ATI Radeon x1900 xt fan running constantly

[bld44]

The fan on the card is running constantly now and I can't get it to stop. Usually it will only rev up when playing a game or watching a video, but now it's running constantly, even when the monitors are asleep. The only way I can get it to stop is by putting the entire machine to sleep, and then it comes right back on after the machine is running again.

I just recently blew all of the dust out of the tower and the card. Yet it's behaving like it's packed with dust. Any ideas? Is the card going bad?

 

[aliasant]

Probably going bad. I have the same machine as you and my card blew a year ago. The fan runs loud and the picture had dots in it. When playing games everything went completely mad with lines going everywere. I replaced it with a 8800GT that has just broken. Will get a new one next week but if you want to get that card you need to hurry because they stopped selling it. Without replacing it with a new card...!!! )=F(
The 8800GT is a much better card then the 1900XT. Maybe not as good for pro work but for games and normal use its great.

 

[mason.kramer]

I think I read on average one complaint a week about the noise of the 1900XTs. I myself have had mine replaced twice for noise issues.

The ball bearings on the fan wears out, and becomes loud and stops cooling well. You have to replace the HSF unit, or get a new one. Call Apple and complain, ask for a new one. If you can't get one, try replacing the HSF with an aftermarket product. The Accelero S1 Rev 2 does not fit well, but that's what I used. You can't use passive cooling - Mac Pros have poor airflow in the PCI compartment. GL to you.

 

[michelle11]

Try this

Hi,

I have had the same issues with the fans. last night I took the machine apart.
Take out the graphics card open it up (unscrew the jolly thing) and clean it out.
Take the fan out (front of machine) and clean and wipe it. It clicks into the motherboard using one plug and one screw.
Vacuume as much as you can.


Mine is now silent.

M

 

[RRSounds]

Hi,

I have had the same issues with the fans. last night I took the machine apart.
Take out the graphics card open it up (unscrew the jolly thing) and clean it out.
Take the fan out (front of machine) and clean and wipe it. It clicks into the motherboard using one plug and one screw.
Vacuume as much as you can.


Mine is now silent.

M

My X1900 card's fan has three screws... But a dirty fan wasn't my problem.

The problem I had (loud fan, sometimes blanking screens) was solved by removing the thick layer of dust that had formed on the BACK side of the heat sink, where the air from inside the computer case gets sucked into the heat sink (opposite from the fan). This dust blanket was at least 1/16th of an inch thick and VERY dense; it almost came out in one piece! The fan itself was relatively clean (but I cleaned it anyway).

The card's fan is extremely quite now, and the I'm satisfied that this was the cause of my intermittently blacking-out monitors.

I don't need to buy a new graphic card after all!!


David

 

[DanielCoffey]

If you cannot get the card replaced under warranty, applecare or goodwill gesture, you could consider (either yourself or asking a computer-savvy friend) stripping the stock heatsink off, cleaning it intimately while it is off the card, cleaning off the old thermal compound (with something like Arcticlean) and replacing the compound (with something like Arctic Silver 5). You should be able to preserve and reuse the thermal pads that will be between the heatsink and memory chips.