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Today only. Newegg has the MSI R6450-MD1GD3/LP Radeon HD 6450 1GB 64-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Ready Video Card for $35 - $15 rebate [Exp 3/19] = $20 with free shipping. Features 625MHz core clock and HDMI, D-SUB and DVI outputs. MSI 6' HDMI Cable included with purchase.
While no not a original DDR5 spec'd card, DDR3 isn't the bane here. It's that Effective clock at only 1333Mhz vs. a reference of 1600Mhz (10.6 Vs 12.8 GB/s is 20%) but even that is hard to find today. While Eggview aren't special at this level there's a lot of newbie and rebate complainers, or those who bought a ho-hum card so just say it works and don't see it as a 5* purchase. I'd rather it not have the fan but in most SFF chassis a little air movement is handy.
$5 higher than the last several months. Check Ben's Bargain's History for this item...
I had fans go bad on two msi cards at around 1 year mark -- developed rattling noise. The warranty terms require you to pay $50 for shipping, not counting the cost shipping to msi. Their fans must be grossly under engineered. No more msi video cards for me even if no fan is used -- the warranty terms suck.
Consider they aren't giving the HDMI cable free... Well never dealt with MSI, but that would suck. I've heard other like Asus send a replacement fan gratis. Although you could've just gone with a Evercool universal VGA fan 45x10mm $5-6 and be done with it. Or a low dBA 40x10mm standard fan and switch the connection. I normally pop the H-S off drill two holes in it and cable tie it in place, some good thermal paste even better than new. I've actual done it to a new card only after running it for few minutes. Didn't like noise, so pulled it and change it.
A warranty on such a card is meaningless, while yes I screwed myself out of Egg's 30 day return. I need the machine done, and by the time you pay $6-7 to return it... I basically was like, why?
Thanks for the tip about Evercool universal VGA fan 45x10mm $5-6.
You can also put a drop of lube in every 6-12 months... try to remember to do it before it starts chewing up the bearing and making noise if you can.
I use something that's a homebrew mix of synthetic motor oil and grease, with the higher viscosity tending to stay in the bearing longer.
Tried lube/oiling trick -- 30 wt oil? -- with a power supply fan when it started making noise. Lasted at most 6 mos as I recall. Opted to just got a new power supply rather than going through the trouble every 6 mos or so. Next time try to remember to use grease and oil mix.
^ I usually just replace a PSU fan with a dual ball bearing model IF it's the bottom intake type, because it's too much trouble to tear the whole PSU out, take case cover and fan grill off, just to get at the bearing every time.
Last batch of lube I made was a mix of 5w20 with Mobile 1 chassis/suspension/bearing grease. I use a ratio resulting in it being just thick enough that the drop point is above room temperature. Better to lube early before the fan starts rattling around.
Your comment on the PSU fan reminded the trouble I had in taking it off and then on in tight cage box. Don't think I'll go through again. As for the videocard I will simply stick with the good brands like ATI or XFX. Thanks for the 5w20 Mobile 1 and grease mix tip, though.
Putting oil in a sealed bearing is ridiculous. You are accomplishing nothing. The small fans also give you no access to even get to the bearing.
Hey, if you don't want to do it, don't, but it works for me.
You base this on what card models in particular? Yes there are a "few" fans on the market that have a sealed bearing meaning they still used a sleeve bearing but saved 1 cent by not having a reservoir that is exposed by pulling a rubber plug off, but they are not common.
The last one I saw with a sealed bearing wasn't even a video card fan, it was a 120mm Coolermaster case fan. Regardless, if push comes to shove you and want to lube a sealed sleeve bearing fan, you can just use a hot nail to melt a hole in the plastic where the bearing plug should have been. You could drill it out instead but that would leave debris in the bearingway. Most often there is an opening, and no rubber plug, just a sticker over it.
These cards don't have a sealed ball bearings if that's what you meant, "usually" only a sticker you remove to add a drop or two of lube.
That does help, I'm buying the same cards everyone else does and their fans last much longer if lubed on a schedule, especially lubed before they start rattling from having chewed up the bearing.
I don't know what to make of bbsam's account of having to pay $50 shipping though, last MSI card I sent in, all I had to do was pay the ~ $10 or so shipping cost to them, no fee of any kind nor any return shipping cost to me. Granted, it was early last year when I last sent a card to MSI, have they changed their policy since then?
Either way I wouldn't spend postage for a fan issue. If all else fails, pull the heatsink off, drill some holes to allow mounting studs or wire ties to be added, then strap a better fan on. Of course this voids the warranty but it's not so much of a factor to consider on a ~ $20 card.