The other day i was playing at SW:KOTOR when at a certain point the screen freezed, and then i smelt the "aroma" of melting plastic... i immediately unplugged the PC.
In the postmortem operation i discovered that, for some weird reason, not the card but the FAN of the card had melt!
I unscrewed the fan and left only the dissipater i then tryed to use the card and it worked.
Of course without the fan after more or less an hour of windows (i didn't even try games) i have to shutdown to make the card cool down.
I cannot buy a new fan because it seems that the one i had was quite small and i don't think a standard one would fit; do you now some cheap ways to cool the card without using a fan?(bold for those who don't want to read the whole post )

Actually it isn't that much of a problem because on Monday (i hope... this thing is like an odyssey) i should receive the 6600GT, but it still sucks because i had planned to change my brother's GeForce4 MX with the 5600

There are alternative cooling solutions out there.
For a fanless cooler, there is something called the "Zalman VGA Heatpipe" (google it) which is very effective.

I burnt my AIW Radeon 9800 with it
Really though, it is effective, but it's not good for installation on a Radeon 9500/9700/9800 or any video adapter which has a shim around the core, because it wont make direct contact. The FX5600 does not have this shim so you wouldn't have a problem
They range in price from $30 - $45.

There are other coolers as well. The IcerberQ is a very nice copper cooler which should be compatible with your card.

If all else fails and you're out of cash: Glue and pennies. Lots of pennies.

Hey, for 45$ i can get a whole used 5600!

When i meant cheap i meant solutions like the one with pennies!
...BTW do you think that really work? because i will probably try it i someone else wont come with a different idea

Sure would, but you would need a metal plate to glue them onto. Pennies alone wont cover the gpu core, so it wouldn't be very effective.

Create or find a metal plate (copper or aluminum preferably, and at the very least 3mm thick) and get it as smooth as possible on both sides with fine sand paper. Attach it to your GPU with thermal epoxy, or super glue from the dollar store if you're out of cabbage. Then just epoxy (or glue) the pennies onto the plate. Best to put them in a pattern such as so:

Make sure the pennies are as clean as you can get them. It would be best to grind them down, but if you don't have the tools available then just use an SOS pad or something to get them nice and shiney

It'll work if you do it right.

I still have the dissipator attached to the GPU so the most delicate part is safe.
Which type of coins should i use? I can choose between:

• 2.00E NICKEL and COPPER (costy! every coin is more or less 2.5$!!)

• 1.00E NICKEL and BRASS

• 0.50E NORDIC GOLD

• 0.20E as 0.50E

• 0.10E as 0.50E

• 0.01E STEEL with COPPER on it (very cheap!)

• 0.02E as 0.01

• 0.05E as 0.01

• 50£ and 100£ STAINLESS STEEL (rare, we don't use Liras anymore but i may have a few

Also i was thinking to use as a glue (and to fill gaps) the thermal coumpund paste i use for CPUs... what do you think?

The thermal compound used for CPU's probably wont stick as well, so you'll either want to use super glue or thermal epoxy.. thermal epoxy is, of course, preferred.. but it's not really cheap. Perhaps a combination of superglue and thermal compound would be a good idea...

As for which coin.. the $0.01E might be the best choice, otherwise it'll be more expensive than buying a new hsf
Just make sure that you get them together as flush as they can be. That's where glue creates a problem, because it wont transfer heat very well from the base to the coins.

Here's what I would use:
http://www.unb.ca/isao/ishandbook_files/1proof.gif
Which is primarily copper.

http://www.eurodefi.co.at/Web/KiDB/Euroumstellung/Euromünzenbanknoten/C1v.jpgThis is what i'll use then... i hope it works

Now i just need to find a decent glue...

[edit]It seems diamonds and gold are the best materials for heat pumps... i'll go visit a jewelry

[edit2]Did it! Now, if someone bumps i'll be able to give credit and show some pics of the esperiment.

These ones! Or just give them to me I'll buy you a new card and keep the change

It seems to work... thanks Derezo!
Now i'll test it with an extensive session at KOTOR, if it doesn't survive, tough luck!

Anyway here are a few pics: 1,2 and 3.

BTW Thomas, if you want i can send you, not 50£ or 100£, but 2000£ Liras and you send me a 6800

[edit]I forgot to give credits... bumpety bump

Hahaha that is the funniest thing I've ever seen... nice use of those pennies too

Since £ is the GB pound sign, you send me 2000£ and I'll send you a 6800 and pick one or two up for myself with enough money left over to take a plane there just to see the look on your face

I think it would be £2000, not 2000£ if we were talking about Brittish Pounds.

Its still the GB Pound sign

It's also the Italian Lira ( 1976£ = 1 Euro = 1.3$ US dollars) sign, don't forget it!

After more or less an hour of KOTOR the VGA seemed to live (i had downclocked it a little) so, VICTORY!

BTW this will probably be my last post before Christmas so... Merry Christmas to you all!

(i remembered to give credits this time )

The funiest thing I've ever seen in computer. As I looked at the screenshot I thought that it shouldn't work. Jesus I'll try it too on my RIVA TNT2