[drewthomas14]

There was two more emails before this . In the first one i asked them to send me a fan because mine is messed up ,and they said they dont send them to end-users. They recommended I either rma or replace the fan with a 3rd party fan.

Then i asked them if it voided the warranty if you change the fan and this is there response:

*Sapphire Response*
Well replacing the fan is really simple, there are just two pins that punch through the holes on the board so not really any physical change on the board I mean in case if the card is damage just simply place the old fan back and RMA the card.



Tech
* *

I guess changing the fan isnt considered a physical mod according to them, and they even recommended an rma even if i were to physically damage the card. This is straight from sapphire tech support , so I'm wondering what the "ethical" overclockers think of it?

[filip04]

hey, its their card, and their policy

if that's what they think then why disagree with it?

[dippy_skoodlez]

Originally posted by filip04
hey, its their card, and their policy

if that's what they think then why disagree with it?

Exactly what i was gonna say =)

[drewthomas14]

im not disagreeing . i think it's great ,but you would think that the manufacturer would frown upon that kinda stuff.

[filip04]

Originally posted by drewthomas14
im not disagreeing . i think it's great ,but you would think that the manufacturer would frown upon that kinda stuff.

obviously not

[Silversinksam]

Originally posted by drewthomas14
There was two more emails before this . In the first one i asked them to send me a fan because mine is messed up ,and they said they dont send them to end-users. They recommended I either rma or replace the fan with a 3rd party fan.

Then i asked them if it voided the warranty if you change the fan and this is there response:

*Sapphire Response*
Well replacing the fan is really simple, there are just two pins that punch through the holes on the board so not really any physical change on the board I mean in case if the card is damage just simply place the old fan back and RMA the card.



Tech
* *

I guess changing the fan isnt considered a physical mod according to them, and they even recommended an rma even if i were to physically damage the card. This is straight from sapphire tech support , so I'm wondering what the "ethical" overclockers think of it?

Drew,

Tell you what, I'll mail you a brand new ATI 9800 pro heatsink to use. Ask Saphire (Again) if you can mail them your defective 9800 heasink and fan only, Tell them you don't have a replacement video card to use and you can't afford to lose the week or so 'Use' of your pc due to not having a video card regarding them sending you a 'messed up' fan.

If they say no again, send me the contact information and I'll see what I can do to change their position. If they won't agree I will go to ATI corporate and speak to them on your behalf. Having to RMA the card itself over a stinking fan that costs probably less than a Quarter is ridiculous. The 9800 Pro heatsink's fab has three tiny screws that can be unscrewed from the heatsink and the fan replaced very easily without even removing the heatsink from the card itself.

Here's a pic of it removed from the heatsink, note the 3 tiny screws (like I said though, you dont need to remove the heatsink from the card to replace the Adda fan)

[stan03]

wow thats awsome.... i might just have to get a new cooler now.

hey on a side note, what was your problem? my fan makes wierd noises when my computer starts up, but they go away.

[archilochus]

The fan is probably out of balance at a certain rpm.Once it gets up to speed it could go away.( the noise ).My PSU fan did that a couple of times.It hasn't reoccured lately. THE FANMAN
PS: STAN03:Thanks for your suggestion on my OC ISSUE.

[stan03]

no problem just PM me again if you need help.

how can i fix my fan? or should i just get a new heatsink?

[Silversinksam]

Originally posted by stan03
wow thats awsome.... i might just have to get a new cooler now.

hey on a side note, what was your problem? my fan makes wierd noises when my computer starts up, but they go away.

You know I will dig through my old hardware as I just thought of something, I believe that this ADDA fan used on the 9800's is the same fan from RAGE thru Radeon series, if so I have at least a half dozen of these fans somewhere. If I find these ADDA fans in one of my Junk boxes of Antiques, I will send the people with fan issues free fans.

I think that most people have problems with broken blades with these little fans as if you stick your finger in them when they are on they tend to break easy

But Anyway I will see if I can help at least a few of you fellas.

[Robrules18]

lol my graphics card is broken and i cant watch videos or play games and can barely use windows after a few minutes the tech guy at ABS said he could send me a new one and i could send the old one once i got it and they would take the deposit off my credit card when they got the old one back. Ask if that is an acceptable solution, they send you the fan then u send them the old one...

[vudoodoodoo]

That's awsome. LOL!

[Silversinksam]

Originally posted by Robrules18
lol my graphics card is broken and i cant watch videos or play games and can barely use windows after a few minutes the tech guy at ABS said he could send me a new one and i could send the old one once i got it and they would take the deposit off my credit card when they got the old one back. Ask if that is an acceptable solution, they send you the fan then u send them the old one...

That's the way it should be implemented and ABS should be commended for going above and beyond the call of duty, even though they place a deposit on your C.C.

[UnseenMenace]

Originally posted by drewthomas14
I guess changing the fan isnt considered a physical mod according to them, and they even recommended an rma even if i were to physically damage the card. This is straight from sapphire tech support , so I'm wondering what the "ethical" overclockers think of it?

I do not know anyone who would remove a fan with the purpose of fitting a lower quality fan and I expect that this is what sapphire are thinking... I would be interested to know if they would have the same answer if the questions asked regarding the fan included statements about running the GPU core faster than they intended.

I can not see any ethical overclocker having a issue with a company replacing non-working parts in any manner after all its the right thing to do.. We all have responsibilitys, if high voltage had been run through the fan then the right thing to do would be cut your losses as it was not the products fault.

Simply put not enough companys are doing the right thing and not enough users are... Im glad to hear Sapphire are and they should be applauded for this

[james.miller]

agreed.

Being an "ethical overclocker" doesnt literally mean " you broke it, you pay for it". It simply means following the rules that the manufacturer has set. If sapphire are happy with the fan being replaced and wont then void the warrenty - more power to them

[chasingapple]

Originally posted by Silversinksam


Drew,

Tell you what, I'll mail you a brand new ATI 9800 pro heatsink to use. Ask Saphire (Again) if you can mail them your defective 9800 heasink and fan only, Tell them you don't have a replacement video card to use and you can't afford to lose the week or so 'Use' of your pc due to not having a video card regarding them sending you a 'messed up' fan.

If they say no again, send me the contact information and I'll see what I can do to change their position. If they won't agree I will go to ATI corporate and speak to them on your behalf. Having to RMA the card itself over a stinking fan that costs probably less than a Quarter is ridiculous. The 9800 Pro heatsink's fab has three tiny screws that can be unscrewed from the heatsink and the fan replaced very easily without even removing the heatsink from the card itself.

Here's a pic of it removed from the heatsink, note the 3 tiny screws (like I said though, you dont need to remove the heatsink from the card to replace the Adda fan)

CHEERS to a nice guy and a extremely cool thing to do!