How to (is it worth?) fix GTX580 with sucky fans
 

I noticed a few months ago that GPU0 overheated if I tried running anything non-trivial on it, but didn't get round to opening the case and poking things with a stick until this weekend.

The fans on GPU0 turn only with difficulty when I poke them (certainly compared to the fans on working GPU1).

I tried removing the visible screws to take the heat sink off, but a GTX580 heat-sink is a pretty serious object, and I rapidly realised two things:[LIST=1][*]Some of the screws were clearly connected within the heat sink (that is, one screw was going into each end of a rod that went across and so when I turn screw A it just turns the rod and also screw A')[*]I have no idea where to get replacement fans even if I managed to dismantle the device. It's a Gainward Nvidia GTX580 Phantom, if that means anything.[*]Maybe it would not be too silly to replace a GTX580 which was reasonably cheap (£180 for a pack of two) second-hand two years ago with something else. I see that a GTX970 is about 30% faster and has a 100W lower TDP, though I don't know what that converts to in terms of actual power used running gmp-ecm.[*]I know a GTX970 isn't great for double-precision FFTs; I'd be using it for factorisation. [/LIST]
What do you recommend? Can I fit a GTX970 and still also use the second 580 that I already have (obviously not in SLI), or would I have to decommission (sell on ebay ... I had already tried selling it to xilman but it unaccountably didn't work in any of his computers) the 580?

I would be happy to ship the unhappy GTX580 for free to someone on the forum who's reasonably confident they could fix it and then make use of it.

I have the same GTX580 card. I almost immediately changed to water cooling[SUP](*)[/SUP] with it because the fans were just too loud for me to be used in the same room where I work sometimes. If you wan't I can check if I can find the original fans for the card and ship them for you (for free).

[SIZE="1"][SUP](*)[/SUP] Now the computer is almost silent with the current cooling. One 120 fan cooling the ram and such and an outside case 120x360 radiator with 6 silent fans doing rest of the cooling.[/SIZE]

There's some disassembly shown here: [url]http://www.fudzilla.com/21800-gainward-gtx-580-3gb-phantom-tested?tmpl=component&print=1[/url] They note that all screws must be removed for disassembly. That may not help you.

According to that article, the fans are Power Logic PLA08015S12HH. There are several of these on ebay and aliexpress, although it's about £10-15 for a single fan.

If you want to keep the card and cannot find replacement fans, you can replace the cooler entirely, as rajula did. This cooler is compatible with GTX 580s and is not outrageously expensive: [url]http://www.scan.co.uk/products/gelid-solutions-icy-vision-vga-cooler-for-ati-amd[/url]

I often see used GTX 580 in the local classifieds for the equivalent of less than £50. I would calculate the power consumption costs versus the 9xx cards and see how quickly the new card would pay for itself. You'll need performance benchmarks to make a full comparison. I still run 3 GTX 580 because my electricity is currently at no cost to me. If I were paying for electricity, the 970 would save enough power to pay for itself in about three years (less if also paying for air conditioning to remove the hear), for roughly equivalent TF performance.

[QUOTE=Mark Rose;415017]I often see used GTX 580 in the local classifieds for the equivalent of less than £50. I would calculate the power consumption costs versus the 9xx cards and see how quickly the new card would pay for itself. You'll need performance benchmarks to make a full comparison. I still run 3 GTX 580 because my electricity is currently at no cost to me. If I were paying for electricity, the 970 would save enough power to pay for itself in about three years (less if also paying for air conditioning to remove the hear), for roughly equivalent TF performance.[/QUOTE]

Three years sounds about right (the new card costs £250, uses 100W less, and at UK pricing, 1W is £1 per year); I'm waiting for xilman's GTX970 to turn up so I can see how performance compares on msieve polynomial selection. The computer is in an outbuilding so I don't need to worry about heat or noise.

[QUOTE=fivemack;415019]Three years sounds about right (the new card costs £250, uses 100W less, and at UK pricing, 1W is £1 per year); I'm waiting for xilman's GTX970 to turn up so I can see how performance compares on msieve polynomial selection. The computer is in an outbuilding so I don't need to worry about heat or noise.[/QUOTE]

While using mfatc my 970 churns in about 420 days/day....

I've taken many of the fans for PSs, laptops and desktops apart and re-greased the bearing surfaces with good results. I'm guessing your current difficulty, getting the screws out, will need to be solved prior to even attempting fan repair, though. That is something I could possibly try for you, but noticing the pounds vs. dollars references, you might be considerably distant from me.

It looks like you've been pretty well covered on all the details that can be found, so I just have this to add: I replaced a stuck fan on a GTX 560 of mine. These fans are standard enough that you can find the model number when you take it apart, and find a replacement online. It wasn't too difficult or expensive (fan was around $12, taking it apart was easy, putting it back together was only a bit of a pain because of the very specific way I had to route cables for it to reach and everything fit back together in the small space allotted), and put it back in good working order. It's since started binding up again (it's a two-fan card, I don't recall right now if it's the new or old fan that went bad) and been replaced by a GTX 970. The 970 has much better performance for the heat/energy/noise than the pair of GTX 560s I had.

So feel free to look at the numbers, like the cost of a replacement fan, replacement 580, or new card (970 or other), and the cost of electricity and how much you care about the extra heat, so you can make your decision. Or at least decide that it's worth trying to take your old one apart to fix the fan.

As a temporary fix, place a fan (2500 rpm+) over the 580 inflow and a small fast fan over the exhaust on the side as
an outflow. It may not be pretty but it will keep the gpu at a reasonable temperature while you obtain the proper kit.
The 580 at cc 2.0 vs the 970 cc 5.2 is something to consider regarding programming.

[QUOTE=fivemack;415008]IWhat do you recommend? Can I fit a GTX970 and still also use the second 580 that I already have (obviously not in SLI), or would I have to decommission (sell on ebay ... I had already tried selling it to xilman but it unaccountably didn't work in any of his computers) the 580?[/QUOTE]The two servers wot you sold me not half an hour ago are dead. Demised. Gone to meet their maker.

No hard feelings though, as they were getting rather elderly and had served me well for their purchase price. In both cases I suspect the mobo has failed and I can likely put at least some of the other bits into another kludged-together system.

No plausible ETA on the new machine yet but you're welcome to run some benchmarks when it has had time to settle in.

[QUOTE=xilman;415062]The two servers wot you sold me not [U]half an hour ago[/U] are dead.[/QUOTE]
Are you sure you meant half an hour ago?