That hasn't got much resale value? So, after upgrading a few bits and pieces I've got an RX480 4gb Nitro+ (With a fan issue, so resale is pointless as, for my peace of mind, I'd need to sell it with enough gap to get another cooler) and a B350 motherboard. I'm sat here pondering what could be done with it. I do have a spare case, but I don't have a spare PSU or CPU. The reality is that I don't have any real need for another desktop, so buying parts to build one just seems like a waste of cash to me, and running two desktops appeals about as much as french kissing everyone in an Italian ICU. Are there GPU dependant HTPC builds that're better (Appreciably better than, say, an application built into a TV or what have you) for streaming media from a NAS with the same kind of boot times and TV-style remote access? Is there anything useful that can be done around the home with this kind of old kit?
RX480's probably a bit OTT for any HTPC/NAS duties, but if someone games on TV too, then it could be helpful. B350 board is still quite modern and form factor and features dependent could make a good base for HTPC - better than a built in and operated from the TV remote control solution, maybe, maybe not. You could always keep an eye on the wanted section in the marketplace, if someone posts a thread in there after a GPU or Ryzen motherboard, you can be fairly sure it'll go and get used not just end up wasting space in someones spares bin. Somebody will pipe up now with some awesome project you could start.
Yeah, the 480 is definitely OTT, but it's lying around doing diddly now. Tbfh, I doubt a HTPC is in my future with a dedicated GPU. I thought about one of the Ryzen chips with an onboard GPU, and some super slimline/low profile case that I can sneak out of the way. More pondering needed as to whether I can be bothered.. Problem I have with selling is that I'm in Germany - The second hand market here is crap to start with, add into that that my German isn't where I want it to be to sell electronics, and the fact that the fans are on the wrong side of 'starting to grind' it just doesn't appeal as an option. The other option would be to sell here, yeah, but then either I or the buyer are eating ~£10 in postage uninsured. Which is too much for a card that's old hat, IMO. I did F@H once, but I after living with stuff running F@H in a warm room, it appeals to me as much as old McDonalds. Which is to say, not at all. I thought about adding it to a homelab, but since I want to go Intel (Because I can get older Intel based USFF stuff quite cheaply) I'd lose a lot of the live migration stuff which would make it pointless.
What's the fan issue? Sapphire use to allow you to request a new fan if one broke. I did it once on my old one and was a painless process. EDIT: https://support.sapphiretech.com/ticket-choose.asp?PDtype=VGAC&lang=eng You might be able to request a replacement fan from here for free.
Remove the fans from the 480 and find the exact part numbers. Then do some searching on Alibaba for new replacements. I got new fans for my 1070 (the ones that stop at idle) for £11 delivered that way, only took about 8 days to arrive (pre corona). Once you have a decent rig built (assuming you don't want to keep it as a spare or sell it, then donate it to a family or friends teenager as a reasonable gaming rig.
Sadly superheating my room even further doesn't appeal ;P That.. Is quite interesting. I've sent a ticket. Thanks for that! I'd not even thought about that. Buying from Aliexpress, that is. Although I don't have a family member/friend who needs/wants a PC - Either they have one already, or are the ipodpadtablet generation!
I recently got an exact replacement fan for my GTX 1080 - Chinese seller on the bay and an exact Zotac replacement (Zotac actually told me to check ebay or Aliexpress...) Mine only had an occasional wobble noise, nothing major, but not much work to change at all. Worth doing on the 480.
I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll buy new and see what takes my fancy after the fact. Sapphire actually responded to my ticket with a link to an eBay auction, and after @Fingers66 suggestion, I found the fans on Aliexpress. Also helps that, I learned today, they're super easy to swap. I was envisioning the entire shroud needing to be changed.. I learned that today! And this is one of those, so I've bookmarked some to buy when I trust things to not disappear in the post again.
I mean, at this point it is quite a few years old. I bought it almost exactly three years ago, and it was out almost a year before that. Can't expect them to have spares kicking around for something that old. These were one screw a piece which was refreshingly easy.
I think it's an underrated feature of Sapphire cards of late. The did have options to buy LED fans for the 480/580 as well, and you could get red shrouds and backplates.
It's one of those things that's so annoyingly smart I'm mad that I never knew it was a thing before, mad that it wasn't a thing sooner, and going to be looking for it on future cards, only to be disappointed if they don't have it.
pfsense router, plex server, home server? Pick up a cheap psu and cpu and go nuts. I did that will the old xeon gear I aquired, slapped unraid on it and now have a better server at home than work! helped me learn abit as well.
If you have an old digital TV box around, you could turn it into a low profile box to stream games to the TV (assuming there is a non-Nvidia solution to do that to your card).
