How do I safely attach this fan to my VRM heatsink?

[TurtleCrusher]

I've got a Biostar TA970 and this small fan. What do I use to affix the fan to the heatsink safely? Glue? A certain type? It's a ASUS 12v .2amp fan.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I've got a Biostar TA970 and this small fan. What do I use to affix the fan to the heatsink safely? Glue? A certain type? It's a ASUS 12v .2amp fan.

Are you talking about the heatsink in the middle of the motherboard? What am I missing?

What are you using for a CPU cooler? Even before you move forward on this, you might consider a 40mm x 20mm SUNON "Mag-Lev" fan.

You can buy a bracket that bolts to a PCI slot without impairing the slot. You should be able to hang the fan over the item to be cooled. Wish I could find those brackets on the web, but they were a fairly common item. At one time, anyway . . .

Yeah . . . here it is:

https://www.google.com/search?q=zalman+br123+overhead+fan+bracket+assembly&sa=X&rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS441US441&biw=1358&bih=649&tbm=isch&imgil=FzGnMoVuonOWHM%253A%253B173CjtzVvR51-M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.quietpc.com%25252Fbr123ff1&source=iu&pf=m&fir=FzGnMoVuonOWHM%253A%252C173CjtzVvR51-M%252C_&usg=__CGnJ_4BXLDVf01_kwqFeSRPKQgo%3D&ved=0CCkQyjc&ei=CmFJVMHVMoqZjAKstYDwAw#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=FzGnMoVuonOWHM%253A%3B173CjtzVvR51-M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.quietpc.com%252Fimages%252Fproducts%252Fbr123.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.quietpc.com%252Fbr123ff1%3B422%3B307

Zalman!! Truth is, after a visit to the local metal-supply store, you should be able to fabricate your own. At least it's possible . .

Also, if you want to put the fan close to the heatsink (or whatever), get a machine-screw with some nuts long enough to hang the fan close to the heatsink from the end of the Zalman. Just make sure the nuts lock together and secure the fan so that nothing "comes loose . . . "

 

[TurtleCrusher]

The VRM group is to the left of the processor under the heatsink. I'm using an arctic cooler freezer pro 7 rev 2 cooler. My CPU doesn't get above 53C at full load, but my VRM temp gets to 70 fairly easy. While gaming the CPU and VRM temps are fine, but load up synthetics and the VRM doesn't like it.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

All my PCI slots are filled completely as well. My cpu is generally 42C or less while gaming.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

All my PCI slots are filled completely as well. My cpu is generally 42C or less while gaming.

There was a time when we bought little aluminum heatsinks for application with thermal epoxy to motherboard components.

On the VRM items, I never worried about it with my current rig: the case is pressurized with two 200mm intake fans which ramp up with CPU temperature.

Just looking at your cooler, though, I can imagine a "klooge" that might work.

Near the bottom CPU-HSF fins of the Arctic cooler, use some wire ties to suspend the fan at right-angle to the cooler-tower. You can probably secure the wire-ties around two of the heatpipes. If the tiny fan blows upward, you could probably fit a little rectangular duct-plate of foam-art-board which would draw air off the mobo (and components) before exhausting it into the stream of case-exhaust.

There must be several variations to such a remedy. I dream these things up -- confident that they'll likely (somehow!) work as desired.

 

[dma0991]

That depends on what position do you want it to be installed. You could try hot melt glue. I've used it last time when I affixed a salvaged AMD heatsink fan to a passive heatsink GPU. Shouldn't be a problem since the VRM wouldn't be hot enough to melt the glue.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

The problem with glue: Removal when desired.

The problem with nylon wire ties: You have to clip them off for removal.

All that is needed with the wire ties is to secure the fan to the tower cooler by running the ties through the fins and locking the tie on the opposite side. Only requires care not to tension enough to bend metal. If the side of the fan is secure against the fins of the CPU cooler, it can't move, but will be suspended over the VRM components to blow air down on them or suck air off of them. A duct plate helps in the latter configuration, so air is forced over top of the VRM components before being blown upward and into the exhaust fan stream.

Wire ties are cheap. So? If you need to remove the fan, clip the ties and install new ones when you replace the fan.

 

[Micrornd]

"Mirror tabs"
They are small, thin pieces of foam with a sticky adhesive on both sides that are used to hang mirrors on walls.
Pre-cut, but easy to cut to any size and stick very well to any non-porous object or surface.
The foam core compensates for irregularities in surfaces.
Available at almost all hardware and DIY stores.
Just tell 'em you want to stick a mirror to the wall, and they'll hand you these

 

[BonzaiDuck]

"Mirror tabs"
They are small, thin pieces of foam with a sticky adhesive on both sides that are used to hang mirrors on walls.
Pre-cut, but easy to cut to any size and stick very well to any non-porous object or surface.
The foam core compensates for irregularities in surfaces.
Available at almost all hardware and DIY stores.
Just tell 'em you want to stick a mirror to the wall, and they'll hand you these

I think you can buy that stuff in a roll with half-inch width. And I can see how it would also work: you might secure the fan by applying the sticky to the frame-side of the hub. I just like my idea better . . .

 

[VirtualLarry]

This is why I am a fan of the CoolerMaster Hyper TX2 LGA775 coolers. They are 92mm fans, with a heatpipe heatsink, but they have a plastic shroud that ducts the air downward and over the VRM section next to the CPU.

I have to believe that it works well, I've had the same GA-P35-DS3R mobos since 2007 when I bought them new, and they been hosting overclocked CPUs ever since then, running mostly 24/7 doing DC.

 

[PliotronX]

Ive tied fans with fishing line or twisted insulated wire around fans.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Ive tied fans with fishing line or twisted insulated wire around fans.

That can work too. Since I "came on board" this forum/ship in 2004, I've tossed aside the idea that you somehow have to have "special parts" unless the special parts are best to fulfill a particular need.

Nylon wire tires serve a lot of great purposes, and you can use them in pairs for a single cable pass-through securing a fan to an HS. I use them to secure fans to case side-panels in conjunct with acoustic-foam-rubber "wraps" to isolate the fan from the wire tie and case panel.

I can see how you could take a 1/2" 40mm fan and secure it with wire-ties to any number of tower heatpipe coolers without stressing the fins or the pipes. Probably better that most of the stress would be taken up by the pipes, but a little experimentation would give the best way to secure them.

The only oddball thing about this idea is that you're securing the fan at right angle to the finned tower. It would just hang over the VRM components of the board, and either draw air upward or blow down on it.

If the air is blown upward from the motherboard, it could then be sucked out by the exhaust fan. That's where the duct-plate covering the VRM components with a hole for the fan would assist in the airflow around the components you want to cool.

If you think the wire ties or "twisted insulated wire" looks kloogey, trim the loose ends of spare material. NOw . . . fishing line -- that's a good one. It wouldn't even be visible.