CPU Fan Problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter John R. Sellers
  • Start date Start date
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John R. Sellers

I have a Dell Dimension 2350 Series.

Ok, here's the situation:

This morning, my CPU fan had a mild "whine" in it. It's been doing this for
about a month. I have new CPU fan, so I asked my stepfather to install it
(I'm physically unable to do this). He took out the fan assembly to replace
it, but the new fan was not the right size, so he put some oil in the
current fan, and put the whole thing back in the computer. Now, the fan
sounds worse than I did before he took it out. I told him about it, and he
said that there's nothing else he can do about it.

If I had just kept my mouth shut, I wouldn''t have had a problem.

Incidentally, he is usually pretty good with this sorta thing, so don't get
the wrong idea.
 
I have a Dell Dimension 2350 Series.

Ok, here's the situation:

This morning, my CPU fan had a mild "whine" in it. It's been doing this for
about a month. I have new CPU fan, so I asked my stepfather to install it
(I'm physically unable to do this). He took out the fan assembly to replace
it, but the new fan was not the right size,
Click to expand...

At this point I would have to suggest that you get another fan of the
correct size. Most sizes are pretty easy to find on the internet, the
more difficult size to find is 70mm, but they're available too.

The larger problem would be if you have an Intel heatsink with their
proprietary fan. That fan isn't so easily replaced due to how it attaches
to the heatsink. It's possible to fabricate a mounting plate or modify
the existing fan shroud, but certainly a lot harder than simply replacing
the whole thing (the entire heatsink fan assembly).
so he put some oil in the
current fan, and put the whole thing back in the computer. Now, the fan
sounds worse than I did before he took it out. I told him about it, and he
said that there's nothing else he can do about it.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you have a ball-bearing fan. Oiling such a fan will make it
much louder more often than not.
 
kony said:
At this point I would have to suggest that you get another fan of the
correct size. Most sizes are pretty easy to find on the internet, the
more difficult size to find is 70mm, but they're available too.

The larger problem would be if you have an Intel heatsink with their
proprietary fan. That fan isn't so easily replaced due to how it attaches
to the heatsink. It's possible to fabricate a mounting plate or modify
the existing fan shroud, but certainly a lot harder than simply replacing
the whole thing (the entire heatsink fan assembly).


Sounds like you have a ball-bearing fan. Oiling such a fan will make it
much louder more often than not.
Click to expand...
I shoulda done my research. Damn.
 
I shoulda done my research. Damn.
Click to expand...

New sleeve-bearings need light to middleweight oil. Aged/worn/noisey
sleeve bearings need mid to heavyweight oil. Ball bearings are packed in
grease, not oil, but these (fan) bearings aren't user servicable, are for
the most part (excluding NMB's more recent bearings) permanently sealed.
It wouldn't be time-effective to try packing grease into one.

"Usually", that-is, in a good brand of fan, a ball-bearing model will last
quite a long time, several years at least. Fans that spin at excessively
high RPM (a subjective opinion, I have many computers but none have ANY
fans spinning at > 3000RPM) or have bearings that are relatively
undersized for the design (one of my primary complaints about the
otherwise fair Intel retail Sanyo-Denki heatsink fans), are going to get
whiney after a few months of runtime.

Even so, most sleeve-bearing fans are poor quality, subject to seizure at
the worst possible time, when the system is turned off... so, you turn
system back on, nothing "sounds" wrong, it's quiet, but overheating. Two
makes of sleeve-bearing fans that are notibly superior to generics are
Papst and Panaflo. Some larger Sunons, Comair, Delta fans, aren't too
bad, but for any area with elevated temp (like a heatsink or power
supply), I'd use a Papst, Panaflo, or name brand ball-bearing fan.

Then there's the hyrids - fans with one sleeve bearing and one ball
bearing. They're often labeled as "ball bearing", but may be the worst
possible designs, since the sleeve bearing degrades but can't be oiled
else it may get really noisey like yours did.
 
kony said:
At this point I would have to suggest that you get another fan of the
correct size. Most sizes are pretty easy to find on the internet, the
more difficult size to find is 70mm, but they're available too.

The larger problem would be if you have an Intel heatsink with their
proprietary fan. That fan isn't so easily replaced due to how it attaches
to the heatsink. It's possible to fabricate a mounting plate or modify
the existing fan shroud, but certainly a lot harder than simply replacing
the whole thing (the entire heatsink fan assembly).


Sounds like you have a ball-bearing fan. Oiling such a fan will make it
much louder more often than not.
Click to expand...
May I ask where you got this info.?
 
John said:
May I ask where you got this info.?
Click to expand...

It's (relatively) common knowledge. Ball-bearing fans have a light grease in
the bearing as a lubricant and putting oil in such a bearing tends to
dilute/displace the grease. When running with grease they are a lot quieter
than rumbling along with just thin oil, especially when the balls and race
are a bit worn.
 
May I ask where you got this info.?
Click to expand...

Years of mucking around with "stuff"... being a fan distributer, and even
lubing a few with oil myself, since I thoroughly tear apart, hack and
otherwise play with fans when I get so many, so cheap, and am expected to
come though for shops with fans that have minimal failure rates.... well
most shops want good fans but some of the evil shops actually want fans
that die, get the customer in to pay for repairs.

As for a grande 'fan website', there aren't any I know of, except the spec
sheets, engineering and end-user brochures from most of the better fan
manufacturers. Nothing that uses ball-bearings should be oiled, but
rather greased... it doesn't just apply to fans.
 
kony said:
Sounds like you have a ball-bearing fan. Oiling such a fan will make it
much louder more often than not.
Click to expand...

I was wondering, will the fan eventually work out the oil, and get quieter?
 
I was wondering, will the fan eventually work out the oil, and get quieter?
Click to expand...

doubtful, the oil has mixed with the grease. If it's even more annoying
than what prompted this action, why not just bite the bullet and replace
it?
 
John R. Sellers said:
I have a Dell Dimension 2350 Series.

Ok, here's the situation:

This morning, my CPU fan had a mild "whine" in it. It's been doing this for
about a month. I have new CPU fan, so I asked my stepfather to install it
(I'm physically unable to do this). He took out the fan assembly to replace
it, but the new fan was not the right size, so he put some oil in the
current fan, and put the whole thing back in the computer. Now, the fan
sounds worse than I did before he took it out. I told him about it, and he
said that there's nothing else he can do about it.

If I had just kept my mouth shut, I wouldn''t have had a problem.

Incidentally, he is usually pretty good with this sorta thing, so don't get
the wrong idea.
Click to expand...

What do you mean, ''you're physically unable to do that''?
Anyone could do that.
 
Chance said:
What do you mean, ''you're physically unable to do that''?
Anyone could do that.
Click to expand...

I have Cerbral Palsy. My motor functions are affected, including working
with my hands.
[/QUOTE]
 
John R. Sellers said:
I have Cerbral Palsy. My motor functions are affected,
including working with my hands.
Click to expand...


People don't realize how physical PCs actually are. I
don't think I've done so much heavy lifting as I have recently
just experimenting with hard drive cloning. Every little
change in parameters requires a move of the PC to the
trusty kitchen counter, opening the thing, fiddling with
the screws, squirming with the HD connectors, and then
doing everything in reverse again. When my back or
finger joints are acting up, forget it. At least I can see the
day coming when PCs aren't so heavy. Unfortunately,
they're also bound to get smaller. Maybe there will be a
market for geriatric computers - big and light weight - like
those clocks with big numbers for the old folks.

*TimDaniels*
 
Timothy Daniels said:
People don't realize how physical PCs actually are. I
don't think I've done so much heavy lifting as I have recently
just experimenting with hard drive cloning. Every little
change in parameters requires a move of the PC to the
trusty kitchen counter, opening the thing, fiddling with
the screws, squirming with the HD connectors, and then
doing everything in reverse again. When my back or
finger joints are acting up, forget it. At least I can see the
day coming when PCs aren't so heavy. Unfortunately,
they're also bound to get smaller. Maybe there will be a
market for geriatric computers - big and light weight - like
those clocks with big numbers for the old folks.
Click to expand...

Well, I'm 34...right now I just want a quieter PC. A "door case" would be
nice too. By "door case", I mean a case that open as easily as opening a
door.
 
Timothy said:
People don't realize how physical PCs actually are. I
don't think I've done so much heavy lifting as I have recently
just experimenting with hard drive cloning. Every little
change in parameters requires a move of the PC to the
trusty kitchen counter, opening the thing, fiddling with
the screws, squirming with the HD connectors, and then
doing everything in reverse again. When my back or
finger joints are acting up, forget it. At least I can see the
day coming when PCs aren't so heavy. Unfortunately,
they're also bound to get smaller. Maybe there will be a
market for geriatric computers - big and light weight - like
those clocks with big numbers for the old folks.
Click to expand...

I am an invalid. I have a compression fracture of the vertebae and attendant
nerve-pinching causing radiating pain. I can do most things around the
house, washing dishes and mowing the lawns are difficult though. I get very
sore working on PCs as well, leaning over to peer into the case, especially
connecting up power switches, HDD LED, etc can be really difficult. In fact
that's the hardest part of a PC build for me, the connectors to the mobo
after it's installed into the case.
 
John said:
I have Cerbral Palsy. My motor functions are affected, including
working with my hands.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that. I am physically handicapped too but not to the extent
you are. I wish I could change out your fan for you.

I appreciate the effort you go to to make sure your posts are well-written
out. I've seen some atrociously written posts by people who aren't
handicapped, it's refreshing to read a post with good spelling and grammar.
 
~misfit~ said:
Sorry to hear that. I am physically handicapped too but not to the extent
you are. I wish I could change out your fan for you.

I appreciate the effort you go to to make sure your posts are well-written
out.
Click to expand...

I try. ;-)
 
John R. Sellers said:
.....right now I just want a quieter PC. A "door case" would be
nice too. By "door case", I mean a case that open as easily as
opening a door.
Click to expand...


Those fans are distracting when I read, and I've experimented
with putting sound absorbing material behind the case to absorb
the sound before it bounces off the wall. I was surprised at how
effective a blanket or a pillow were. When I move my PC to its
long-term location, I plan to stand a wooden frame behind it that
is covered with furry carpeting. I think that will be all the sound
absorption that I'll need. As for a case that opens as easily as a
door, that may be like wanting a watch that opens as easily as
a door. As PCs shrink, they will get lighter, but I think EM
emission requirements of the FCC will keep them buttoned up
tightly. But.... who knows with that developing geriatric market...

*TimDaniels*
 
Chance said:
.... snip ... .... snip ...

What do you mean, ''you're physically unable to do that''?
Anyone could do that.
Click to expand...

Maybe he is a paraplegic. What business of yours is it? I trust
you will get equal sympathy should you ever become disabled.
 
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