Aaarrrggghhh!

It looks like the cooling fan on my ATI HD5850 is/has died. I traced a noise like a kid running a stick aling a metal railed fence, and it looks like the cooling fam is going. The rig is shut down for me to extract the HD5850, and move the HD4850 to the primary graphics slot.

Can an ATI Radeon HD5850 cooling fan be replaced, if so how easily?

---

Go away, I was asleep

Not shure how your fan looks like, but take a look at
http://www.zalman.com/ENG/product/CategorySecond_Pic.asp
maybe there is something that fits.
Otherwise google for gpu fan.

Thanks for your pointer.

Speaking with a friend they pointed me at aftermarket VGA coolers for ATI cards and I found a number of maker/sellers - Akasa, Zalman and Gelid - but to name a few.

The unlocking of the Google searching was for aftermarket VGA coolers.

I am currently extracting the HD4850, and retesting the HD5850 to prove the duff cooling fan. When this is done, I will place the HD4850 in the primary graphics slot, after extracting the HD5850.

I assume, when the replacement cooler has arrived, been fitted and the HD5850 replaced in the PC, then I will have 2 working/enabled different generation ATI GPUs that can, and will, crunch.

---

Go away, I was asleep

Hello John, I also had a stock 5850 cooler die on me. It started sounding bad suddenly. I bought an Arctic Cooling Accelero that was a fairly easy to mount on the card once the old cooler was removed. On that card temps dropped from 80-something to around 50 C (while crunching). It is also virtually inaudible, however is quite large so may not be so good a choice in multiGPU setups, unless there's at least 2 slots between. But generally, i think for crunching, the cards will maybe live longer with better coolers, since these stock coolers seem awfully inadequate for this purpose.

-Ryle*

Maybe you can have luck with cleaning it, i would try that first. I am not sure what the best methods are, back in the early days i think i revived a fan with some silocon oil.

Thanks for both suggestions. But the noises the fan was making were it's last gasp, as it went down very very quickly.

You are probably right about the extra space the aftermarket cooler will take, so it will need to live in the PCIe x16 slot, and not the primary graphics slot.

I will be seeking an aftermarket cooler source tomorrow. My local PC shop may get one to me immediately or I can go to OverclockersUK who have 3 in stock.

I need to think about the GPU for the primary slot soon, as it is currently an HD4850 and I am having trouble getting my wireless keyboard and mouse to work. OK on this PC, via a 4 port Belkin KVM switch.

---

Go away, I was asleep

I have a 4850 with an Accelero S1 w/turbo module on it (not currently being used) and the Accelero took something like 30 degrees off the stock cooling (which was admittedly pretty poor).
I also have Accelero Xtreme 5870s on 2 of my 5870 cards, they work extremely well for me, but do take up 3 slots. I've been thinking of getting a Scythe Setsugen HD5870/5850 for another 5870, it only takes up 2 slots. Reviews are pretty sparse on it, but I found one (on Fudzilla, I think) that said it did a good cooling job. It can be hard to find, though. Just some info to think about...

-Dave

---

The Penny is now back to normal with keyboard and USB mouse ... although not on the same MS wireless mouse and keyboard the other PCs are on.

I have ordered an Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme 5870 ATI HD5870 VGA Cooler for the HD5850, which should lower the temperatures significantly (@ 55C). However, it is large and I need to hacksaw out 2 of the 5 hard drive bay cage to allow the HD5850, with the Arctic cooler to fit in the case. This will be over the PCI2 x16 slot. There will be no room for any more GPUs though.

At least I have the HD4850 now crunching DNETC in the primary graphics slot. But BOINC is having difficulty getting the WUs crunched in time ... it keeps starting masses of new WUS and not completing earlier ones. It had 10 open at one time, but I am slowly reducing them.

---

Go away, I was asleep

Yes, it is the 2 fan version of that cooler I've got on my 5850. I didn't think this bigger one would fit the 5850, but i guess its just a matter of the holes on the GPU mount, and they are probably not any different. It's one big behemoth of a heatsink, i think you'll be happy with it. Only step-up from there would be water-cooling maybe, but that's another story ;-)

---

Yes, it is the 2 fan version of that cooler I've got on my 5850. I didn't think this bigger one would fit the 5850, but i guess its just a matter of the holes on the GPU mount, and they are probably not any different. It's one big behemoth of a heatsink, i think you'll be happy with it. Only step-up from there would be water-cooling maybe, but that's another story ;-)

Yes, I saw what a size it will make the HD5850 after it returns to it's place in the Penny quad.

My older 65NM quad has an HD5970, which I treated myself to at the beginning of December. That is a monster compared to either the HD5850 or the HD5870. Again I hacksawed the main part of the hard drive carrying cage away to get it to fit. So, the work to make room on the Penny will not be new.

---

Go away, I was asleep

Well, after you take out all the the screws that hold the cooling fan and heat sink out from the back of the PCB, there are a set of small and tight screws that keep the cover and fan in place. I have pulled one of these to bits because the card had an internal problem, but the fan was still running fine. You might be able to get a replacement low-profile fan, or hunt for a dead second-hand card with working fan (I have a couple). An alternative, as the fan connection is still on the board is to get something that will mount on the face of the card an force air through - depends on the space in the case if you are using boxed mobo.