ATI 4850x2 faulty fan

[jassao]

Hi, I bought this 4850x2 card a month ago and everything was just fine, until this last weekend when the pc suddenly turned off by itself.
then I went check it and I noticed the card was really hot. I turned it on again and one fan was not working so 1 core is at 42C and the other
is at 80C.

So I put a fan next to the card and it's stable at 40C and 69C. The next day I took it to my retailer to fix it and after 2 days they gave it back
to me saying the fans were working fine, that I should check if my PSU is able to handle it, check the amps, watts, etc.

If my PSU was not able to handle, then why I used the card for 1 month and not a single problem?

Then I google'd the problem and read that even without power cables the fans should spin, because they take the power from the mobo...

I tried that and just 1 fan spinning, no post, 1 long beep.

I know your quick response will be "RMA it", but in this country that is not an option, you HAVE to deal with the retailer and they try to outlast you
"fixing it" for 1-2 months, I'm a lawyer and I need to be sure it's a faulty fan before I start something.

specs Q8200 OC to 2.8ghz, Ram kingston 2x2gb 800mhz, 250gbs seagate hdd, foxconn mars mobo, tuniq tower 120.

 

[jassao]

Anyone plz?

 

[EXT64]

Ok, so a couple questions. First, when everything is hooked up normally, do both fans spin? Second, do you have a picture of your card (or a link to one)? From your post, it sounds like it might be easier for you to fix it yourself than getting it fixed.

And finally, it is possible that you had no problems until now and it is the PSU's fault. This is because, as the PSU ages, its performance slowly decreases. This is especially true and noticeable on stressed or cheap PSUs. What is your PSU, by the way?

 

[jassao]

They both used to spin together until that day, I even tried all possible psu lines combinations, no HDD's, just 1 ram and cpu (and cpu fan). Also I used the other PCI-e slot and same thing.

I don't have a picture of the card but I looked for something out of place, checked the fan cable and it was in perfect condition, the fan is not clogged with anything since i can spin it easily with my finger.

My PSU is in fact cheap, it's an Agiler 600w, is this decrease in performance cover in some way by the warranty?

the funny part is it has 2 fans and just 1 not working, if it's a psu problem both should not be working, plus they should spin even if the card does not have any power cords connected.

If it's easier to just fix the card myself I guess I'll do it, can I use any fan that fits the card and plug it to my mobo?

Thanks!

 

[RazberyBandit]

LMAO at the Agiler US website... Look at this: http://agiler.us/ver.php?proid=281
At the bottom it says, "Information not available at this time." Possible translation: Specifications aren't worth listing.

Put a better PSU in that PC no matter what else you do. I would not doubt that it is/was the cause of problems with the card. Saying it's a cheap PSU is putting it mildly. Google search for Agiler 600W showed prices around $25 US, meaning they know it's basically crap and priced it accordingly. Odds are that your system was stressing that PSU from day one, slowly leading to its eventual failure. The dead fan may only be the beginning of your problem(s).

Look on the side of the PSU and give us the wattage and amperage ratings. I'm willing to bet it's got higher 3V and 5V amperage ratings than 12V amperage rating, which I suspect is probably somewhere in the neighborhood of only 20-26A.

 

[cowykillr]

have u tried a different connector from your PSU? maybe? im just helpin you brainstorm in the mean time untill you get urself a good one...

 

[jassao]

"+3.3 23amps, +5 45amps, +12 20amps, Max 600watts 20amps"

Shame on me for not checking this specs before...

Could you give me an idea what decent specs would be for my set up?

A new psu will be my priority now, even if the fan is still not working...

To Cowykillr: yes I have tried different connectors and same thing happens unfortunately. I have even tried without connectors just the GPU inserted and still just 1 fan spinning.

3 hours ago i was playing dead space without the crossfire enabled and using the core with the working fan set manually to 60%, temps 55C(core with working fan) and 62C(not working fan) under load, then suddenly the "faulty" fan started working, temp went immediately to 42C on that core.

Enabled Xfire again to test it, it was working for 2hours and then suddenly 95C temp on the core, went check and not spinning again...

 

[RazberyBandit]

Definitely power related. As that PSU is heating up, it's voltages are dropping and you're seeing intermittent problems.

New PSU should have roughly:

3V ~ or > 25A, 5V ~ or > 25A, 12V 40-60A either on a single rail or multiple rails.

What kind of budget for a new PSU?

 

[jassao]

My budget would be around $150-175 more or less.

I got another question... Is it ok to keep using the psu for a little while or just turn it off and wait until i get a new psu? I mean, could it seriously damage my pc?

Thanks!

 

[RazberyBandit]

I wouldn't use it anymore. It could very well damage your PC. Heck... It may have already.

Brands you likely won't regret any purchase from include:
Antec, Corsair, PC Power & Cooling, SeaSonic, Enermax, Silverstone, CoolerMaster, FSP Group, BFG Tech, Thermaltake, and a few others.

Look for active PFC, 80 plus certs, overload and over voltage protection, and the correct PCI-E power connectors. I'd recommend looking in the 600-800W range. Many would say the more power, the better.

 

[jassao]

Thanks Raz, I appreciate your advises

I'll leave GPU retailer alone for a while and look for a good psu and then to see what happens.

As a side note, they sell those Agiler PSU's for $60, they also sell i7 setups using that psu...I think I'll go to Costa Rica or even Guatemala to purchase hardware, but not here anymore.

 

[RazberyBandit]

Where are you now?

And to clarify, when looking at PSU's, remember to check their 12V amperage. Don't settle for anything less than 40A, and preferably, find one closer to 60A. If it has multiple rails, usually labeled 12V1, 12V2, 12V3, etc., make sure each one is 18A or higher and add them up. Usually you'll only find higher ratings on dual-rail models, though.

 

[jassao]

I live in El Salvador but I lived my youth in philly PA.

I'll check the 12V rails amperage closely so i dont get ripped off again, Thanks again Raz!

 

[RazberyBandit]

I was born in Philly near St Joe's University! I grew up in Delaware County... Small world. LOL

You're welcome and good luck in your search.

 

[jassao]

UPDATE: I just bought a new PSU an Ultra lifetime series pro 750watts and fixed my problem, it has +12v 45amps.

it even fixed a problem with my sound! one of the rear speakers was not working before when i set 5.1 sound.

These are the best $80 ever spent on hardware, at least for me.

 

[RazberyBandit]

Glad to hear everything is working now. Hopefully your PC will not encounter anymore hiccups.

 

[rmerazo]

UPDATE: I just bought a new PSU an Ultra lifetime series pro 750watts and fixed my problem, it has +12v 45amps.

it even fixed a problem with my sound! one of the rear speakers was not working before when i set 5.1 sound.

These are the best $80 ever spent on hardware, at least for me.

Hey, i also live in El Salvador, where did you buy it?
Thanks!

 

[jassao]

PC stores don't sell quality PSU's here, as you may know by now...

But sometimes they get "crazy" and bring 1 or 2 from the states, but be ready to pay
a bit more for those.

I bought it from a friend who bought in miami...

Anyways you can call "Aeon Computadoras" 2532-1035, they have decent hardware and prices... decent =/= cheap lol