XFX 6870 Making A Grinding Noise Once In A While

[nightlitezzz]

So every once in a while (about 2 or 3 times in 6 months) my graphics card will make a grinding noise. Sometimes it's through start up. Sometimes it's fine and I'm idling, so I go get food or something and I come back to hear this grinding sound. It's more of a gnarling/grinding sound. I think it may be the fan. Does any one know what the problem is?

 

I'm running this card by the way.

[Guest GRRigger]

How much noise does it do when operating normally? Can you compare it to when the fan was new?

Does the fan loose its speed alot and then ramps up normally again? 

Usually when fans do that, they lack grease or its filled with dust and what not. They come in ressonance and they shake and it is transmited to the case of the card, so you hear it rumble, unlike if it was hitting some object. 

The effect starts as you describes, and then it starts to do this regurally. It did same on my fan, then i cleaned it inside, applied some paste i had and it works normally again.

[nightlitezzz]

How much noise does it do when operating normally? Can you compare it to when the fan was new?

Does the fan loose its speed alot and then ramps up normally again? 

Usually when fans do that, they lack grease or its filled with dust and what not. They come in ressonance and they shake and it is transmited to the case of the card, so you hear it rumble, unlike if it was hitting some object. 

The effect starts as you describes, and then it starts to do this regurally. It did same on my fan, then i cleaned it inside, applied some paste i had and it works normally again.

It isn't too loud, it's just an annoying gnarling sound above the fan noise. When it was new, and I can still say the same right now, I can barely hear the fan on the graphics card. I have MSI Afterburner running and I have monitored the fan speeds. They have always remained the same, the 25% I set it to when I'm not doing anything much. I think it may be lacking some grease/paste.

[OddlyShapedTree]

Have you tried cleaning it completely? It might just be dirty and clogged up.

[nightlitezzz]

Have you tried cleaning it completely? It might just be dirty and clogged up.

Forgot to mention that, it is very clean. I even got compressed air. AND I made sure not to spin the fan with the air.

[Lauen]

I've had two of these cards (exactly same model), both went to 80-90 degrees when playing Skyrim, and got REALLY loud, and on one of them, there was a huge build-up of dust inside the fan hub, so that got stuck, and I just changed the cooler, which I recommend you do, unless changing out the entire card is an option, as that cooler is.. bad. 

[nightlitezzz]

I've had two of these cards (exactly same model), both went to 80-90 degrees when playing Skyrim, and got REALLY loud, and on one of them, there was a huge build-up of dust inside the fan hub, so that got stuck, and I just changed the cooler, which I recommend you do, unless changing out the entire card is an option, as that cooler is.. bad. 

Yeah.. I'm never going to buy single fan coolers anymore. Maybe not even XFX cards.

[Lauen]

Yeah.. I'm never going to buy single fan coolers anymore. Maybe not even XFX cards.

I've gone by that too, got an ASUS card, as the cooler on these is magnificent. I wanted to get a new XFX 7970, but by my experience, I just couldn't.. 

[OddlyShapedTree]

Usually grinding sounds are mechanical issues, I would try taking the cooler off and checking to make sure it is intact and what not. But do you notice any performance spikes when you hear the noise?

[nightlitezzz]

Usually grinding sounds are mechanical issues, I would try taking the cooler off and checking to make sure it is intact and what not. But do you notice any performance spikes when you hear the noise?

Nope nothing, everything is perfectly normal except the obnoxious sound coming from [for sure] the fan.

[OddlyShapedTree]

It might be the mechanics in the fan itself wearing itself out, maybe just call the manufacturer and see if they can help you.