MSI GTX 285: Maxed Fan Speed = Bad

[Bekul]

Hey all, recently I got a new computer, decided to go with an MSI GTX 285 instead of an EVGA GTX 285 because I read that the MSI ran cooler and quieter than the EVGA.

Erm.

Well, apparantly, the MSI brand GTX 285 runs its two 80mm fans at maximum speed (over 2500RPM) /all the time/. Vista-64, even doing nothing but looking at the desktop, the fans are going full speed, and they are very loud. Right now I'm in a tiny dorm room, two feet away from a full-sized fridge, and the fans in the card are louder. High-pitched loud squeal.

I've tried rivatuner, but setting the fans to 25% with that via setting fan duty cycle to 'auto' changes nothing. Right now, with firefox being the only program running, the fan speed is at 4886RPM. And it's just as loud as you might imagine - the core temp of my computer is 46C, with the ambient at 39C.

Is this right? This can't be right. Sure, if I'm playing Crysis with maxed out graphics, I expect the fan to be loud - I want it to be working at 100%. But just sitting at the desktop, the fan shouldn't be /SCREAMING/ at me, /all the time/.

Help?

 

[Mousemonkey]

Have you tried setting the fans to 75% via Riva?, sounds weird I know but try it first.

 

[Bekul]

Well, right now I have it set to 25% via Riva, and it's still maxed out. I tried 75% - no change, or that is, 4860RPM, which isn't noticibly different.

Maybe I'm setting it wrong in Riva? I'm going from Main -> Low Level System Settings, I enable low-level fan control, set it to Fixed at 75%.

No change. ._.

 

[Mousemonkey]

No, it's Main > Driver settings > system tweaks > Fan > direct control/auto control.

 

[Bekul]

Ahah! D'oh. Well... hmm.

Alright - Main-> Driver Settings -> System Settings -> Fan, direct control I have three sliders, 'standard 2d, lower power 3d, performance 3d. The only slider I can move is 'performance 3d', and setting it to 75%, well...

Fan RPM is 4856RPM. And still loud - the RPM does fluxuate by about 100RPM at (what I think is) random, regardless of what I force those fan settings too, though always above 4000RPM, and always /really loud/.

I hope I'm getting close to a solution!

 

[Mousemonkey]

How many wires on that HSF,2, 3 or 4?

 

[Mousemonkey]

If it's this one :-

be resigned to constant full speed at all times.

 

[Bekul]

Pic of the wires: http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/109/msivx.jpg

If it's this one (image) be resigned to constant full speed at all times.

Ah. Well. Crap. http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/3339/p1030189.jpg

So the product was intentionally made to be defective? There's no way to fix this, or is MSI working on a fix of some sort? I could RMA the card, but... well. Damn I wish I'd known about this before hand, this really sucks. >.<

 

[Mousemonkey]

It's not defective just cheapass, 3 wire = power (positive and negative) and sensor, 4wire = power, sensor and control. If you look at the plug on the PCB there are four terminals but the plug on the HSF only has three, don't expect a fix any time soon because it's not possible due to the hardware restrictions.

 

[Bekul]

Awww, ouch.



I suppose, 'due to hardware restrictions' - I couldn't simply replace a wire somehow, mod the board with a better wiring setup?

This was an expensive card, too. Damn. Now I'm really kicking myself for not going with an EVGA 285.

 

[Mousemonkey]

No, if the fans are three wire jobbies then they are three wire, the best you can do is to replace them with four wire PWM ones and make sure that the plug fits the one on the PCB as it's most likely smaller than a mobo four pin.

 

[Bekul]

Augh.

Hrm.

Anyone want to buy a nearly-new NVIDIA GTX 285 MSI SuperPipe, so that I can in turn buy an EVGA GTX 285?

._.

 

[yrag]

http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=129935.0

 

[Mousemonkey]

Nah, I bought two 8800GT's when the GTX280 was £120 more and the GTX285 didn't exist but I have the same issue as you do with the fans.

 

[Bekul]

Aww, sad to hear you have the same cheap-fan controller problem!

Hm.

Yeah, this is unbearable. I've got to find someone willing to buy it - I've got to get a decent card that has sane RPM's. 4800RPM at lowest is just ridiculous and silly.