e-GeForce FX 5200 PCI Video Card Not Working

[corndale]

My e-GeForce FX 5200 128mb PCI DVI video card suddenly stopped working.  Over the past few months I noticed that the fan on the video card was spinning eratically.  Now it does not spin at all.  I can buy an aftermarket video card fan for aprox $10 or a FX-6200 256mb PCI DVI card for aprox $60.  Will the aftermarket video card fan resolve the problem or is it probable that the video card is toast?  I already switched PCI slots to test the card.  My sound card in another PCI slot works fine.  Currently, I am using an analog CRT monitor connected to the on-board video port.  This is an older motherboard with only PCI slots.

[scuzzy]

If your video card has stopped working properly, then replacing the fan at this point will be too little too late. Your video card is likely toast.

If the problem is only the fan, then replacing it should work fine.

If you have to replace the video card, you might consider a fan-less model.

[Mark H]

I agree with JA. Leave your PC off and wait for it to come to room temperatures. This could be done by leaving it off during the night. When you restart it, the video card will work if it is not fried. It will continue to work until it gets too hot. If it is working cold, proceed to shut down the PC so the card does not get hot and replace the fan. You can look at this as an upgrade path as well, since the extra $50 will get you a more modern video card than your current one.

Mark H