Being overclocked from XP1600+ to XP2000+ brings obvious challenges on temps and noise. I had been running case side off/no case fans during a hot summer. So here's the sequence I started with the advent of really cool Fall temps.
-Put case side back on, and wonderful quietness, BUT (as expected) the temps started to rise. Experimented with a variety of older case fans, but too loud, and took out. Temps finally rose to: CPU 50C and case 26C. Problem: rig froze up, and on reboot reverted to default 1600+. As these temps weren't that high, problem might have been other components reacting to heat.
Solution: Installed 2 new Enermax, 2 ball bearing (vs sleeve) manually adjustable (1000-3000RPM) 80x80 case fans ($7 at Newegg). They come with 3&4 pin voltage plugs and RPM adjuster on 14" cord (use small phillips to adjust). Also have grill guards.
Installation: Using metal snips, cut out fan bezels (promote air flow and reduce noise) from rear and lower front of case. Used one bezel as a template, and drilled neat rows of holes in lower front of plastic case. Mounted front intake and rear exhaust Enermaxes on soft rubber washers (taken from roofing nails). Ran speed adjustment cables out the rear of case and out the now empty USB port door on lower front.
Warning: When I tried plugging one of the fans into Fan1 on the MB, PC Alert III software monitor went totally nuts! Use the 12v adaptor directly to the power supply.
Results: Quick recap - Going from CPU fan only/case side on TO same + 2 Enermax fans. CPU temp has dropped 9C and case 10C. Now back cruising at XP2000+ with about 10C to spare (with my gear).
These fans are Really quiet. If you spin them up to max you'll get a pronounced whine. I run them at about 1/2, and really can't hear them over my moderate CPU cooler and PS.
Hope my adventures are helpful in some respect.
Last edited by xroyal; October 3rd, 2002 at 01:53 PM.
Yep for optimal air cooling you really have to have an intake fan in the face of the case, an exhaust fan under the power supply and then a fan on the side of case blowing on the CPU. With my SK6 w/Thermaltake Smart Fan II (75cfm) my Athlon XP never gets any hotter than 46c and that's at 1.86GHz full load. Ambient room temp is 67f so that helps quite a bit too. It should stay cooler with the side of the case on which let's you know you've done it right.
Maybe my ears are too sensitive, and quiet as these Enermax fans are, I just couldn't get used to an intake fan in the front of the case. Case temps went up a few degrees after I disconnected, but only at 20C this AM.
May install in case side opposite CPU. No top blowholes for me given this temp.
Rig is really quiet, but now focusing on my excellent Sparkle PS's noise. Anyone here have luck changing a PS fan?
Quiet is one heck of a quest!
Last edited by xroyal; October 5th, 2002 at 09:35 AM.
I have replaced a number of PS fans (since I know a number of people who have EMachines, the fans in those computer PS's make this terrible grinding noise when they start to go...).
Its a very straightforward and simple thing. No problem. Just screws holding them together, the fan in the EMachines PS's even has a plug on it so the fan I bought just plugged in.
Now, you might want to take a look before you order a fan, because the screw hole placements and fan depth and whatnot make a big difference, you can't really squeeze in a different size. The EMachines used 12V fans, maybe 120V fans are quieter? That'd be a more serious mod tho...
Things to be careful of include capacitors! Of course, if you unplug the computer from the wall and then turn it on, you should end up draining the PS of juice. Still, it doesn' t hurt to be careful.
Just don't cut anything you don't know what it is and you should be fine. If you manage to blow your finger off, remember that I told you not to do it ;p.
It is basically just like replacing a fan on a heatsink.
I believe that I ordered the fans from Allied Electric, a distributor that I do buisness with for work. They have a tremendous selection. I am not sure what ordering like as in private individual is like, but I think that they are top notch.
What I did was measure the existing fan, check the voltage and RPM and try to estimate the CFM just by making a good guess. Then, I looked over the lists of fans and found ones that fit.
If you have the fan specs, I can look through the Allied cat and post part numbers that would work. I believe that Allied has a website where you can order and even browse through their catalog. I've never used it tho, you might have to search a bit.
Garrett
I wouldn't bother changing the fan in the PSU. I would just drop the voltage to either 7v or 5v. However, if you drop it to 5v, make sure your PSU has quite a bit of headroom (i.e. its not a 300w fully loaded out).
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Thanks DC. That Sparkle power supply is so small (dimensions), have temporarily turned my attention to mounting an 80x80 on CPU. Will keep your comments in mind.
Now have 80x80 Enermax adjustables on HS/CPU and exhaust. Details on HS/CPU installation in my "adaptor" thread on this page. I can't believe the quiet.
It's so quiet, my Sparkle power supply (tho not noted for same) is earning new marks for quiet too. That may be my next victim. Could near "silent" be on its way?
Guys, you've got to try "quiet". It's fun, and pays handsome dividends!
Update: Better Temps & Lower Noise!
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