Noisy Cpu Fan

[Holl]

Hi,

I have a 4 year old pc a (433mhz intel celeron) which has developed a
annoying fault the cpu fan has become more noisy than usual it was never
that quiet to begin with as its a cheap entry level pc any way on start up
sounds like the fan is going in to overdrive then after a while it will
settle down to normal noise levels but then completely at random the fan
will speed up then slow down speed up slow down ect..... this go on 4 a
while sometimes ten mins or an hour then the fan will drop back to normal
noise levels for a while then after a bit the cycle will continue.

any ideas just a fan that wearing out ? or something that's more involved im
not a tech so if it a serious fault will have to get someone in but I don't
want to spend loads of cash on a pc that's fast becoming obsolete.

any replies appreciated.

Thx,

Holl.






Remove NOSPAM to rely

 

[no spam for me]

dried out bearings?? see if there is a foil seal over the motor housing or
an oil hole in it and drop a bit of light weight lube into the bugger. If
you can get the entire unit out of the PC, open it up and spray in some WD40
until the gunk drips out then let it dry out before putting it back in.

K

 

[Jerry G.]

Over the years, I have had to change a fan from time to time. The are not
expensive. Most of the time, I had to resplice the wires to the connector.
If it is the CPU fan, these are very standard for their fit and connector.
Rather than take the chance of total failure, and loosing the computer, I
change a fan at the first sign that it will fail. The most common failure
are the bearings. Once they start to make noise, they will eventually
seize, and then the big problems will start.

As for a power supply fan, the mechanical fit and voltages are standard. To
change the fan, you must first check the voltage specs, and size. Once
these are matched, you get a fan that matches. The only thing I've had to do
with these is splice in the original connector. In any case with these DC
fans, the polarity is critical. If you cross the polarity, you can damage
the fan.

As for lubricating them, it is possible using some light machine oil,
providing you have access to the front and rear bearings. I would rather
change the fan than take the chance of lubricating it to avoid a noise that
is really due to possibly warn bearings. It is not worth to risk loosing a
computer over being chinsy to replace a low cost fan.

--

Greetings,

Jerry Greenberg GLG Technologies GLG
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Hi,

I have a 4 year old pc a (433mhz intel celeron) which has developed a
annoying fault the cpu fan has become more noisy than usual it was never
that quiet to begin with as its a cheap entry level pc any way on start up
sounds like the fan is going in to overdrive then after a while it will
settle down to normal noise levels but then completely at random the fan
will speed up then slow down speed up slow down ect..... this go on 4 a
while sometimes ten mins or an hour then the fan will drop back to normal
noise levels for a while then after a bit the cycle will continue.

any ideas just a fan that wearing out ? or something that's more involved im
not a tech so if it a serious fault will have to get someone in but I don't
want to spend loads of cash on a pc that's fast becoming obsolete.

any replies appreciated.

Thx,

Holl.






Remove NOSPAM to rely

 

[Wayne Tiffany]

I have found that WD40 is only a temp fix to help wash out the goop. For a
longer fix, a light oil must be used.

WT

 

[Sam Goldwasser]

dried out bearings?? see if there is a foil seal over the motor housing or
an oil hole in it and drop a bit of light weight lube into the bugger. If
you can get the entire unit out of the PC, open it up and spray in some WD40
until the gunk drips out then let it dry out before putting it back in.

If you use WD40, you'll probably be doing the same repair very soon. WD40
is NOT a long term lubricant!!!!

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[Thomas Abell]

I have had success using molylube. It quiets them down nicely and lasts.

 

[Swells8044]

I would replace the fan.Heck you can buy a new heatsink fan combo for under
$20.00 anywhere.
Steve

 

[Holl]

I would replace the fan.Heck you can buy a new heatsink fan combo for under
$20.00 anywhere.
Steve

Thanks to all who replied I tried the light oil fix and now all is back to
normal will see how it goes didn't realise fans were so cheap have seen
some online for as little as £4.00 today

Holl.

 

[CJT]

Thanks to all who replied I tried the light oil fix and now all is back to
normal will see how it goes didn't realise fans were so cheap have seen
some online for as little as £4.00 today

Holl.

All fans are not created equal. You should replace with one that moves
at least as much air as the original.

 

[Henry Mydlarz]

Over the years I have found that the fans used on processors are almost
invariably cheap rubbish. Almost every fan I've ever had got noisy and often
stopped or slowed down, overheating the processor. The problems result from
the fact that few fans have proper bearings - such as ball bearings, and use
bushings which tend to dry out and seize. Lubricating them often causes a
buildup of goo in the bushing, causing it to seize again.. As you have
found, these fans are cheap and easy to replace (with a lot of care). I
would look out for a higher quality fan, such as one with ball bearings
instead of a bushing, although in some cases I've had doubts whether fans
advertised as having ball bearings actually do have them.

For the Pentium 4 processors there are upmarket fan/heat sink combinations
which - for a price - run quiet, are more reliable and are selectable multi
speed.

 

[Henry Mydlarz]

And, VERY IMPORTANT - if the noise suddenly STOPS, check the fan that it's
running. It may have seized completely and will cook your processor in a
very short time.

 

[Clifton T. Sharp Jr.]

I have a 4 year old pc a (433mhz intel celeron) which has developed a
annoying fault the cpu fan has become more noisy than usual

REPLACE IT. My CPU fan started making noise one night a few weeks ago.
I opened the case to see it moving erratically and stopping once in a
while.

You can spend $8 for a fan now, or $80 for a new processor soon.

 

[Sunny]

As for lubricating them, it is possible using some light machine oil,
providing you have access to the front and rear bearings. I would rather
change the fan than take the chance of lubricating it to avoid a noise that
is really due to possibly warn bearings. It is not worth to risk loosing a
computer over being chinsy to replace a low cost fan.

I would agree, except my experience has been that a cleaned and
lubricated original fan tends to last considerably longer than a new
replacement fan.

Computer processors rarely fail as a result of fan failure - the
heatsink alone typically provides sufficient heat transfer to avoid
permanent processor damage. Frequent system crashes are the more usual
symptom.

I'm a firm believer in preventative maintenance. I clean out the dust
and check that all fans are spinning freely at least annually. Using
fans with RPM sensors combined with software which warns you if a fan
has slowed or stopped is also highly recommended.

 

[[email protected]]

I would replace the fan.Heck you can buy a new heatsink fan combo for under
$20.00 anywhere.
Steve

About the same cost as a used 433 Celeron, right?

-Chris

 

[[email protected]]

If you use WD40, you'll probably be doing the same repair very soon. WD40
is NOT a long term lubricant!!!!

WD40 is nothing but kerosene and it evaporates.
Use silicone spray. Comes in cans just like WD40 and it lasts much
longer. Great for door hinges and tons of other things. If your car
doors freeze shut in winter, spray some of this on the door gasket,
and no more frozen doors. It costs a buck or two more than WD40, but
is well worth the price.

 

[[email protected]]

I forgot to mention.

CLEAN the CPU fan. There might be some dust bunnies stuck in there.
If you got an air compressor, use that. if not, use the vaccuum
CAREFULLY.

 

[[email protected]]

instead of a bushing, although in some cases I've had doubts whether fans
advertised as having ball bearings actually do have them.

You mean they lie about their balls? <lol>

 

[[email protected]]

WD40 is nothing but kerosene and it evaporates.

Kerosene and animal fats to be specific.

 

[Henry Mydlarz]

I agree. I've seen fans where a buildup of dust deposit on the blades throws
them out of balance, making the fan noisy and rapidly wearing out the
bearing.

 

[Lionel Wagner]

Use silicone spray. Comes in cans just like WD40 and it lasts much
longer. Great for door hinges and tons of other things. If your car
doors freeze shut in winter, spray some of this on the door gasket,
and no more frozen doors. It costs a buck or two more than WD40, but
is well worth the price.

Silicone oil is OK, but you might run into compatibility problems
with the residual mineral oil left in the bearings. I prefer to
use 5W30 synthetic motor oil. Its detergent additives dissolve
the old dried out oil, and an excellent oil is left behind.