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?

[QUOTE=VictordeHolland;415070]Are you sure you meant half an hour ago?[/QUOTE]Sigh.

Dead parrot.

[QUOTE=VictordeHolland;415070]Are you sure you meant half an hour ago?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=xilman;415074]Sigh.

Dead parrot.[/QUOTE]

:deadhorse:

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vuW6tQ0218&t=22s[/url]

[QUOTE=xilman;415074]Sigh.

Dead parrot.[/QUOTE]

Oh, some of us got it. :smile:

Bereft of life...it'd be pushing up the daisies if it wasn't nailed to the perch...etc.

Actually, if you all read the post correctly, he said "[U]not[/U] half an hour ago" :razz: :paul:

To reply to topic, yes, you can mix the cards without problems, as long as they are only NV or only AMD. I always had a mix in my computers, starting with Tesla2070+480, 580+480, 580+570, and later Titan+580. Currently I run 1 Titan and 2 580s in my biggest box. I never used SLI, and I don't see any utility for it. Usually one 580 card connects to 2 monitors, and the other 580 does the phys (setable from NV Ctrl Panel), and the Titan is free. All 3 do some TF, LL, or P-1 at random, 24/7. Never had (big) problems. In another box I had a 7990+7970 till I sold the 7990 when it was not worth to run it anymore (bitcoin related).

[QUOTE=LaurV;415095]Actually, if you all read the post correctly, he said "[U]not[/U] half an hour ago" :razz: :paul:

To reply to topic, yes, you can mix the cards without problems, as long as they are only NV or only AMD......[/QUOTE]

I have run a GTX 460 alongside an onboard AMD graphic chip. Admittedly, I never tried to run mfakto on the low-grade AMD chip. I ran the display from it, for a while. I gave it up because that left me with the limited GPU power to supplement Photoshop performance.

[QUOTE=Madpoo;415093]Oh, some of us got it. :smile:

Bereft of life...it'd be pushing up the daisies if it wasn't nailed to the perch...etc.[/QUOTE]

'E's singin' to the choir invisible! Lovely plumage, though.

[QUOTE=ewmayer;415177]'E's singin' to the choir invisible! Lovely plumage, though.[/QUOTE]
ITYM "beautiful plumage".
HTH
HAND
TTFN

GTX 970 running slow
 

Smells a little like burning plastic in the room around the PC.
I opened the case...the GPU surface is very hot to the touch.
Only 1 of the 3 fans was turning...I gave one a push and it is turning again though it seems slower.
The 3rd won't start back up.

GPU-Z says it is only 73 degree but says fan speed 77% but is 0 RPM.

See screen shot.

The only place I found the fans for my card was Aliexpress. It takes a couple of weeks but they do come, finally. I've bought a couple fans a few years back and then three at once, and these were on my shelf when they were in fact needed.
Some cards use this model ([URL="http://www.aliexpress.com/item/75MM-Power-Logic-PLD08010S12H-DC-12V-0-25A-3Pin-Computer-Cooling-Fan-For-Graphics-Video-Card/32356400364.html"]PLD08010S12H[/URL]), but you better take your apart and check your model.

[QUOTE=petrw1;417836]Smells a little like burning plastic in the room around the PC.
I opened the case...the GPU surface is very hot to the touch.
Only 1 of the 3 fans was turning...I gave one a push and it is turning again though it seems slower.
The 3rd won't start back up.

GPU-Z says it is only 73 degree but says fan speed 77% but is 0 RPM.

See screen shot.[/QUOTE]

Sounds like a warranty issue to me.

[QUOTE=petrw1;417836]Smells a little like burning plastic in the room around the PC.
I opened the case...the GPU surface is very hot to the touch.
Only 1 of the 3 fans was turning...I gave one a push and it is turning again though it seems slower.
The 3rd won't start back up.

GPU-Z says it is only 73 degree but says fan speed 77% but is 0 RPM.

See screen shot.[/QUOTE]

77% is only what PWM is sending the fan. The number would be the same even if the fan is not turning (0rpm). I have replaced quite a few fans on GPUs, and lubricated others. On Ebay, there is a vendor in New Jersey I have bought Asus and Gigabyte GPU fans for. They are not sold as new, IIRC, and since they have the foil Asus hub label, I assume that they are pulls.

On the other hand, you can find all sorts of fans, and not just overseas vendors, by searching on Ebay, or the web in general with model numbers, card names, etc. Try different search combinations, and do pay attention to the location of the vendor, if only so that you know what to expect for a delivery time frame. I have yet to order from any of the Hong Kong, or mainland Chinese, or Taiwanese outlets. I am glad to know that Ali Express does eventually come through. I will have a look at my current inventory and see if there are any fans I can use which I can get new, to hold as backups.

Again: replacing GPU fans can be really tedious, and requires a small, precision screw driver set. Putting it back together can be a real pain, esoecially if you drop a tiny screw down deep somewheres. Still, I have kept cards running with either replacements, or with lubricating what I have. I know LaurV will back me up on this.
[B]
Warning![/B] WD40 is not a good, long-term lubricant, and may wash out whatever lubricant is in a fan.

I have something called "Zoom Spout", which is a plastic squeeze bottle of oil, with a long, thin plastic tube which comes retracted into the bottle. You pull the tube out, and then can infiltrate it into all sorts of places, such as along the wire channel to the motor of a fan, so that you can put a drop of lube on the shaft, by the bearing, and then work the shaft in and out. :smile:

[QUOTE=kladner;417847]I know LaurV will back me up on this.
[/QUOTE]
Sure! If the fan is not mechanically damaged, like broken/bent blades, uncentered (it vibrates when it turns), or electrically damaged like coils burnt (it will have specific smell if so), then the best solution is oiling it. You can use zinger oil, the one you can buy in any shop, used for fine mechanisms and sewing machines, etc, but I highly recommend engine oil, the one you use in your car or motorcycle.

Engine oil also stands the temperature best, as it is designed to be used in the engine, at high temps. And it comes for free, because every time when we go to change the oil, there is a little bit left in the canister, and the mechanic puts it in our trunk (here you just pay the oil, and the work is "for free", at almost every gas station they sell small canisters and they can change it for you, and there is always a little bit left, which we use around the house, for gates, doors, computer fans, etc :smile:).

Take the fan out (need precision screwdrivers, as said), look for the label and carefully, slowly, peel it of. If you have enough patience you can peel it off without destroying the glue. Under the label there is a seal or rubber cap, which protects the axis. Sometime there is none. Take a toothpick, or a small piece of wood, put it in the engine oil half centimeter to collect a little drop of oil on the stick, put the drop of the oil on the axes, without spreading all around the fan and all around your house, then rotate the fan. Repeat 2-3 times till the fan turns smoothly. Put the cap back, if it was one. Put the label back if you didn't damage it when you peeled it off. If you damaged it, or it is oily and not sticky anymore, cut a small round of aluminum foil, about 1-2 cm in diameter and put it over the hole and stick it with a scotch or kepton tape in top of it. One whole year you will have no problem.

P.S. Don't put the scotch over the hole directly, if there was no rubber lid; the oil will dissolve the glue and make a sticky gel which will lock the axis in time, so you will need to repeat the cleaning procedure more often (weeks!). And resist temptation to put a double-sided tape under the label, to stick it well, this tape has lots of glue in it, even the 0.1mm thin one, is impregnated with glue, which dissolves in oil, and it will lock your fan again, in days. Generally, try to use the original label, and if your fan is not a real cheap stuff, it will have a rubber cap, try not to lose it. A small plastic disk cut from a plastic bottle also helps, if no aluminum foil, for example. The idea is that the label has not to be "sticky", it is enough to cover the hole as much as the oil will not spray out when the fan rotates, but generally this label is fixed against the case when you screw the fan in, so it can't fall off. The idea that you have to retain is not to put a lot of oil, and not to combine a lot of glue with it. You will get the feeling very fast, we did this hundreds of times, and it works magic!

And if you are at it, clean those clogs of dust from between the fins of the cooler too :razz:

Edit: approximately good youtube tutorial:
[YOUTUBE]hPyHBH3WwBM[/YOUTUBE]

GTX 580 on eBay
 

Wow, GTX 580 on eBay go for under $90 these days. If one does not care about electricity cost, there is potential to amass a lot of trial factoring power.

For the cost of a used Titan one could have six used GTX 580.

My TF'ing days are probably coming to an end in a few months. I'll probably be selling mine.

I stopped TF work on Feb 27. The silence in my computer room is very welcome.