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RMA or Replace Fan

B

Bob002

Gawd
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
884
Built a new system about 18 months ago, and long story short, the fan has been crapping out for a bit now. Gets reallllllllly loud when the card starts working.

Should I A) get it replaced under RMA (it's an XFX HD 5850) or B) Get a new fan for it (ala Zalman)?

Logic tells me either way would work, but Option A would probably resort in a new card.
 
Option C) Repair the fan. Perform regular maintenance.

Open the bearing and clean it and refill with silicone oil. I do this successfully all the time. Last night, I just repaired a videocard blower fan that sounded like a lawnmower when it was spinning. Today it is whisper quiet. Even if a bearing has become totally deformed, re-lubricating it can rescue it for several months and then you can repeat the process.

Option A) is decent but why not try to rescue the fan yourself first since you have lifetime warranty? Do you have an axial or blower fan?
Option B) sucks, trust me.
 
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when my gpu fan went out on my evga card, I called them and they just sent me out a replacement fan at no charge.
 
RMA definitely. Chances are they'll give you a new card (I RMA'ed my 8800gt and got a 9800gt back... same card but still the point is relevant)
 
That's the one big drawback about non-reference cards (as they make up the majority of cards after some time) as 3rd party coolers may not always fit or they don't provide cooling for other components that might need it. They also don't exhaust out and often take up 3 slots.

I'll definitely try asking for a replacement fan next time instead of sending entire cards back because the fans usually die before the cards do. For now, I've found re-lubbing the bearings with the correct oil works wonders though and I would just keep repeating that process until the warranty period gets near the end and then I would send the card back or ask for a new fan.
 
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