I think my CPU fan is going down

[kallekill]

I have been running my new computer for about 3 weeks and now and yesterday my CPU fan started to to sound weird. When I start the computer there is a loud buzzing sound and after a while it becomes more quiet with the buzzing sound going up and down in waves. After a while the buzzing sound almost dissapers. Is this a sign that the CPU fan is going to die?

I was already thinking of getting a new fan, because even before it started to sound weird, it was the loudest component in the computer and the CPU goes as high as 55 C under heavy load.

Anyone have a tip on a good fan that is quiet?

My current fan is the standard fan that came with the CPU, a Pentium 4 1.6a running on a Asus P4B266.

 

[Lizardman]

what kind of fan does your heatsink take (size)? Make sure its not any other components in your PC such as your hard drive maybe.

 

[kallekill]

I've done some research and the Zalman CNPS6500-AlCu seems pretty nice.

I'm not 100 % sure it is the CPU fan that it making the weird sound, but it's not the PSU or the harddrives. Could possible be the fan on the Geforce 4. I'm going to put in a Geforce 2 mx tomorrow to be sure.

 

[HonestBob]

You should be able to feel a vibration on the fan thats making the noise.

 

[kallekill]

I removed the graphic card and started up the computer. Ahh, much better. It is the fan on my Asus GF4 that is making the anoiyng sound. Did'nt think it would boot without a graphic card, but it began to load windows. I'm thinking of getting a new Zalman ZM17CU cooler for my Geforce4.

 

[Mallow]

hrm... do you have on-board video as well?

 

[kallekill]

No. No onboard video, only onboard audio. I heard the bios beep and the harddrives started working as if they were loading windows. A little odd.

Anyway. I'm thinking of buying a Zalman CNPS6500-AlCu Fan Heatsink to replace my fan. I've already returnd my graphic card twice since the s-video out on the Abit geforce 4 seems to be broke on all cards. now i'm running asus. Zalman will soon be out with a heatsink that don't require a fan, so I might wait for that. The problem with those heatsinks is that you have to use epoxy to glue them together with the GPU, which i'm not too fond of. If anyone have a better solution that is quiet and has as good cooling as the standartd fan, i'd be glad to hear it.