The liklihood is that it is in the initial stages of a condition that was very prevalant on the KT7 & KT7-R. The problem is that they used a fan with sleeve bearings that runs dry after a very short while. Some people complained of this as an "out of box" situation even. After the intermittent slowing down, it will start to make a rather loud noise, and eventually freeze up entirely. The chipset will not be damaged, but will run hot, especially if you're o/c-ing the FSB.
All is not lost though. You can fix it yourself, and the fix is easy, and long-lasting! It's just a matter of partially removing the fan hub label, and applying a little light electric motor oil (3-in-1 is good) to the fan shaft.
Standard disclaimer: If you blow your computer up, or fry yourself, I am not resposible! Okay, that done...
Materials/Tools needed:
- Light Electric Motor Oil (3-in-One is good) to re-lube the fan shaft
- Rubber Cement to glue the fan hub label back down after you pry it up to apply the oil
- Small x-cut screwdriver to remove the fan mounting screws
- Small needlenose pliers to remove the fan's electrical lead from the hooded fan header connector on the mobo
- Small flat head screwdriver to pry the fan hub label up
- Q-tips (maybe) to remove any excess oil before you glue the label back on (if you get too carried away)
1. (With computer shut-down, and unplugged of course) unplug the fan electical lead from the fan header on the mobo. (Be careful; it's a hooded connector, so don't try to pull the entire connector off the mobo! Just pull the inner plastic part out of the hood it is inside of. Use the raised plastic edge to grab the inner connector portion.)
2. Notice the fan's orientation (so you can screw it back on correctly later), remove the four mounting screws, and remove the fan.
3. Identify the side of the fan with the label on the fan hub.
4. Very carefully, pry a portion of the label up; don't remove the label entirely, just pry enough of it to gain access to the fan hub. By not removing it, you will have an easier time of it later when you glue the label back down. If you look closely, there is a little place under one edge of the label where you can get your screwdriver in to start prying up the label. Look closely, and you'll see it in one little spot around the underside edge of the fan label.
5. Apply some oil to the tip of the fan shaft, which is just barely visible in the center of the fan hub. Go sparingly with the oil! Too much, and the fan will throw it out on the mobo, which could be very bad news later (short circuits, etc.). On the other hand you do need more than one or two small drops! For fear of too much, I didn't put enough the first time, and the noise returned after a day or two. When I went back, and used more oil, the sound has now been completely gone for at least 4 months, and no speed-ups or slow-downs.
6. After applying two samll drops of oil, spin the fan blades manually, turn the fan over, and spin it some more to completely distribute the oil along the shaft and bearings. At this point you can repeat with a little more oil and spinning the blades and turning the fan over again, as long as you don't apply too much oil. If you have any doubts, err on the too little side. Applying oil is so easy to do, you can always return and lube so more later.
7. Wipe off any excess oil!
8. Apply a little rubber cement to the underside of the label, press it down, wipe off any excess rubber cement, and apply a little pressure to the fan label until the cement is dry (20 seconds or so).
9. Remembering the original orientation of the fan, screw it back on (don't under or over-tighten the screws).
10. Plug the fan's electrical supply lead to the hooded fan header on the mobo.
11. Button up the case, and you're done.
Hope this helps. If I missed something, or it's not clear, just post, and I'll do my best to answer.
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