Resolved CPU Fans--OEM parts?

I have a machine with a AMD Athlon 5200 Dual Core and this puppy has crept up in cpu temp the past couple of years. Idle temp is now about 100-104 Fahrenheit. With apps and browsers running it gets up to 119 degrees Fahrenheit. I wanted to replace the stock fan on it and bought a Buffalo pipe cooler. that didn't fit--the case needed to be a couple of inches wider. I tried a silenx.com fan, but the retention clips weren't deep enough to attach to the cpu socket. (That was the most irritating--the box said it was made for AMD/AM2/AM3 socket, and it wasn't)
So I just put on new paste and used the old one after blowing the dust off it --gained a couple of degrees of coolness

My question is where can I buy a performance cooler that will be guaranteed to fit.

Thanks

 

Hi elcajongunsfan, Your 100-104°F = 38°C. AMD say max temp 70°C so I think you are within specs.

Just keep the dust out of the current cooling fan you have and you'll be right. Have a look at my System Details and you will see I'm running AMD Quad core and SIS gives me temps between 37-41°C at the moment. I'm using the standard AMD supplied cooling fan.

Please take the time to fill in your System Details as it helps us to help you better. Don't forget to scroll to the bottom of the page and Save before you exit. Cheers Neil.

 

You don't need anything more than a stock cooler if you are not overclocking the CPU.

As retiredlearner already said, your temps. are within range. Just clean your computer innards, specially the CPU fan every six months with compressed air.

 

When you clean a fan with compressed air, use something to keep the blades from spinning. Spinning the fan faster than it was designed to run can ruin the bearings.

 

A classic sign of dust build up, not fan failure.

I agree completely with the above advice given. 119°F = 48.3°C and there are many that would give their first born to have temps that low. I only start to be concerned when CPU temps sit above 60°C. Note that computer temps are typically expressed in centigrade, not Fahrenheit. Note too that computer temps are greatly dependent on ambient (room) temps, and you are in the middle of summer in Southern California. And most people with air conditioning have their AC thermostats set to a higher temp than they do for the heater setting during winter months - so summer computer temps, even in environmentally controlled facilities, tend to be a couple degrees higher than those seen in the middle of winter.

Additionally, understand it is your case's responsibility to provide a sufficient flow of cool air through your case. It is the CPU fan's responsibility to simply toss up the CPU's heat into that flow. If you are unhappy with your CPU temps (and there is no reason to be at this time) then look at adding more case fans, or replacing existing fans with larger fans that move more air. For right now, check your "cable management" to ensure your cables are routed in such a way as to minimizing restricting that desired front-to-back flow of cool air through the case. A tidy case interior is a cooler interior.

My general recommendation is to inspect the case interior every month to ensure all fans are spinning and a blanketing layer of heat-trapping dust has not formed, then clean as needed. If you have pets (especially cats) and kids running about stirring up dust, you may need to clean more often. Cats are horrible around computers because their hair and dander is oily and sticky and can really gum up the interior and clog heatsinks, vents and fan blades. Plus cats make me sneeze.

And BTW, because tearing down and lugging my systems outside to blast with my air compressor is a PITA, not to mention, my back, I will never, as in NEVER EVER buy a case again that does not have removable, washable air filters. In my case, with a dog and grandkids running about, my filtered cases require interior cleaning about every 6 - 8 months where before, it was every 3.

One last thing, if using an air compressor, it absolutely must, without exception, be equipped with a suitable inline moisture and particulate filter to prevent rusty, oily, nasty condensation that WILL form inside the tank during compression from being blasted onto your electronics - that would a very bad thing.

You can use cans of compressed dusting gas, but they are not as effective as an air compressor configured for electronics. Note I did not say "canned air" because it is not air at all - in fact, they contain difluoroethane - a hazardous gas that can affect the nervous system if breathed in, or even death.

Sadly, since spray paint purchases is more controlled to prevent misuse, "huffers" have started to huff these cans of dusting gas to get high, often with dire consequences. So beware.

 

Thanks Bill. I really enjoy reading your thorough resumes. Cheers Neil.

 

Thanks for the responses. I just think the fan might fail one of these days. Sometimes, on start up, there's a noisy bearing sound, and as the RPMs increase the noise quiets down. This month it ain't doing it, but that is the reason why I think the fan might be failing because of the slowly upward temperature climb

Thanks all

 

Thanks - I try to be clear and thorough for the less experienced without insulting the more knowledgeable. Not always easy, or successful.

Because sounds and vibrations tend to reverberate through metal cases, it is often very difficult to pinpoint the source of such noises. And there are many possible sources besides the CPU fan. Many graphics cards and chipsets have cooling fans and they tend to be located in close proximity to the CPU. Drives have motors with bearings, as does the PSU fan(s). And of these motors may be dragging when cold, not just the CPU fan.

I recommend you do the following. Tomorrow morning, after the computer has been turned off all night, and before booting it up, remove the side panel and touch bare metal of the case interior to discharge any static in your body and put you and your computer at the same ground "potential ". This prevents ESD damage to ESD sensitive devices like CPUs, memory modules and other high-density ICs.

Then, get ready, for you need to be quick before the noise goes away. With your hearing perked, and all fan hubs in sight, power up. Hopefully, this time, you hear the noise. QUICKLY try to zero in on the noise and VERY GENTLY, and MOMENTARILY touch the center hub of the suspect fan. If you have correctly found the failing fan, touching the center hub will momentarily change the RPMs and that, in turn, will change the pitch of the bad noise. If that is not the offending fan, then obviously, the noise will not change and you will need to quickly move to the next fan before the lubrication in motors warms and loosens up, and the noise/vibrations fades.

For drives, obviously you cannot slow down the motor with your fingers, but if you rest your finger on the drive, you may feel the vibrations from the worn bearings. You may have to remove the drive from its bay to isolate it from any case vibrations (avoiding touching any of the drive's circuitry).

 

I'll check it out--but back to the original question- Where can I find another cpu fan that is guaranteed to fit first time. Who sells good parts?

 

Try searching Ebay for AMD fan and heat sink units. I bought mine from a guy who had fitted a supa-dupa after-market cooling assembly.
It's a genuine AMD and was still unwrapped and as I said previously, it works OK in my comp. Neil.

 

The problem with "fit" and aftermarket coolers is not being compatible with the CPU, but rather the case. A large cooler may not fit in the case, or behind a large graphics card.

I buy most of my parts from Newegg.