Fans gave out. GPU has been running on 90's and 100's for a while but it seems to still work, but i wanna fix the fans so that i can keep playing for some time before i get a brand new computer
How do i perform GPU cooler electric fan surgery? due to the wiring i assume its not as easy as a base magnet-coil-positive-negative electric fan since here we are counting with a few things that change the speed of the fan.
What can i do if something needs replacing? its sunday and i need to find out how i can do workarounds.
Can i just work removing the plastic fans themselves or do i have to remove the entire thing out of the rest of the GPU and work in the rear too?
More info: The fans themselves DO work sometimes, so i doubt the wiring itself is cut, fans used to make a lot of noise before they stopped working. But i got a hunch that there's something more than "need relubbing and cleaning". I fear that the electrical part is messed up
What do you have laying around? Fans, cpu heatsinks, paste, multimeter, etc?
Chase Smith
Have you tried third party software just to control the fan?
Thomas Thompson
unless you have decent micro electronics engineering knowledge (circuits, transistors, caps, etc.) you aren't going to find it as easy as just replacing the fans or turning a knob
David Diaz
I have a digital tester with brand new cables and shit, however its a cheap one, but very new.
I do have thermal paste, and a spare stock i5 2500k air cooled sink and fan, but i dont have any spare parts, since this was my first gaming computer.
I do have a few tools lying around, and i dont have plastic lube or oil in hand, but that wouldn't be too hard to get.
No. But the CCC tells me the fan power is at 100% while i look at the fan spinning a bit for half a second then staying still for 5 seconds.
Depending on what the CCC uses to find out the fan RPM, or if there is even an RPM read for this GPU, the issue could be in the wiring itself, making me require a brand new GPU cooler plate, which are not sold in my country (Argentina) Or i can manually fix it.
i do NOT have soldering tools at home, in case it came into question.
Camden Sullivan
You would be surprised what relubing/cleaning will do. I'm not familiar with your particular model and I can't be bothered to watch this video: youtube.com/watch?v=kH8spGRL3Yk but I can tell you that what you want to do is get sewing machine oil and lube it up real good in there
Luis Ramirez
First try downloading something like sapphire trix, or msi afterburner just for the fan control, and see if you can manually set the fan with it. If not try disassembly, and cleaning everything with rubbing alcohol. If that doesn't work try removing the shroud/fans from heatsink, and attaching case fans to your heatsink with zip ties. Leave case open, and if you have a strong floor fan point it directly at your gpu.
All you gotta do is find out the model number of the fan and do a google search.
Julian Wilson
>First try downloading something like sapphire trix, or msi afterburner just for the fan control, and see if you can manually set the fan with it. That's to get rid of the probability of software failure? i'd rather skip that one, besides, i have tried with different CCC fan setup options and several driver versions to no avail.
>If not try disassembly, and cleaning everything with rubbing alcohol. To get rid of the dirt? with Q-tips? i can do that already with household tools, will get to it, however the GPU is well over 5 years old, i fear lube might be the main issue.
>If that doesn't work try removing the shroud/fans from heatsink, and attaching case fans to your heatsink with zip ties. Leave case open, and if you have a strong floor fan point it directly at your gpu. What? isn't this a little bit too nigger rigged? I could try it, however i dont have extra case fans that small.
I THOUGHT that the main thing would be lubrication, but the fans spin kinda ok with my finger when i took off the GPU. that's why i fear the issue is bigger, the fans dont even turn at all, so i fear it might be something related to the coils inside instead.
i live in a shit hole. I've researched online and found not even a market or a seller of GPU fans for replacements.
I am stuck with a DIY FIX with little to no replacement or to scrap it and get a new GPU, which while doable, i'd rather just not spend unnnecessary money.
James Reed
remove plastic cover and fan. ziptie 2 92mm fans on heatsink. ????? better cooling than stock.
Jayden Ross
Some older card fan/new can be used somehow, check the bracket and screw hole position some always identical.
Tyler Walker
>That's to get rid of the probability of software failure? i'd rather skip that one, besides, i have tried with different CCC fan setup options and several driver versions to no avail. Yes, and it's the first one you should try before doing anything else. Maybe your PWM is fucked, CCC isn't working properly, or whatever, using a third party software might still be able to control the fan.
>To get rid of the dirt? with Q-tips? i can do that already with household tools, will get to it, however the GPU is well over 5 years old, i fear lube might be the main issue. Just clean it. Slosh it around in a tub of rubbing alcohol if that's what it takes to get it clean. >What? isn't this a little bit too nigger rigged? I could try it, however i dont have extra case fans that small. Nah. I've done it before, but I had high pressure fans. Actually ran cooler than it ever did, but this is worse case for you. >I've researched online and found not even a market or a seller of GPU fans for replacements. You can't find a seller that sells arctic accelerros? Honestly though the first thing you should try is alternative fan software.
Kayden Lewis
>Just clean it. Slosh it around in a tub of rubbing alcohol if that's what it takes to get it clean. You mean the entire thing? Just the plastic fan itself? the coils too?
>Nah. I've done it before, but I had high pressure fans. Actually ran cooler than it ever did, but this is worse case for you.
I do keep in mind, however, again, its sunday 4:30 am and all i have is an old CPU air cooler. If i wanted to make it be kinda ok i could just remove the fan plate and see if i can get one or two case fans on top of the copper radiators, but the GPU fan control would probably not have the same interface and i would have to connect them to the PSU, making the fans run ta always 100%. Not a deal breaker, but only confirms that its a worst case scenario.
>You can't find a seller that sells arctic accelerros?
Again, i dont live in a place known for tech culture. Here in Argentina imports are taxed to hell and the culture here is "is it not working properly? dispose of it and get a new one".
Its literally the opposite of the cuban culture.
Jayden Powell
eBay sapphire 6950 fans boom solvered.
Christian Perez
Can confirm by the way, MSI AB reads 90ยบ at 100% fan usage. So the GPU assumes that the fans are working just fine. readings show 0mv on the right dial, the interface is a little hard to read, but comparing to the CCC information, i assume it means the power load of the GPU.
Josiah Morgan
>You mean the entire thing? Just the plastic fan itself? the coils too? Disassemble the gpu by separating the heatsink. Clean the heatsink/fan assembly. You can slosh this around in a tub of rubbing alcohol if you're lazy until most the dirty bits are dislodged. Then do some fine cleaning with q tips, or watever.
The gpu/pcb portion. Be more careful with this part. Carefully clean off the paste with rubbing alcohol, and q tips making sure not to damage anything. I like to finish up with Alcohol+ coffee filters so theres no lint. Then after it's clean, put thermal past on the gpu, replace any pads, and reassemble. If that doesn't work you'll need a new way to cool your gpu. At that point you have to buy a different heatsink/fan, or try the case fan mod.
Charles Richardson
the GPU did not come with thermal pads. However what really scares me is WHAT i can use with rubbing alcohol without fucking up.
Do i just toss the plastic in a tub with 91/9 alcohol and it wont be damaged? what about the rest of the cooling case that holds the wiring and coil and shit? i assume the copper radiator wont be damaged.
That's probably the fear of mine.
After that i should find a way to lube the fan sections anyways just in case and then do a try before i nig rig it.
David White
OP, Sapphire fans have an issue where over time the PWM controller fucks up (on the fan, the card will be fine) The fans themselves will otherwise be fine - you can either cut the PWM pin (blue wire on the end) which will run the fans at 100% all the time, or replace the fans (about $20, check ebay or aliexpress)
Luis Butler
try just cleaning and lubing the moving parts first. I've made many year-old fans work like a charm this way.
Brayden Lee
>you can either cut the PWM pin (blue wire on the end) which will run the fans at 100% all the time Wait a second, just in case, could this still be an issue with the drivers say that the fans are always moving at 100%? And could the fans still be fine after i hear squealing and some chirring noises from the fans when they work at speeds?
Aaron Sanders
You can dilute the alcohol with distilled water if you you're worried. I usually go with 80/20, and never had an issue. It's all good in alcohol/ distilled water friend. They're dielectric. For lube squirt a little mineral oil where the bearings are, and you'll be fine man.
The nig rig is actually an upgrade, so it's more like a mod.
Jaxon Davis
easier to just buy a 6950 or 6850. Cost like $20
Ryan Cook
I dont have distilled water on me. City folk and all.
However some tutorials say that i can just apply alcohol then lube to the materials that create friction instead of dripping all of it, then use oil and then reseal it. I will check when i open the computer if the fans pop out or if i need to break it apart again (applied thermal paste 1 day ago thinking that was the issue and i have little of it left) However me not having some oil right now in my home is making things complex. If that wont work i can do like the previous user said and cut the blue wire, however i have a hunch telling me he's just trolling me to get me to destroy the cooling fans.
Sidenote: Is the nanogrease thermal paste any good? is the only one i have.
Haha. I wish i could get a fucking GPU for 20 bucks.
Chase Long
if op doesn't want to do this then he's baiting
Wyatt Cox
>I dont have distilled water on me. City folk and all. What if I told you that you could make this at home. >However some tutorials say that i can just apply alcohol then lube to the materials that create friction instead of dripping all of it, then use oil and then reseal it. I will check when i open the computer if the fans pop out or if i need to break it apart again (applied thermal paste 1 day ago thinking that was the issue and i have little of it left) However me not having some oil right now in my home is making things complex. If that wont work i can do like the previous user said and cut the blue wire, however i have a hunch telling me he's just trolling me to get me to destroy the cooling fans. You can always repair the wire. >Sidenote: Is the nanogrease thermal paste any good? is the only one i have. Never heard of it. Well anyways good luck user.
Carson Morgan
You don't have to cut it permanently, use a fine flathead screwdrive to push up the little tab on the 4pin connector, you can pull out the pin from the platic housing, if you push it back in it'll be good as new.
Zachary Morales
OP here from another computer. So i have dissasembled the cooling plates and all. But how do i remove the fan itself from the coil where it sits? In the underside there's the manufacturer sticker, all broken and dry, easy to break, and if i remove some with a screwdriver i can see the internals of the fan. Apparently i was right, they aren't exactly classic basic electrical fans.
On the front, the sapphire stickers, they are too stuck to remove them.
My question is if the fans can be removed just by pulling them out, or if they are fastened by something covered by the sticker. I can cost myself to break this thing, but i'd still rather ask here instead of break them by accident.
Camden Wilson
Small update: it is not from the rear sticker, there's a plastic cover in the centre of that, but i would still like to know if i have to scratch the front Sapphire sticker out with a screw driver or i can just pull the blade plastic section out of the coil without breaking it.
Juan Davis
I can't speak for your specific GPU model, but I have done GPU repairs and refurbishment many times. Yes, you could have a screw under a sticker. Use a magnifying glass. To clean dirt, try an old toothbrush. to clean thermal grease use ear cleaning sticks (qtips) with 90 degree alcohol or better isopropyl alcohol. try to grease the fan motor axcel with a drop sewing machine oil using a syringe.
Kevin Barnes
Like i said above you, my current issue is the backsticker of the fan and coil setup (where it says the manufacturer) doesn't seem to have a cover, and the front sticker seems way too attached to the plastic like to remove it. I heard that you can just remove some fans by applying force however i dont wanna risk it. You think someone could help me identify it if i take pics of the semi scratched off backsticker?
Lucas Cruz
The fan blade part is just force-fixed on the motor axle.
Daniel Kelly
ive tried it forcing the fan off with some force but part of the coil of the base came a little apart and with the screwdriver i notice a small dent in the middle of the front sticker so i am pretty sure there's something in the top sticker. I just need to find a way to remove the glue.
Owen Scott
Literally just get aftermarket fans and attatch them to the heatsink somehow, anyhow.
Owen Allen
fucking tape a case fan on top of it and call it a day
William Hughes
if you don't want to risk fan removal sometimes you can reach the motor upper axle from under with a syringe, or use a fin long needle to deposit an oil drop.
Logan Cook
Please read the rest of the thread senpai
Thomas Brooks
I look like a fucking retard. It WAS force-fixed. I just decided "Fuck it, lets see if it breaks anyways" and i ended up separating the parts. So much for nothing. Now i will clean up the shit and lube it.
Daniel Torres
just remove the shroud and put 2 case fans on the cooler with cable ties
Joshua Gonzalez
/thread Those things are easy to replace, if you can get the spare parts.
Might have to take the heatsink off to get access to the fan connectors, but you would want to do that anyway to replace the thermal paste after so many years.
John Lopez
I am unable to get spare parts. That's the issue that i've been talking about since the start.
Adam Sanders
Buy 120mm fan and slam it in the GPU, problem solved.
Colton Jackson
Accelero GPU cooler. They cost like 50 buck and do the job while staying silent.
Jeremiah Perry
Again, i am unable to achieve getting spares or GPU coolers. they are not sold where i live and i cannot import them.
Charles Cox
that's more than a 6950 is worth these days
Charles Lee
Can butter work as a replacement for oil in this case? i dont have any oil in the house.
I know, because I've had to replace several of these things. To get the fans off: You'll need to remove the heatsink, remove the 4 screws on the rear of the card (you'll need some new thermal paste too) After the heatsink is off, you can unplug the fan harness from the card. You'll also need to remove the plastic shroud from the heatsink - there are 4 screws holding that on to the heatsink proper - you can only access these screws with the heatsink off. finally for the fans - rotate the blades a little and you'll see that there are three screws set out in a triangle from the centre of each fan, unscrew all three and boom fan is out.
Elijah King
No, nor will any cooking oil - they'll all go rancid. Mineral oil or bust.
If you can't get to a hardware store to get mineral oil, go to your local supermarket or corner store and get unscented baby oil- it's mostly the same shit - just not quite as pure (but approved for external bodily use!)
Angel Phillips
why not just ziptie some smaller fans on it?
Jeremiah Ward
Its fucking sunday user. Sunday before dawn.
Dont matter. I lubbed it, put it together and it still wont work, even tho its obviously easier to spin.
I am fucking exhausted, i've been up for 7 hours because its my first time doing this and my back hurts
I dont give enough shits to get a cheap case fan and ziptying them, i was offered a 1050 (non ti) soon anyways.
Samuel Perez
Linus did a video a while back showing exactly how this should be done. When you have an open style cooler, like this, rip off the outer casing, old fan and strap normal case fans to the heatsink with zip ties. then just plug the fans into your mobo fan headers.
Jayden Reed
>i was offered a 1050 (non ti) soon anyways. nigga why didn't you just go that route to begin with.
Cameron Nguyen
Because i would still have to pay it
Christian Powell
take the fans off and hook it up to 12v dc and see if they run. everybody has a 12v dc wall jack laying around so long as its 250mah to 1000mah or 1 amp its fine. see if they run. if they do same thing fans are bad. find a couple fans set them side by side on a table wrap black tape around them a few times so it makes a pair of fans like comes out the old xboxes. use zipties or something rubber bands even to secure it back to the card, after you splice the power plug on ot the new fans and crimp splices or just twist the shit together and tape really good. braid it or use the tiny wirenuts just so it dont come loose or short out. its not brain science. to hook the two fans up to eachother just black to black and red to red. put the thing in making sure everything clears the board and hit the power button. if the fans start going your good. you can also wire them up to your psu if you have an old molex female connector laying around. yellow and black is the 12v rail. it will run wide open that way but i bet its cool. hook it to the 5v red and black if you want it to run half speed it wont hurt nothing. just make sure you dont half ass your wires where they are going to short out. most psu's have protection against that but no sense chancing it when 2 minutes and paying attention remove that as an issue.
Ethan Martin
fair enough then,
Christopher Hill
Ok let me tell you what happened.
The fans DO run a little bit, however, JUST a little bit. Sometimes they still stop and the temperature reaches insane temps. Even when they run the temp still gets quite high. This makes me believe that i either didn't lube enough (i soaked with some shell oil i had lying around, i couldn't go buy another one) used some towel to remove the excess and placed it back in.
