Need a quieter heatsink fan

[imported_blip]

Not sure if my rig has gotten louder as it has gotten older, or if I'm just noticing it more. I did some scientific testing (sticking a pencil in each fan to stop them) and discovered that my heatsink fan on my cpu is by far the loudest. Can someone recommend a quiet one, that is hopefully somewhat inexpensive? Don't know if it matters, but I have an AMD processor that is socket 754. There is currently a Thermaltake fan in there, but I have no idea about what model it is or what's under it. Can you usually just swap out the fan part, without changing the heatsink?

Thanks for the help!

 

[JaYp146]

Sure could, just make sure the installation hardware would be intact after you remove the original fan.

 

[WildW]

I've known some noisy thermaltake fans in my time too.

Consider getting a fan speed controller - e.g. for a front bay or PCI slot cover, to just slow your existing fan down a bit. Most fans can be turned down and the noise reduced without losing too much cooling effect. The reverse is true - you can make a fan go faster and faster but eventually you just end up with more noise and not much better cooling.

 

[imported_blip]

Thanks for the advice! If I use a fan controller, is there anyway to make sure that the speed is still high enough to provide adequate cooling? Will I need to install some kind of thermometer as well? I'm not overclocking or anything, but I assume that I use most of the processor speed, since it is a few years old (AMD 64 3000). Would something this simple work:
Controller

Thanks again!

Also--if I replace the fan, is it just a regular case fan? No different from some special kind of heat sink fan?

 

[RallyMaster]

Given that your fan is powered via a 3-pin connector (non-molex), you'll be able to use that FanMate II fine.

 

[Zepper]

The fan controller is sort of a patch as many Tt fans are noisier than they should be considering the competition. Most mobos have built in control (one or two voltage steps for standard, 3-pin fans) for the CPU fan (assuming it's attached to the fan header marked CPU_Fan (other fan headers may or may not be controlled)), so my choice would be to replace the fan with an inherently quieter one of similar specs and let the mobo control it by its own temp. sensor.

I do control my own cpu fan, but it's settings are available from the front panel of my case, so I don't have to go inside to make adjustments as needed. My CPU fan normally runs at 2000+ and I set it at about 1550rpm and haven't had to change it - very quiet (stock fan on the C-M Hyper TX2).

.bh.

 

[imported_blip]

Thanks, I played around with slowing the fan down by pushing on the center, and it still was loud and whiny. Sorry to be clueless, but what do I need to have the mobo control the fan? Is it additional software, or is it built in to the BIOS? Right now, it seems like the fan is on max all the time. It is plugged into the mobo, but I'll have to check what the port says. I'll probably get a new fan (an 80mm with a 70mm to 80mm converter) and try and have the mobo adjust as needed. That way, the wife and kids never have to worry about the fan speed.
Thanks again!

 

[RallyMaster]

Your motherboard should have fan controls in the BIOS.

 

[Zepper]

Or in the health monitor software that should have come with the mobo on the driver CD (sometimes you have to look around on the CD to find it).

.bh.

 

[imported_blip]

Found "CoolnQuiet" driver on the mobo CD, I'll try installing that.

For typical use, without overclocking, how much airflow (in cfm) do I need from a fan? Want it quiet, but don't want to fry the CPU...

 

[Zepper]

CoolnQuiet isn't the health monitor program - at least I don't think so. re. the airflow, you'll have to get that by experimentation. An 80mm fan should provide the max air flow as the 70 with less noise.

.bh.