GeForce 4 Ti Fan Rattling
Hi,
My GeForce 4 Ti card, which I placed in my Mac after I bought it about a couple years ago, has been generating odd noises over the past couple of months. At first I thought it was simply a hard drive that maybe was jostled and was rattling the case, but after opening the computer up, I can clearly see the GeForce 4 Ti card's fan struggling to rotate at its usual speed.
Now, the computer doesn't seem to be overheating just yet...no graphical anomalies, I give it a rest if I hear it catching particularly badly, and I'm in a room that isn't too hot. However, I'm worried about the card's long term health.
My question? should I try to reseat the fan? Is it an issue of dust, or do I need to get a whole new fan-unit? I have some compressed air, but I didn't know if that would do the trick.
Please post suggestions other than simply "clean it," since I am fairly sure this is not a dust problem (not that I won't rule it out.)
Thanks in advance.
My GeForce 4 Ti card, which I placed in my Mac after I bought it about a couple years ago, has been generating odd noises over the past couple of months. At first I thought it was simply a hard drive that maybe was jostled and was rattling the case, but after opening the computer up, I can clearly see the GeForce 4 Ti card's fan struggling to rotate at its usual speed.
Now, the computer doesn't seem to be overheating just yet...no graphical anomalies, I give it a rest if I hear it catching particularly badly, and I'm in a room that isn't too hot. However, I'm worried about the card's long term health.
My question? should I try to reseat the fan? Is it an issue of dust, or do I need to get a whole new fan-unit? I have some compressed air, but I didn't know if that would do the trick.
Please post suggestions other than simply "clean it," since I am fairly sure this is not a dust problem (not that I won't rule it out.)
Thanks in advance.
Comments
I got to looking at the same card in a mac here at work, and it looks like you should be able to remove the faceplate off of the heatsink and actually get at the fan itself, although you might need a set of jewlers' screwdrivers to do so.
I'm guessing it's not a ball-bearing fan, in which case the sleeves are starting to poop out. The trick is to peel the sticker off of the back of the fan and hit it with a drop of light oil. I've rescued about half a dozen fans this way, most of which are still going. Just be sure to seal in the oil with the original sticker or a piece of good tape.
Of course, you could get a new fan, but good luck not getting screwed by rickety shack.
Never thought you'd end up oiling your mac, eh?
Originally posted by benzene
Never thought you'd end up oiling your mac, eh?
Never thought I'd use jewler's screwdrivers, either.