you could get a 512Mb card that would blow the socks off that 128Mb card. With 4 times the RAM and faster GPU, it would likely provide significant over all system performance gains (since today's computing is so graphics oriented). And with "passive cooling" (no fan) it would do so in complete silence as well.

But since you should be looking to retire your XP system (unless you don't plan on letting it have Internet access after April) you might look at getting a slot cooler if an exact replacement cannot be found. All you need to do is remove the current fan, leaving the card's heatsink exposed, then install this cooler in the next slot to blast air on the heatsink.

Edit add: When removing the current fan, I recommend extra care as many use screws that "cut" into the heatsink for grip. Removing the screws can leave metal filings behind and you don't want them falling on the card's or motherboard's circuit tracings. And of course, remember to unplug from the wall first, and touch bare metal of the case interior before reaching in to discharge any static in your body to avoid ESD damage.

 

Oops. I forgot to mention that this board only supports up to AGP 4x.

Bill, that slot cooler reminds me of a squirrel cage fan used in air conditioning units. Doesn't this slot cooler draw air out of the computer case and out the back slot vent?

That's a really good price with free shipping too.

 

This one will work on your system and if you upgrade to Windows 7 later it is compatible.

EVGA 512-A8-N403-RX GeForce 6200 512MB 64-bit DDR2 AGP 4X/8X Video Card

 

Yes it does.

 

Yes but that is not a problem.

Also as far as AGP 4x, 8x cards are backwards compatible to 4x.

The card Whiskeyman linked to appears to be almost identical to the one I linked to, but cheaper. Though "refurbished" it also has a 1 year warranty. So that looks like good deal to me.

 

Thanks for all the input.

I'm still debating about what to do with my XP unit. The case is a little large by today's standards, but there are some good parts installed including an Antec Earthwatts power supply. I don't think, however, that this board (MSI MS-6738) can run Windows 7.

 

Run Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.

 

Here's my report...

Computer Name: N/A
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (wrong, should be XP Home)
CPU: AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2100+
Memory: 1.0 GB


System Details
Custom installation required You'll need to perform a custom installation of 32-bit Windows 7 and then reinstall your programs. Make sure to back up your files before you begin. Go online to get important information about installing Windows 7 on a PC running Windows XP

Windows Aero support

Your current graphics adapter won't support the Windows Aero user interface. If you want to experience the benefits of Windows Aero, contact your PC manufacturer or retailer to see if an upgrade is available.
Go online to learn more about Windows Aero

16 GB free hard disk space required

You need at least 16 GB of free space on your hard disk to install 32-bit Windows 7. Either make room by removing unwanted files from your hard disk, or contact your PC manufacturer or retailer to see if a hard disk with more capacity is available for your PC.

Outlook Express This program is no longer included in Windows 7. You can get similar programs for Windows 7 from other software manufacturers.
Go to the Microsoft website to learn more

CPU speed: 1.7 GHz Your CPU meets the 1 GHz minimum requirement.
1.0 GB of RAM Your PC meets the 1 GB minimum requirement.


More...

Devices Status Details

SUPRAMAX V.92 PCI PRO DIAMOND
Unknown We don't have compatibility information about this device.

USB Human Interface Device KME Inc.
Unknown We don't have compatibility information about this device.

RADEON 9100 Family (Microsoft Corporation)ATI Technologies Inc.
Compatible This device is compatible with Windows 7.

Realtek AC'97 Audio for VIA (R) Audio Controller
Realtek Check Windows Update Check Windows Update after installing Windows 7 to make sure you have the latest driver for this device, otherwise it may not work.

USB Mass Storage Device
Compatible USB storage device Compatible This device is compatible with Windows 7.

VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter
VIA Technologies, Inc. Compatible This device is compatible with Windows 7.


In addition...

Windows XP Mode is an optional feature available in Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate that has extra system requirements.
Visit the Windows XP Mode website for more information

Requirement Details

Virtualization technology not supported Your PC does not support hardware assisted virtualization technology.

1.0 GB of RAM

Your PC memory doesn't meet the 2 GB requirement for running Windows XP Mode on 32-bit Windows 7. When running XP Mode, you might experience poor performance.


Extra 15 GB of free space

For best performance, make sure your PC has 15 GB of free space before installing Windows XP Mode.

I left out the software report. Most of my programs passed, and those that didn't can be upgraded or replaced.