[Triple Ace]

So I've had my GeForce FX 5200 Ultra for a few months now but for the past month and a half or something like that, the card makes a weird whining noise when my computer boots up. It does go away after a minute or so and it works fine. But I am still curious as to why it does that. Anyone have the same problem with their cards?

[Fractux]

I'm guessing the fan on the GPU is making those noises. Better check it, because it could crap-out on you. I'm not sure what type of fan is used on it, but turn off your comp, and then rotate the fan with your finger. If it feels stiff, or you feel or hear the friction, there's a good chance it's on its way out.

Are you sure it's not coming from another fan in your system?

[Bobboau]

if the fan on a nVidia card goes out it _will_ explode

[Triple Ace]

I'm glad I still have the receipt. I'd better return it for a new one. I also know its not the system.

[JarC]

better hurry then, coz you won't wanna see the effect...nor the attached price tag...

remeber that joke 'bout a goof smacking his car into the only tree in the desert? well, similar, a shard of a broken fan punctured the airseal on the hd...

[Arc]

The little 40mm fan on my friend's GeForce 3 decided to die without him noticing - all he knew was the whiny noises when he started his machine weren't there anymore. Sometime later the card cooked itself and he had to buy a new one.
Just a few days after that, the fan on mine started making whiny noises during boot until it warms up. Just hope it lasts long enough for me to be able to afford a nice shiney new Redeon 9800.  
Right after a new HD, cos mine's tearing itself apart.

[Kazan]

what is it with you people and harddrives - i have 10 year old harddrives sitting around that work like they're new - i've _never_ had a problem with a harddrive (physically)

[Liberator]

This is why we buy Aftermarket VC coolers.  I mean with all the Geeks around here I thought that was a given.

[Arc]

@Kazan: I'm not sure, it's the only HD I've ever had problems with. Right now it won't even finish a surface scan - both this one and a host machine I put the drive in locked up every time. This machine has been carted round though (Uni and back, friends houses, etc). Maybe cars, HDs and sharp corners at high speed don't mix.  

[ChronoReverse]

@kazan

You know, I've always thought the same.

I have this 40MB harddrive that's in my old 386 and that drive still works (albeit I don't use it since even a zip disk is faster and larger).

My worst drive experience was the original 40GB Western Digital 7200rpm drive.  That thing ran HOT.  But it still works.  It did however destroy a floppy drive before I realized it was that hot and moved it down a slot (so I was stupid back then).

[Triple Ace]

The fan works fine it just makes noise for a few seconds, the noise DOES go away. Also I called PNY, because it is a Verto, and they said it would not explode. Also I did lose the receipt. Its not in the box where I left it.

[Admiral LSD]

That's what usually happens. It starts off gradually with the noise stopping after a while (after it's warmed up) and progressively gets worse until the fan siezes. Depending on the fan it might be possible to get a little sewing machine oil into the bearings which will solve it but with most graphics card HSFs being so tightly integrated it might not be worth the trouble.

[Triple Ace]

What do you mean by bearings?

[Martinus]

[color=66ff00]Guys, invest in a can of pressurised air and a small can of WD40. Clean off any dust build up with the air and give the fan's bearings a quick skoot of WD40.

Leave the computer for about an hour before booting so that the WD40 can get to work. Should make the fan run quieter and extend its lifetime.
[/color]

[Triple Ace]

I used the pressured air. Have you tried the WD40?

[Martinus]

[color=66ff00]Me personally you mean? Of course. Keeps a couple of my old PSU's quiet and stopped the fan on my 500K6 from seizing up.

I generally don't give advice unless I've verified that it works myself.
[/color]

[Triple Ace]

Maybe I'll try it. Are you sure it won't damage the card? I'm just checking before I try something that I have not done before.

[IceFire]

I had a Asus GeForce 2 that makes a whirring noise and it did it for a year until I upgraded my system.  It then ran for another 6 months in my brothers system till we replaced it with a Radeon 9200 from Sapphire (which has no fan ).

[Martinus]

[color=66ff00]Not only is WD40 a lubricant it's also non conductive as it's silicon free.
[/color]

[SadisticSid]

My GeForce4 Ti4200's fan failed less than a year after I bought it. The thing never melted, thank god, but the computer froze a lot. Finally I opened up the case and saw the fan twitched when the machine turned on, and the card got hot really quickly with the lid on. It didn't explode though hehe