Repaired a laptop only to find another issue... The cause of the problem.

from Stardock Forums

So my alienware m5750 died a while back...  Well, it didn't die, but the screen began displaying more and more red dots and lines, a sign that the video card was shot.  I bought a mxm x1800 replacement, took off the back, was undoing the screws...  But one of the screws that screwed into the video card was unscrewable, due to the phillips head being totally chipped off.

...  So, I ended having to go and get my ELECTRIC SCREWDRIVER/DRILL, and getting the smallest drill bit I could and performing surgical drilling, the type of surgical drilling that involves drilling off the top of the screw while not hitting anything else...  It was a success (somehow, or maybe I am just that damn good), I put the video card in, and...

The thing turns on and shuts off.  What the?

I unscrew the bottom again, turn it on upside down, and find the answer (Not to mention, the reason why the video card died).  THE DAMN VIDEO CARD FAN IS DEAD!

So Now I'm deciding on either buying a new gpu fan, or putting a big ass fan under my laptop and calling it a day (Well, it is a desktop replacement that won't be moved....)

Well at least the video card now works.

17,682 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

You know, call me crazy or whatever, but it seems kind of backward that video cards these days have no redundancy in their cooling system!  Granted, there may not be many places on a video card that you could fit an extra fan and still have it work, but it would be a nice idea if one of the card makers actually addressed the issue instead of making cards as cheaply as they can to melt as fast as possible.

Reply #2 from Demigod Forums Top

Two words: Dry Ice.

If you could make a dry ice cooling system, you're box would be so BA.

Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Lord how I hate those little cheapass cooling fans.  I found a nice fanless video card for my wife's computer and it works well for the games she plays, has a giant heat sink, but that's not a problem since the box has no other peripheral cards.  My computer has a big card with a good fan so that's not a problem.  But, yea, I go out of my way to avoid those kinds of fans, but with a laptop, it's not much of an option. 

I'd go ahead and replace the card.  I had a video card that burned out, did the same kind of thing, ended up replacing it.  Even if it's only a cooling problem, the chip is probably shot from overheating anyway.  Those damn video chips run so hot anyway, I find it amazing they last as long as they do.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting CraigHB, reply 3
Lord how I hate those little cheapass cooling fans.  I found a nice fanless video card for my wife's computer and it works well for the games she plays, has a giant heat sink, but that's not a problem since the box has no other peripheral cards.  My computer has a big card with a good fan so that's not a problem.  But, yea, I go out of my way to avoid those kinds of fans, but with a laptop, it's not much of an option. 

I'd go ahead and replace the card.  I had a video card that burned out, did the same kind of thing, ended up replacing it.  Even if it's only a cooling problem, the chip is probably shot from overheating anyway.  Those damn video chips run so hot anyway, I find it amazing they last as long as they do.
End of CraigHB's quote

You should probably read the topic title again...  :annoyed: :X <_<

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting CraigHB, reply 3
Lord how I hate those little cheapass cooling fans.  I found a nice fanless video card for my wife's computer and it works well for the games she plays, has a giant heat sink, but that's not a problem since the box has no other peripheral cards.  My computer has a big card with a good fan so that's not a problem.  But, yea, I go out of my way to avoid those kinds of fans, but with a laptop, it's not much of an option. 

I'd go ahead and replace the card.  I had a video card that burned out, did the same kind of thing, ended up replacing it.  Even if it's only a cooling problem, the chip is probably shot from overheating anyway.  Those damn video chips run so hot anyway, I find it amazing they last as long as they do.
End of CraigHB's quote

You should probably read the topic title again...  :annoyed: :X <_<

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

I think TDK2k8's GPU fan is built into his laptop, is that correct?

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Laptops are all different.  My laptop has the fan on the card so I assumed incorrectly.  Either way, I'd replace both the fan and card.  At least try to find a fan with a dual ball or other high duty bearing.  Those crappy little fans almost always use sleve bearings that don't last very long.