CM 212 Evo Fan replacement

[Essence_of_War]

This seems like a dumb question, but can the CM 212 Evo have the fan replaced with any standard 120mm fan? I think it uses a clip to hold the fan to the HS, and I figured that was a standard clip, but I wasn't 100% sure.

I was considering replacing it (the fan, not the heat sink) with a NF-F12.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

This seems like a dumb question, but can the CM 212 Evo have the fan replaced with any standard 120mm fan? I think it uses a clip to hold the fan to the HS, and I figured that was a standard clip, but I wasn't 100% sure.

I was considering replacing it (the fan, not the heat sink) with a NF-F12.

I can appreciate how some folks would have misgivings about things like this.

Back in 2007 with the ThermalRight Ultra Extreme 120 cooler, I don't even remember getting a fan in the kit. It came with the clips. But we just cherry-picked our own fans.

One of the mistakes I made with my Noctua NH-D14 when I bought it in mid-2011: I should have dumped the high-quality but limp Noctua fans im-MED-iately! I was just lazy. On this forum you'll find a recent thread as an "Advisory" to D14 users.

You can -- or should be able to -- replace just about any fan that is bundled with these heatpipe cooler kits. I'm sure there's "always an exception" -- but not very likely.

If you don't want to use the original clips or whatever the cooler came with, you can use small nylon wire "zip" ties wrapped around a couple of heatpipes and tied just tight enough to secure the fan without damaging the pipes and assembly.

[Somehow I think the membership here has changed a bit. The "old hands" from 2004/2005 were avid "modders." Now, you buy a pre-designed computer case, buy your cooling solutions and other paraphernalia and put it together. But the moral of the story: Always try to "think outside the box."]

 

[Essence_of_War]

Nice, good to know.

[Somehow I think the membership here has changed a bit. The "old hands" from 2004/2005 were avid "modders." Now, you buy a pre-designed computer case, buy your cooling solutions and other paraphernalia and put it together. But the moral of the story: Always try to "think outside the box."]

I mean, I'm certainly new to the hobby, and while I'm not opposed to modding a priori, I'd rather go in knowing "easy out of the box swap" or "afternoon's diversion of DIY work"

 

[Charlie98]

The 212's clips screw into the standard mount holes, so, yes, in theory you should be able to use any square 120mm fan.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

The 212's clips screw into the standard mount holes, so, yes, in theory you should be able to use any square 120mm fan.

This only happened occasionally, but it's not a real problem. While the holes on all the 120x25mm (or x38mm) fans are standard, I had found "nothing special" fans which had a molded obstruction in the fan frame, making it difficult to install wire-spring clips or whatever. It wasn't structurally important to the fan frame or shroud, so a Dremel could make it "go away." I think that was an old Sunon fan I had. OP is not likely to encounter such a problem.

Also, OP, I appreciate what you're sayin' there. I've made many queries on these forums about minor matters I could probably answer myself, but I like to "plan" stuff . . .