Sapphire HD4850 Toxic - sadness

[Ypnos]

So I just bought a Sapphire HD4850 Toxic edition graphics card to replace my XFX 8800GTS XXX (I'm still questioning the wisdom in that, but never mind) and I have to say I'm bitterly disappointed.

The card came with 3D Mark 2006, which gave an utterly apalling score. Well, not apalling, but not something I couldn't get with my old card.

Anyway, my biggest problem is the noise from the fan. I believe it is a factory fitted Zalman VF900, but on closer inspection I dicovered 2 things. One is that they have hardwired the fan to run at the full 1800 RPM! You might say I could use a Zalman FanMate and problem solved. Not so. The other thing I found was that they've replaced the fan's power connectors with smaller 3-pin plugs rather than the standard sized ones.

I cannot find another way of altering the fan's speed, not even by editing the card's BIOS. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can proceed with this?

[Webby]

Unfortunately your only real option is going to be to modify the fan to change its speed, either remove the small connector and replace it with a larger 3 pin and connect to a fan mate/motherboard header/fan controller or you could place a resistor in the voltage line to reduce its speed but then you would have no way of making it spin faster if temperature became an issue.

Last alternative would be to replace the whole cooling assembly... but that will suck since you already paid a premium to get the current after market cooling.

[Pob255]

Couple of things, ati card always seem to perform lower in 3dmark than there's nvidia counterparts, but perform better in games (note I'm talking about simular performing card here, eg a 4850 vs 8800gts 512mb OC, not 4870 vs gtx280)

You've not so much made a step up here more of a step sideways, an overclocked 8800gts 512mb actually runs around the same level as a stock 9800gtx+ or 4850 512mb
Although I'm not sure how much added performance sapphire got out of the toxic vs a stock 4850

actually slowing down the fan shouldn't be too bad.
The reason is that the connectors in the fan plug can normally be removed from the plug and placed into a standard 3pin fan plug
Seem Moogle's handy guide
http://forums.hexus.net/chassis-syst...k-warning.html
Note: trying to put standard 3pin fan connectors into the smaller type of plug doesn't normally work as they are too big, but I've done it from small to standard before without problem.

sometimes when you remove the connectors from the plug you'll find that they are the square tube type not the bent end type (as shown in moogle's guide)
square tube type are even eaiser because you don't even need them in a plug to connect them to pins. (but they are very slightly more expensive so are becoming rare now


EDIT: PS

This is even more impressive when you consider that at load the VF900 Zalman cooler is noticeably quieter than the stock ATI cooler, although at idle it is perhaps a little noisier than the lower RPM, but much, much hotter stock cooler, due to the VF900's fan not having a variable fan speed.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/200...d-4850-toxic/9

All depends on your definition of "a little noisier" also remember to monitor your temp if you do reduce the fan speed, as you'll be reducing the cooling on an Overclocked + Hot gpu

It might be an idea to just unplug the fan and tie a larger fan onto the cooler

[Webby]

Well according to Tech Power Up review of it http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/S.../HD_4850_Toxic you see an average performance boost of 5.3% (thats equal to 5% decrease from a Toxic to stock ) and the fan noise louder than the stock cooler under load. But it is obviously cooler because of this.

[Ypnos]

I wish I'd never bought this gfx card... I made the mistake of assuming that a 9800GTX+ would perform better than my XXX. Wrong

Well now I have the choice of either messing around with snipping off wires, or just overclocking the pants off the ATi

[shaithis]

Can you not try and get it replaced?

Controllable fan speeds have been a standard feature of gfx cards for a while, a good etailer should recognise that and offer a replacement if the noise really is too much.

[Webby]

The problem is the card is designed to run at a single speed so is not actually faulty.

If it has been less than 7 days you can send it back under DSR (distance selling regulations) though.

[-iceblade^]

did you try using rivatuner?

[wazi]

http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/pro...i-vga/zt-gx820
there is this also which is quiet

[mrt9888]

I used the Zalman fanmate on my Palit 9800GT, I just forced the pins into the fanmate.

[Ypnos]

Can you not try and get it replaced?

Controllable fan speeds have been a standard feature of gfx cards for a while, a good etailer should recognise that and offer a replacement if the noise really is too much.

Can't return it as it is not faulty, plus they want to charge a 30% "restocking fee" and I gotta foot the postage too...

did you try using rivatuner?

Yep. No change

http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/pro...i-vga/zt-gx820
there is this also which is quiet

I don't mind if it's noisy, as long as I can turn it down when it's idle... Had a look at this, just now, doesn't seem to be compatible with the gfx card

I used the Zalman fanmate on my Palit 9800GT, I just forced the pins into the fanmate.

hmm... could try it, I suppose.

[Webby]

As far as I am aware if you have had it less than 7 days then under DSR you can return it for no charge it would infact be illegal for them to charge you a re-stocking fee, obviously you would need to pay the postage to send it back though.

I'm sure if Agent or Saracen see this thread they will chirp in with the right answer

[mehmeh]

Can't return it as it is not faulty, plus they want to charge a 30% "restocking fee" and I gotta foot the postage too...

As far as I am aware if you have had it less than 7 days then under DSR you can return it for no charge it would infact be illegal for them to charge you a re-stocking fee, obviously you would need to pay the postage to send it back though.

The DSR regs are very clear, dude. You are legally entitled to return the card within seven days for a full refund, less postage costs. You must foot the return postage bill. The item(s) are also expected to be in resaleable condition, but DSR is very vague in that respect, so long as you havent destroyed the box or broken any software seals your cool. The "restocking fee" is illegal within the seven days DSR awards you, but after that if a company offers say a 14day return policy, on day 8+ you will have to pay whatever fee's they say, providing those fee's where outlined in a clearly displayed return policy.

If you want to return the card, do it sooner rather than later inside the seven days, then argue the toss with them after, quoting the DSR and threatening legal action if needs be. Allthough doubtfull it will come to that and you will get your refund after you've reminded them of their legal obligations. Reason I would go about it that way is 'cause, by the sounds of this company, if continue to argue it with them, once the seven days has expired they may try and weasle their way out of honouring it, even though your original query was raised within the seven days... AFIAK you only have to raise the RMA request within seven days (so do that), there is no definition, (beyond "reasonable") about when the item(s) need to arrive back with the supplier.

Hope that makes sense and good luck! (If they give you any bs, feel free to drop us a line, getting one over on companies is a hobby on mine. )

[Zak33]

(If they give you any bs, feel free to drop us a line, getting one over on companies is a hobby on mine. )

I don't think that "getting one over" is very helpful, do you chap?

[mehmeh]

I don't think that "getting one over" is very helpful, do you chap?

You missunderstand me, to put it more eloquently.. When companies like the OP mentioned think they can bend or break the rules, believing the buyer is ignorant of their rights or not prepared to fight for them, doing said company "over" with some consumer and OFT power is a satisfying feeling, no?

[Pob255]

And if you are past the 7 days cool off under DSR then

Well now I have the choice of either messing around with snipping off wires, or just overclocking the pants off the ATi

Please do NOT snip off anything.
There should be no need to cut any wire to replace the fan plug so you can fit it to a fan controller, or just simply unplug it and tie a larger more quiet fan of your choise onto the cooler.



side note, I that zerotherm cooler does fit onto the 4850, there's also another model that looks exactly the same but with the automatic fan control by temp
(that is the one powercolor use on there 4850)