ATi Radeon HD 5870 noisy -replace fan?

[macstatic]

My ATi Radeon HD 5870 fan is noisy (chip-chip-chip-chip......). It might be due to dust inside (I've tried cleaning with compressed air to no avail but perhaps I need to disassemble the entire card/fan in order to fully clean it).

In any case the fan is probably some real cheap model, so I'm wondering if anyone knows of a high quality/low noise replacement which will be a direct replacement (not obstructing the other PCIe slots or needing some sort of elaborate DIY modification)? I've seen other threads about this, but none of them answe this question.

 

[h9826790]

I think there should be lots of GPU cooler on eBay can fit your card. Only replace the fan also possible (check iFixit / YouTube). Or you can even buy a fault card with working fan, and swap that onto your card.

But if you plan to replace it, may be worth to try drill a small hole on the fan hub, and give it a few drop of lubication oil. (Again, YouTube will tell you how to do it)

 

[macstatic]

I'd prefer a brand new, quality fan replacement if possible.
Are these custom made fans for this specific card, or readily available from some of the low-noise fan makers out there?

I found a Youtube video entitled Radeon 5870 fan repair which I'm going to give a go. It's a hassle to open everything up but at least that way I get to see if there's a dust bunny to be removed (which the noise suggests), and perhaps some lubrication might also improve things.

 

[Macschrauber]

Dont use the method with the 3 screwdrivers ripping the fan apart, it could break easilly. Pull the sticker on the back of the fan and try to remove the washer.

 

[macstatic]

You mean there's a washer I can simply unscrew, underneath the "ATI" sticker on the fan?
That would make things a whole lot easier as I wouldn't have to unscrew the whole card, apply new thermal paste etc.

 

[Macschrauber]

No, the sticker on the back side of the fan, you have to take apart the whole thing. But theres just a lot of screws. No rock science

 

[macstatic]

Good to hear
So I follow the same video up to around 2:30, but instead of using the 3 screwdrivers to "push" it upwards I just remove that silver sticker and underneath there is a washer which will let the fan disassemble without easily?

 

[Macschrauber]

Yep, I hope its the same Fan, I did that with another GPU with a similar looking fan. I also broke a Fan with the screwdrivers method from a 5870 before...

 

[macstatic]

Thanks for the tip.
Hopefully I'll be able to open it withotu braking anything and getting a quieter fan.

 

[AlexMaximus]

Thanks for the tip.
Hopefully I'll be able to open it withotu braking anything and getting a quieter fan.

I would go with this one here:

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1..._290X_Series_GTX_780_Series.html?tl=g40c21s65

The original fan is junk anyways, as you know now...

 

[macstatic]

I'm the OP but never got round to removing the fan. Today I did, by following that video I linked above, but obviously didn't do it the right way (as described here -I had forgotten about this thread ) so I broke the fan. Using super-glue I've managed to get it temporarily working (of course it makes even more noise now!) so I'm in the market for a replacement.

The above link (in posting #10) no longer works, but I see they sell many different fans on eBay. Are they all junk, or is it possible to get a low noise, quality fan as a replacement? Something like a Noctua perhaps?
Unless they're custom made for this graphic card...

 

[AlexMaximus]

I'm the OP but never got round to removing the fan. Today I did, by following that video I linked above, but obviously didn't do it the right way (as described here -I had forgotten about this thread ) so I broke the fan. Using super-glue I've managed to get it temporarily working (of course it makes even more noise now!) so I'm in the market for a replacement.

The above link (in posting #10) no longer works, but I see they sell many different fans on eBay. Are they all junk, or is it possible to get a low noise, quality fan as a replacement? Something like a Noctua perhaps?
Unless they're custom made for this graphic card...

Since we are two years into the future now, (compared to your original post), most of us 5.1 fanboys did go the AMD 580 Pulse route in order to put Mojave on it. From today's point of view, I would absolutely recommend it. First of all, Mojave is one of the best OSX versions ever, - if not THE best. Since Catalina is complete junk, it makes sense to park a 5.1 on Mojave permanently. This is at least my view.
So if you do not belong to the folks that want to go all bonkers on an expensive Vega VII with power cable mod - a solid 580 Puls upgrade for Mojave makes real sense for the next three years. Even MVC has a version with bootscreen, so this way you would have a perfect solution in terms of Windows boot camp and originality.
Having said that, not everyone wants to go that route. Every other option depends really on your specific use case and the number of unused PCIe slots that are left on your system. Of course, there are the usual third party cooler options with fans for maximum heat dissipation as well as passive heat sink options for max silence.

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The question remains, do you really want to spend 60 bucks for a 10-year-old GPU, while you could get a good GPU from 2018 with reasonable Mojave & Metal support. Of course one, only you can decide.

 

[macstatic]

I definitely do not want to spend 60 bucks on a cooling solution like the above
I'm sure they are good and all, but it's a bit overkill for a fan replacement, isn't it? And I believe I read somewhere that it makes the card wider so it actually takes up a couple of valuable PCIe slots (and I have other cards I want to fill in there).

As for 10.14 Mojave: I still run 32-bit apps, and won't replacing the graphic card with a "Metal" one make it impossible to run MacOS/OSX below 10.13 (in case I need to boot into say 10.6 Snow Leopard or something for some really old app -yes, it's happened to me a few times).
Talking about Snow Leopard -that was my favourite and to this day I feel it's one of the most stable and feature-rich OSX versions around (newer versions appear to "dumb down" features in order to make them more "consumer friendly") IMHO of course
Finally, one question still remains unanswered (to me at least): if I don't need to use 10.14 because of specific apps that only run on that, what's the benefit of upgrading to 10.14?
Does it make my 10 year old cMP run faster? Does it have features I can't live without? Don't get me wrong: I'm not trying to be a wiseguy but genuinely wonder if the outlay of a new graphic card is worth it (over here an AMD 580 pulse costs around the equivalent of US$ 322/EUR 285) when I'm not into heavy video editing.
I'm curious about the following though:

Even MVC has a version with bootscreen

What's MVC? And is it possible to reprogram its ROM for gaining full Mac compatibility (Mac bootscreen) or is this a complicated hack that has to be done by someone else you order the card from?


For now though I just want a replacement fan for my HD 5870 (Mac version), and hopefully one that runs quietly while doing the job of cooling the card. There are lots of cheap fans on eBay claiming to work with the HD 5870, but I fear its the usual game of trying your luck and want to know what you guys think first.
Here's my (now broken) original fan:

And here are a few fans I found on eBay, claiming compatibility with the HD 5870:

Source: eBay seller ewwt-oc

Source: eBay seller mark2016-baby1

Source: eBay seller jieshengtongicchip
[automerge]1591387157[/automerge]

 

[AlexMaximus]

I definitely do not want to spend 60 bucks on a cooling solution like the above
I'm sure they are good and all, but it's a bit overkill for a fan replacement, isn't it? And I believe I read somewhere that it makes the card wider so it actually takes up a couple of valuable PCIe slots (and I have other cards I want to fill in there).

As for 10.14 Mojave: I still run 32-bit apps, and won't replacing the graphic card with a "Metal" one make it impossible to run MacOS/OSX below 10.13 (in case I need to boot into say 10.6 Snow Leopard or something for some really old app -yes, it's happened to me a few times).
Talking about Snow Leopard -that was my favourite and to this day I feel it's one of the most stable and feature-rich OSX versions around (newer versions appear to "dumb down" features in order to make them more "consumer friendly") IMHO of course
Finally, one question still remains unanswered (to me at least): if I don't need to use 10.14 because of specific apps that only run on that, what's the benefit of upgrading to 10.14?
Does it make my 10 year old cMP run faster? Does it have features I can't live without? Don't get me wrong: I'm not trying to be a wiseguy but genuinely wonder if the outlay of a new graphic card is worth it (over here an AMD 580 pulse costs around the equivalent of US$ 322/EUR 285) when I'm not into heavy video editing.
I'm curious about the following though:


What's MVC? And is it possible to reprogram its ROM for gaining full Mac compatibility (Mac bootscreen) or is this a complicated hack that has to be done by someone else you order the card from?


For now though I just want a replacement fan for my HD 5870 (Mac version), and hopefully one that runs quietly while doing the job of cooling the card. There are lots of cheap fans on eBay claiming to work with the HD 5870, but I fear its the usual game of trying your luck and want to know what you guys think first.
Here's my (now broken) original fan:
View attachment 921910


And here are a few fans I found on eBay, claiming compatibility with the HD 5870:

Source: eBay seller ewwt-oc

Source: eBay seller mark2016-baby1

Source: eBay seller jieshengtongicchip
[automerge]1591387157[/automerge]

Thanks for your clarification. I think in your case it makes no sense to go with a newer Metal card if Mojave is a no go for you. The older OSX systems would not run with a new card because of driver issues. The best thing would be to stick with GPU cards that came out during the time of the OSX you want to run. On the benefit of newer GPU cards, I used to have a very strong Nvidia card in my Mac Pro (980Ti) wich was EFI flashed as well to have boot camp. This was mainly used to have a solid and very strong Windows Bootcamp Hybrid to game the latest versions of Tomb Raider on Steam at that time. Other than that, the large VRam helps on Hi-Res Displays, large TV's and multiple display setups and another view special applications that needed Nvidia's Cuda cores, such as older CAD/CAM software (SolidWorks Student Licence and programs of that nature).
MVC stands for a single individual that does provide flash Rom service on the Westcoast and in Europe out of Poland. (Google "Mac-Video-Cards') You can either buy a finished card or send your existing card for a Mac (EFI) flash ROM service. Expensive but great when it comes to 100% boot camp capabilities or strong "Mutant Monster cards" such as Nvidia Titan cards or the latest 1080Ti.
On the fan issue, only the first picture would fit the bill because of the duct fan-design. The two last pics would not work because of the different blade design. (non-duct) I think the first one would be your best bet, also the Amps are roughly the same (1,2).

 

[macstatic]

Likewise, thanks for explaining
So for "normal" use (email, web browsing etc.) it's really just a waste of money to buy a newer graphic card, while graphic intensive apps will benefit more from this, and of course more with a newer card than that of 10 years ago?
Are there more powerful (cMP compatible) video cards than my 5870 which support older OSes and give an improved performance? In case my 5870 stops working this info could come in handy -especially if the price is low enough (or else a newer Metal-compatible card would be a logical choice, but I'd have to reconsider older OSX support).

Regarding MVC: I found this website which I assume you're talking about. Might come in handy later if I do go the 10.14 route at some stage.

About the 5870 fan replacement. After posting the above I found the exact same fan as in my card. I just searched for the model number: Foxconn PVB070G12H (which is rated at 12V/1.00A). Not to be confused with the PVB070G12N (12V/2.00A). Strangely there is no mention of the 5870 in those ads (only the 6870, 6950 and 6970) such as in this ad.

On the other hand, the 5870 is mentioned in ads (like this one) for the FD9238H12S (12V/0.8A).
This makes me wonder if the fan in my card has been replaced by the previous user or if the eBay ads are inaccurate (very likely). But if the latter fan is better (quieter, cools more) while still fitting 100% I'd choose than one as it even consumes a little more power than the Foxconn.
Can anyone confirm the model number of the 5870 fan?

Also, does anyone know the dimensions of the thermal pads inside the card? I found a lot of dust inside and think I might as well replace them and the GPU thermal paste/compound, reading in another forum that failure to have proper working heat transfers could make the card permenently malfunction after a little while.

I couldn't find anything on the 5870 but there's a Youtube video on replacing thermal pads in the HD 5850 which mentions 2mm and 0.5mm pads. Does this sound right for the 5870 as well? Too bad I didn't think about this and check when I had my 5870 opened.

 

[AlexMaximus]

Likewise, thanks for explaining
So for "normal" use (email, web browsing etc.) it's really just a waste of money to buy a newer graphic card, while graphic intensive apps will benefit more from this, and of course more with a newer card than that of 10 years ago?
Are there more powerful (cMP compatible) video cards than my 5870 which support older OSes and give an improved performance? In case my 5870 stops working this info could come in handy -especially if the price is low enough (or else a newer Metal-compatible card would be a logical choice, but I'd have to reconsider older OSX support).

Regarding MVC: I found this website which I assume you're talking about. Might come in handy later if I do go the 10.14 route at some stage.

About the 5870 fan replacement. After posting the above I found the exact same fan as in my card. I just searched for the model number: Foxconn PVB070G12H (which is rated at 12V/1.00A). Not to be confused with the PVB070G12N (12V/2.00A). Strangely there is no mention of the 5870 in those ads (only the 6870, 6950 and 6970) such as in this ad.

On the other hand, the 5870 is mentioned in ads (like this one) for the FD9238H12S (12V/0.8A).
This makes me wonder if the fan in my card has been replaced by the previous user or if the eBay ads are inaccurate (very likely). But if the latter fan is better (quieter, cools more) while still fitting 100% I'd choose than one as it even consumes a little more power than the Foxconn.
Can anyone confirm the model number of the 5870 fan?

Also, does anyone know the dimensions of the thermal pads inside the card? I found a lot of dust inside and think I might as well replace them and the GPU thermal paste/compound, reading in another forum that failure to have proper working heat transfers could make the card permenently malfunction after a little while.

I couldn't find anything on the 5870 but there's a Youtube video on replacing thermal pads in the HD 5850 which mentions 2mm and 0.5mm pads. Does this sound right for the 5870 as well? Too bad I didn't think about this and check when I had my 5870 opened.

Regarding GPUs from your time frame, the newer AMD siblings of the 5870 have been very hot items at that time. Sapphire at that time introduced a real nice 7850 card with a snow white shroud and 3GB of VRam. It was one of the last official Mac Editions, so this is highly recommended to hunt for on ebay.

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/927499-why-mac-edition-cards-are-sold-for-far-more/

I had this card for a short amount of time. It looks great inside the 5.1. However, I sold it after a while to replace it with the Nvidia EVGA 680 Mac Edition. The Nvidia was faster for games, so I never looked back. I liked the white AMD card better from an optical point of view. So those two cards can be recommended for your use case and are trouble-free together with boot screens.
These are not mutant cards. Of course, you will pay a premium price for the original Mac Edition stamp, so the industry reacted and many many cards became available that have been flashed from private individuals, once the mac ROMs floated on the internet free / up for grabs. The last AMD iteration was the 7970 that had even a bit more power than the original 7950. On the Nvidia EVGA 680 there was a very nice classified version with a larger low noise cooler and 4 GB Vram I belive.

I think the heat pads for the GPU most likely will be the same. If the GPU first two digits are seme, you will be ok, chances are high the mentioned pads will fit just fine within the same chip family.

The good old 2012 ära, shold be just fine for you

 

[macstatic]

Thanks. Several options in case my 5870 goes bad and I don't want to go the "Metal" route then.
I took a quick check at eBay for prices and they don't come cheap even though they're old, so I understand what you mean about the Mac versions asking a premium price.
I was going to ask about flashing but found a Mac related guide called The golden guide on flashing graphic cards and another thread on the Zeus flash tool.
If I do go for a "Metal" compatible card though, is the minimum OS version I can use 10.13 High Sierra?

As for the fan for my 4870 I ordered the exact same part number as was already installed. I figured it surely can't get any worse with that

Good advice on the thermal pads. Hopefully all will go well and I'll also be replacing the thermal paste to be on the safe side. By the way, I've seen discussion where people talk about their graphic card temperature and wonder what software can be used to check if the cooling works or not?
Someone mentioned TG Pro (US$ 25, but currently at US$ 12.50), but for just checking one temperature reading (unless there are multiple sensors on the card) it's a bit overkill to buy that. Are there any free tools which will do the job?

 

[macstatic]

I'm the OP and here's a little update.

I've finally received the replacement fan which has now been installed and is running quietly! What a relief ?
While at it I also replaced the thermal pads. Unfortunately I hadn't thought about that when I had the card opened and relied on info I found online for another similar ATI card. It wasn't the right thickness (the HD5870 appears to use 1mm thermal pads), but it'll do for now. I'm keeping a close look at the card's temperatures (using iStat Menus). I also removed the old heat conductive paste and applied a fresh, new blob. Never done this sort of things before, but all went well.

One minor frustration was that the fan I received wasn't the one I had ordered (I found an eBay seller with the original Foxconn fan). Instead I received an AVC BASA0725R2U (pictured below) which draws 1.2A instead of the 1.0A of the original. Could this be a potential problem?
It's frustrating when eBay sellers all of a sudden decide to send something else than they advertized.

Well, that's some info for those reading who might want to replace their HD5870 fan and thermal pads/heat-conductive paste. Time permitting I might post some photos and explain in more detail how to open it up, but then again there are already eBay videos available on that.