It's okay, just don't make too much noise about it!

I just wanna say, we don't care

sorry I got excited #13

I'd make him pay even if he wasn't an adult.

This FML is just weird to me, because in all the video cards I've seen (I've built some gaming PCs), it would take a good bit of knowledge and familiarity with the hardware to successfully unplug the fan itself. So it would appear that the little brother is at least somewhat educated on computers. It's not like it's something that's just out there and easy to unplug, you'd have to know what you were doing unless you were extremely lucky. Anyway, it sounds like the brother knew a decent amount about computers, so why unplug the fan when he should know how bad that is? Unless he just wanted to play some games and ruin OP's high end GPU in the process, which is horrible. I'd like to know more about the situation, but either way, OP is out $750, so FYL.

Sorry #59 I have to disagree. People can recognize a graphics card without too much prior knowledge. As for unplugging of the fan its a simple wire that goes from the fan to the card, It really would not be that hard. He is on a PC, he could of used Google if he did not know.

@60 True, I can see where you're coming from. I was just picturing a graphics card with nice full face and back plates that might make it hard to access or even see the wires. Also, even if people have a bit of prior knowledge like you said, I find that they tend to be very intimidated about digging into a computer's guts to modify something simple. Some people are more gung ho though, or they just don't care if they mess something up, which was probably the case with the little brother. Anyway, I would just think it's common sense to people that a fan is probably present on a piece of hardware for a reason, and disabling it could have serious consequences... so it makes me wonder what the little brother was thinking.

if he is old enough to disconnect it he is old enough to know better. I would insist he pay for it. I would collect every cent of allowance and what not until he does.

I agree with 59. Thermal shutdown should have saved his graphics card. Also, a $750 graphics card would most likely not have the fan cable showing.

If he knows how to disassemble a computer, take out the fan, and put it back together and have it still work for the most part it seems as though he is already educated about computers

You don't have to disassemble a computer just to unplug a fan..... It's a pretty simple thing to do. My guess is the brother probably thought the fan wasn't important. Just one of those overkill/just in case fans a lot of gamers put on their computers. I've seen some people have ridiculous amounts of fans but that doesn't excuse what he did. You never know and he should not have assumed it wasn't an important piece of equipment and to unplug it for such a ridiculous reason just adds insult to injury.

That pun made a sheep, drum, and snake fall over a cliff: baa dum tss.

badumtss

Technically, cards should automatically lower their clock speed to help prevent this.

Normally they would shut off if they reach a certain temperature. Some won't even turn on if the fan isn't plugged in.

I don't think a family computer would have a $750 gaming GPU.

Little brothers. They don't care, what's yours is theirs.

#9, I don't think letting his graphics card cool down will help at this point, especially if OP's brother was playing very graphic intensive games with the fans on the card off.

'tis but 2 screws. Are you trying to make a joke or are you actually this dense? Just curious.

It was definitely just a joke. I said OP needs to cool down, not his card. Just a joke guys. A fan would cool him down. His fan was off. It was supposed to be funny.

And it was.

How did no one get this?