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I have a XFX GT240 video card, and the fan in constantly running at one speed. The EVGA and MSI control software do not work to control the speed.

Is there a way to modify the card to allow it to change speeds? If I were to replace the fan, would I then be able to control the fan speed via the card and software?

I'm on windows 7 ult 64bit

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2 Answers

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There are a couple of freeware programs that comes to mind, namely RivaTuner and SpeedFan.

Bear in mind the implications of setting the fan speed by yourself. Setting the fan speed too low while playing a game or other similar task could shorten your GPU's lifespan.

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The way to be sure is to look at the card itself; if the fan cable is only two wires then doing it in software is nigh-impossible (you'd have to actually regulate the voltage going out). If it's more, it has a control channel so in theory it's possible, but in practice the card might not cooperate or there might just not be software written for it. In short - you'll probably have to deal with it. (Alternatively, you could solder a small resistor into the fan cable...)

EDIT: It's nigh-impossible safely. It can certainly be done on a lot of hardware but I wouldn't feel comfortable treating my hardware that way - it's a good way to potentially damage it.

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indeed there are only two wires, red and black. What's the best way to set out to have a controllable fan? – zm15 Dec 14 '10 at 14:49
The best way is to do your homework before you buy - a lot of cards will in fact handle fan throttling themselves. As happy_soil's good answer points out, RivaTuner and SpeedFan are widely used for cards that don't (I have no experienec with SpeedFan myself though) but as I said your mileage may vary - the best thing is just to check online to see if anybody else has had trouble getting them to work. – Shinrai Dec 14 '10 at 15:17

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