CPU fans and CPU Cooler Fans

[TechInNeed]

Just wondering what CPU fan (larger fan) and CPU Cooler Fan (smaller fan) I should get for my AMD ATHLON workstation.

I heard that Tornado is pretty good?
Anything else?

 

[mutt511]

From my research and personal experience, the thermaltake fans and heatsinks along articsilver compound is the best way to go. everyday you learn something new, the day you dont is the day you die....so make someone live longer teach them something.......MUTT

http://www.phreakgeek.ca

 

[dakota81]

My experience and opinions regarding cpu fans... the noise of them is not worth the cooling power it provides. I had a 7,200rpm fan and they are just the noisiest things ever. I buy ~5,000rpm fans now, and I usually just get a Thermaltake. Artic silver is good, I've got a tube of it too, but again, it's not desparetly important, the pad that comes with the fan almost always is "good enough" to keep your cpu running for several years.

 

[ceh4702]

It helps to have a good exhaust fan in the rear of the case. Heat can build up in the case. If the air inside a computer case is over 90 degrees you will not cool off the CPU that well. This is where the Case Design is important. Both Hard Drives and CDROM/DVD drives create a lot of heat. Memory and Video cards heat up also. When you buy exhaust fans look at the rating for how much air they move. Something like CFM Cubic Feet per Minute. Then there is a noise factor that the fan makes. Also important is the grille on the front and back of the case. Smaller holes make it harder to move the air.

Enermax makes some inexpensive exhaust fans with an adjustable speed setting. I think they were rated at over 3,500 rpm. I turned mine down a little. Fans in the rear probably make less noise. If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[TechInNeed]

Thanks for all the input but I went with a Thermaltake Volcano CPU Heatsink/Fan.
It is nosier than I expected but it is powerful
However the fan that is on the motherboard (CPU Cooler) seized up on me and I put some WD40 on it to get it rotating, but a week later I had to apply some more cuase it was seized again. I will check again later this week.

Any ideas why this is happening?

 

[ceh4702]

The CPU Cooler is usually cheaper than the CPU so try to replace it or the fan on top of it. Sometimes they can be replaced. I have heard of people using a q-tip of dropper to oil fans. If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[BadBigBen]

Hi,

sorry to say this but WD40 evaporates after awhile... especially where heat gets to it... it is usually better to take the fan apart( if at all possible) and to use a stable grease for the lubrication...

the reason I say this, its because it happened to me that way aswell... in the end I just threw out the old fan and bought me a new one... Like CEH4702 says CPU coolers are cheap...

Hope the info helps...

greets Ben...

 

[paparazi]

I think I have understood you TechInNeed, you mean the Northbridge fan is seizing? this is common but WD40 will soon dry out, you need something with a little more staying power like a low viscosity oil.
Best to remove the fan (4 screws) take off the sticker on the reverse side to reveal the small nylon retaining circlip, be careful, these are easily lost.
Remove the circlip with a small modelling knife or similar, pull out impeller, clean shaft and apply lube, rebuild. This should provide a more permanent fix.
If you have purchased a Volcano 9 what ever you do DON'T be tempted to trap the thermal tape sensor between the heatsink base and CPU core (saw this done on a 2.4XP+ last week) guy had to buy another new processor.
Martin Replying helps further our knowledge, without comment leaves us wondering.

 

[TechInNeed]

ceh4702 and BadBigBen

I think I will go and buy me a new one

paparazi
"If you have purchased a Volcano 9 what ever you do DON'T be tempted to trap the thermal tape sensor between the heatsink base and CPU core (saw this done on a 2.4XP+ last week) guy had to buy another new processor."

I'm not sure if I understand this.

 

[cbestengineer]

I know this post is too late, but, I recently had some major issues with CPU cooling. Long story. But what I learned, is that there are some things to keep in mind when selecting a cooling product.

1. If its for a CPU, make sure you buy one that can handle the size of the CPU. It makes a difference if your running a 1.4GHz vs. a 3GHz
2. Athlons run hotter than Celerons, and Celerons run hotter than Intels Pents.
3. Even some of the flashiest CPU fans, although make more noise, cool just as good as the cheap $14.00 Intel fans.
4. Liquid cool will eventually leak
5. very few fans will make a noticable difference in performance to an existingly stable CPU system.

For an AMD try this link:

http://www.taisol.com/thermal.html

Here's a test result with a Volcano, and an AMD

http://www.overclockers.com/articles362/

These guys are usually pretty reliable too

http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/review-66-1.htm

And lastly one of the Volcano 9 on a simulator

http://www.overclockers.com/articles606/index02.asp

Craig Keep Learning!

 

[paparazi]

Yes Sorry!
Volcano 9 has an optional (you don't have to use it) thermal control wiring loom, attached underneath the CPU it sensors the processors temperature and adjusts fan speed according to how hot the CPU is at any given time.
Don't know off hand what the steps in fan peed are against temperature but I think it goes max rpm at 55C? something like that (quite noisey BTW), anyway, as I said, users aren't reading the fitting instructions properly and one guy actually fitted the thermal tape probe between the CPU core and heatsink base, it didn't burn out but damaged it causing endless faults, obviously an expensive mistake given that it was an XP2.4+ Martin
Replying helps further our knowledge, without comment leaves us wondering.

 

[TechInNeed]

cbestengineer
1. I am running a 1.4 GHz processor
2. Athlon
3. I went with the Volcano 7

http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/review-66-1.htm

Very good reviews on the Volcano 7's. The only main problem that I had with the fan was the installation with the clip (like the site states). At the time, I found it impossible to get the clip in place, so I used a screwdriver (in which I was scared to because I did not want the screwdriver to slip and go through the board)
I guess I did the right thing, cause the site even states that the fitted clip was made with a screwdriver handy spot to use for installation.

 

[TechInNeed]

paparazi
I went with the Volcano 7 and am happy with it. But, like I said, I still have to go and get a CPU cooler fan
Oh yeah, Thanks for the heads up on the Volcano 9's. Appreciate it