Mac Pro w/ 8800 GT - new fan noise

[Jakimo]

I upgraded quite some time ago (a few years now?) to Apple's offer of the 8800 GT card, always worked fine. Quiet as can be, until a game was played. After the game was over, the card quieted back down again.

Now the card is ALWAYS audible, the fan just always runs loud. I've blown small dust off of it, but not much seems to be there anyhow.

A month or so back, now I realize, I think I may have allowed my Vista partition to flash my 8800 GT with an update.

Is it possible that I flashed this in the PC side and that this is what's causing my new excessive fan noise? Is there a way to check if I have the proper ROM in my 8800 GT still? Is there a way to restore it completely?

thanks for any ideas or help

Jacques

 

[MacVidCards]

If Vista put a new ROM on it, it wouldn't work in OSX anymore.

To REALLY clean an 8800GT fan, you need to remove it from machine and blow air BACKWARDS through the fan...ie blow from end of fins, near DVI connectors TOWARD the fan.

Card can seem very clean on outside but have near complete blockage under the fan shroud.

Reduced efficiency WOULD cause fan to run more.

 

[Jakimo]

If Vista put a new ROM on it, it wouldn't work in OSX anymore.

To REALLY clean an 8800GT fan, you need to remove it from machine and blow air BACKWARDS through the fan...ie blow from end of fins, near DVI connectors TOWARD the fan.

Card can seem very clean on outside but have near complete blockage under the fan shroud.

Reduced efficiency WOULD cause fan to run more.

Ok, I'll buy a can and try. Once I do so, I'll post back.

I'm glad I didn't flash it inadvertently!

thanks

 

[666sheep]

Buy yourself this cooler: http://techgage.com/article/arctic_cooling_nv_silencer_5_rev_3/ OFC if you'll find one (it's quite old).
It's quiet, much more efficient than reference 8800GT cooler and it blows out hot air out of the case. It fits 8800GT with no problem.
For mounting instructions: look here. Forgive me that it's in polish, but pictures are enough to see what's all about.
Only uncomfortable is, that you need to change original bolt nuts to thin ones and cut those 4 bolts a little.
Otherwise it will not fit in MP - there is a little space between card and memory cage (when you got it installed in lowest slot).
But, cooling improvement and noise reduction are worth it.

 

[G4DP]

Buy yourself this cooler: http://techgage.com/article/arctic_cooling_nv_silencer_5_rev_3/ OFC if you'll find one (it's quite old).
It's quiet, much more efficient than reference 8800GT cooler and it blows out hot air out of the case. It fits 8800GT with no problem.
For mounting instructions: look here. Forgive me that it's in polish, but pictures are enough to see what's all about.
Only uncomfortable is, that you need to change original bolt nuts to thin ones and cut those 4 bolts a little.
Otherwise it will not fit in MP - there is a little space between card and memory cage (when you got it installed in lowest slot).
But, cooling improvement and noise reduction are worth it.

I've never understood why people say you should by a cooler.

It seems they don't actually know what they are talking about.

The cooling is not the problem. The fans built within the Mac Pro are more than sufficient to cope with any amount of heat generated. As the earlier responses have said, blow some compressed air backwards through the card.

 

[666sheep]

I've never understood why people say you should by a cooler.

It seems they don't actually know what they are talking about.

So, it's better to have louder and hotter graphic card in your opinion? I had both: stock reference cooler and NV Silencer on my former 8800GT (flashed one) and, believe me or not, difference is huge (at least for me), especially in noise level under load.

 

[product26]

The Accelero S1 is the perfect solution for this. I used it on my x1900xt and later transferred the cooler to my 8800gt.

here is my post about it