If it's a high-end card (like a Geforce 6800 or something), you can replace the fan and heatsink combo for about $20-$30. Otherwise, I'd suggest picking up a new low-end Geforce (something like a 6200 or 7200 for $20-$25) that doesn't need a fan. Those little video card fans add a lot of noise to a system and nearly always fail before the hardware is obsolete. I started making my video card purchases specifically to avoid fans (even on my 7950). <div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Apr 19, 2009 at 12:49 PM, Karl Schuttler <<a href="mailto:karl.schuttler@gmail.com">karl.schuttler@gmail.com</a>> wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> Or you could just stick a $1 fan in there to blow on the card's heatsink On Sun, Apr 19, 2009 at 12:37 PM, Hans Kokx <<a href="mailto:skipmeister123@gmail.com">skipmeister123@gmail.com</a>> wrote: > Hi Gordon, > > I've had this problem myself. The fan on the video card quits turning, and > the video card overheats. You'll get strange distortions, and perhaps > blocks of color. (In my case, I had blocks of yellow). Unfortunately, once > you''ve gotten to this point, there's nothing you can do but replace the > card. I'm not sure what Dell's warranty is like nowadays, but perhaps it's > under warranty, being only 18 months old? > > Hans > > On Apr 19, 2009, at 11:24 AM, <a href="mailto:gordonwebb1@yahoo.com">gordonwebb1@yahoo.com</a> wrote: > >> Hello Jeff >> >> Thank you for taking the time to teach me. I am overwhelmed with all >> their is to learn about computers. >> >> If the first blue "DELL" screen has fuzzy vertical lines the system will >> not boot up to the log in screen. The screen just goes black. >> >> The worst thing I did was I forced the computer off by holding the button >> down when it was at about 95% of its long check last December. I am >> confused did this hurt my operating system, the video card, or both? >> >> The bottom of the video card had a small fan that was NOT running. >> >> This Dell inspiron 530 is only about 18 months old no one has messed with >> the hardware. >> >> After the problem happened again I looked at the video card (its the card >> with a ribbon cable coming from the monitor's connector?)and the fans. Both >> 3" black fans were running. However the bottom of the video card had a small >> fan that was not running. The capacitors all looked new. Cards and cables >> appeared to be pluged in correctly. >> >> I was able to run the memory test with memtest. When it reache 100% after >> about 20 mins I hit esc to reboot. >> >> Should I replace the vidio card with the dead fan? >> >> >> Gordon Webb >> >> --- On Sat, 4/18/09, Jeff Hanson <<a href="mailto:jhansonxi@gmail.com">jhansonxi@gmail.com</a>> wrote: >> >> From: Jeff Hanson <<a href="mailto:jhansonxi@gmail.com">jhansonxi@gmail.com</a>> >> Subject: Re: [WLUG] Re:its back, Icons and tool bars changed size. >> To: "gordon webb" <<a href="mailto:gordonwebb1@yahoo.com">gordonwebb1@yahoo.com</a>> >> Cc: >> <a href="mailto:linux-users@lugwash.org">linux-users@lugwash.org</a> >> Date: Saturday, April 18, 2009, 9:23 PM >> >> On 4/17/09, gordon webb <<a href="mailto:gordonwebb1@yahoo.com">gordonwebb1@yahoo.com</a>> wrote: >>> >>> Hello >>> >>> >>> Previous post for this problem can be seen at: >>> <a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1101351" target="_blank">http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1101351</a> >> >> Read it. >> >>> What happened to my start up, and the screen's display? >>> >> >> Wrong screen resolution. If set manually it's in /etc/X11/xorg.conf >> but usually it's automatic. >> >>> I am using a Ubuntu 7:10 for an operating system. >> >> It's obsolete when Jaunty (9.04) is released in a week. No more >> updates will be available! >> >>> The Icons on the desk top >>> are larger then they were. When I open the yahoo screen the >>> display and >> >> tool >>> >>> bars are larger then they were. Even by using ctrl+- >>> leaves the text looking >>> fuzzy. >> >> Screen resolution is determined by X.org (the graphics system) by >> communicating with the video card through the driver to find out what >> resolutions/frequencies it can handle. It also communicates to the >> monitor (through the video driver and video card) using the "Display >> Data Channel" which is a communication channel that is a couple of >> wires inside the video cable: >> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_Data_Channel" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_Data_Channel</a> >> >> It compares what the monitor can handle with what the card can handle >> and uses the best mode available. If the driver is not communicating >> to the video card (wrong/broken driver), or the video card can't >> connect to the monitor DDC (bad cable for instance), or the monitor is >> lying about its >> capabilities (some do) then X.org can end up with a >> poor quality display. >> >>> >>> This started after loging on once in December, it was going through the >>> long >>> check. At about 95% I hit the escape key. Nothing seemed to change >>> so I pushed >>> the computers off button. On restarting the computer it >>> came up with a box >>> saying a graphics card was not found of un >>> recognizable. At that time the pre >>> login screens, wallpaper, photos and >>> other documents look normal. >>> >> >> Did it power itself off or did you hold the button down to force it >> off? The latter is very naughty and will mess up most operating >> systems (Windows, OS X, Linux) depending on how the drive was >> formatted. >> >>> Then I went to the terminal and typed in code: >>> >>> sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg >>> >>> At that time the above code did the trick. Things >> >> worked fine. >> >> Good job! >> >>> >>> Now even after typing in the above code the screen's size is still >>> diffrent. >>> Also, when trying to turn the computer on boot up takes a longer time. >>> >> >> Sounds like hardware fault. Check the cable and restart the system. >> Also check the video card. Make sure it's all the way inserted into >> its slot and the fan is working (if it has one). Some video cards >> require a separate power connection. They will work without it but at >> slow speed/low resolution. >> >>> >>> So I went back to the post mentioned above to reread the responces. >>> When I >>> came to the responce by Therion "Do you see drivers LISTED in >>> that menu >>> though? If you do you should be able to click on them to >>> activate one. I >>> activated "NVIDIA". Some times the system still takes 2 or 3 trys to >>> boot >>> corectly when turning >> >> on the computer. The screens >>> >>> size is still diffrent. >>> When trying to change the screens resolution to >>> 1024 X 768 no resolutions >>> higher then 640 x 480 are advalible for >>> selection. >> >> Really sounds like a hardware problem if the system doesn't want to >> boot. Check cables and fans. Look for bad capacitors on the >> motherboard: >> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague</a> >> >> Test the memory with memtest. If you hit ESC when the Grub boot menu >> prompt is shown at boot you can select it from the boot list. Let it >> complete one complete pass. >> >>> >>> Thank you for any sugestions on what to do or check next. >> >> -- >> *** Sent from <a href="mailto:linux-users@lugwash.org">linux-users@lugwash.org</a> *** <a href="http://www.lugwash.org" target="_blank">http://www.lugwash.org</a> >> to unsubscribe: `echo "unsubscribe" | mail >> <a href="mailto:linux-users-request@lugwash.org">linux-users-request@lugwash.org</a>` >> -- >> *** Sent from <a href="mailto:linux-users@lugwash.org">linux-users@lugwash.org</a> *** <a href="http://www.lugwash.org" target="_blank">http://www.lugwash.org</a> >> to unsubscribe: `echo "unsubscribe" | mail >> <a href="mailto:linux-users-request@lugwash.org">linux-users-request@lugwash.org</a>` > > -- > *** Sent from <a href="mailto:linux-users@lugwash.org">linux-users@lugwash.org</a> *** <a href="http://www.lugwash.org" target="_blank">http://www.lugwash.org</a> > to unsubscribe: `echo "unsubscribe" | mail <a href="mailto:linux-users-request@lugwash.org">linux-users-request@lugwash.org</a>` > _______________________________________________ linux-user mailing list <a href="mailto:linux-user@egr.msu.edu">linux-user@egr.msu.edu</a> <a href="http://mailman.egr.msu.edu/mailman/listinfo/linux-user" target="_blank">http://mailman.egr.msu.edu/mailman/listinfo/linux-user</a> </blockquote></div>