NVIDIA 8800 GT Screamer

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Early this year I replaced the stock video card in my 2006 Mac Pro with an Apple supplied Nvidia 8800 GT card. I'm driving a 30" Apple Cinema Display with no problems but occasionally, when encoding video or playing full screen games, the card emits a high pitched tone akin to a smoke alarm tone but continuous. When discontinuing the encoding or stopping the game, the tone stops.

Any ideas on why this is happening?



TIA

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    winterwinter Posts: 1,238member
    Not to state the obvious though the card is probably defective. You can try and get another one although I seem to recall reading issues about the GeForce 8800 in the MBP. Are there other options for that model that you can use for high end work?
  • Reply 2 of 7
    That's probably the fan spinning at full speed.
  • Reply 3 of 7
    A screaming card usually means the PCI-E power lead isn't connected, or possibly the card isn't receiving enough power from the PSU. How powerful is the MacPro PSU? It could equally be faulty too.
  • Reply 4 of 7
    Ill check the power lead to see if it's seated thanks!
  • Reply 5 of 7
    Thanks for the thoughts but I would expect other faults to appear if the card was faulty. Am I right?
  • Reply 6 of 7
    Be sure that no wires are touching ANY part of the fan. Or the fan its self might not be running true. I use the same card with 2 -30" screens and have no heat or noise problems.



    One more thing might cause a problem. Check to be sure the card is set down tight in the slot. It is possible to install the card and have it still work yet be a little out of the slot. Thus might cause a small loss of power and still work.



    Regards,



    Jim
  • Reply 7 of 7
    I have had a fan fail on a graphics card before. It did not stop spinning, just got louder. They are mechanical devices with bearings that can go bad. Or it could just be clogged full of dust- you'll have to take the card out to see. Canned air will clean it out nicely if it is.
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