smullyoz wrote on 2023-06-12, 14:11:

Problem is the slot for the fan power on the card is that little three pin thing. The ones from your photo won't work.
When googling the fan part # i found a fan replacement but that's $40 with shipping and ill still have to use the original heatsink which is pretty crappy.

Any other video cards besides the GTS use that 3 pin power?

The third pin is unnecessary. If you really want, you can even take the power from molex connector. 😁

Ok thanks, well in that case ill order one of these chinese heatsink/fan combos suggested earlier and see how it works with that.

Just an update, the little fan i ordered from ebay got returned to sender for some reason so i did this instead.

Kept the Geforce4 mx heatsink on the card
Took the fan off a 9400GT that i wasnt using.
Cut the wires, then cut the wires off a random USB cable, and spliced them together.
Attached the fan to the heatsink using elastic bands.
Connected the usb back to the computer.

Works pretty good and the card looks like it stays cool.

Looks a bit like Frankenstein's work.
I hope you won't put your fingers into that case while it is running.

That fan is too small and weak to hurt.

Should still work better than original cooler which has less mass ad fins.

Even slightest constant movement of air over the heatsink's fins makes a huge difference. For this card, it really doesn't matter, what fan there is. If the cooling system is active - that's all you need.

Cooling is definitely OK but I'd use a propely sized fan (40mm?) that attaches using screws. I would fear the elastic bands snapping and the fan knocking off SMD components while the thing's running.

I would fear the elastic bands snapping and the fan knocking off SMD components while the thing's running.

Nah, too weak for that too.

I understand that a large part of a fan's effectiveness comes from the fact that there is an enclosing structure around the blades (that is as close to the fan blade edges as possible). So a fan that does not have an enclosure around it seems like it will lose performance. Not sure if it matters at all in this case though.

Still, that heat sink screams for a 40mm (or a 60mm?) Noctua fan on it. Dooo eeet 😀

Disruptor wrote on 2023-07-13, 02:24:

Looks a bit like Frankenstein's work.
I hope you won't put your fingers into that case while it is running.

Did couple of times but the fan just stops its not that big.

clb wrote on 2023-07-13, 18:27:

I understand that a large part of a fan's effectiveness comes from the fact that there is an enclosing structure around the blades (that is as close to the fan blade edges as possible). So a fan that does not have an enclosure around it seems like it will lose performance. Not sure if it matters at all in this case though.

Still, that heat sink screams for a 40mm (or a 60mm?) Noctua fan on it. Dooo eeet 😀

I think it does lose effectiveness but it seems like it does good enough job for the GTS as the heatsink just warm to the touch during gaming. While it was pretty hot without the fan.

Do you have a link to one of these fans im curious to see what they look like?

Check the "40mm" and "3-pin" dropdowns at https://noctua.at/en/products/fan

There are 20mm and lower profile 10mm tall fans there, for both 12V and 5V power feed. You'll need either a 12V or 5V molex -> 3-pin fan adapter, depending on the voltage you decide to go with. Both 12V and 5V have the same performance, it is just a convention.

A 12V -> 3-pin fan adapter looks like this: https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Connector-Comp … 0_t3_B099DZY2VF

Looks like 12V adapters might be easier to come by, so probably better to go with that. The only 5V -> 3-pin fan adapter I found with a quick search was this: https://www.aliexpress.com/i/1005004091175049.html which is a bit bulky for one fan.

smullyoz wrote on 2023-07-13, 02:13:

Just an update, the little fan i ordered from ebay got returned to sender for some reason so i did this instead. […]
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Just an update, the little fan i ordered from ebay got returned to sender for some reason so i did this instead.

Kept the Geforce4 mx heatsink on the card
Took the fan off a 9400GT that i wasnt using.
Cut the wires, then cut the wires off a random USB cable, and spliced them together.
Attached the fan to the heatsink using elastic bands.
Connected the usb back to the computer.

Works pretty good and the card looks like it stays cool.

That's a neat solution 😁
If using rubber bands, be mindful these will dry out after a while (I've actually never seen older rubber bands inside a PC case I somehow got that hadn't dried out yet (sometimes crumbling apart, any stretch it may have had was long gone)).

Good to know thanks. WIll keep en eye out in case they do break. They are pretty small and not that tight around the heatsink so we will see. Makes sense that they will dry out though.