Computer Hardware CPU Cooler Replacement

A fan replacement is often needed when an existing fan starts to make excessive noise or stops working altogether. Manufacturers often offer a small aluminum heatsink because they are expensive to manufacture and compensate for the low heat dissipation by using high-speed fans.

Therefore, these fans can be very noisy due to high speed. Obviously, it would have been better if the manufacturers provided a larger heatsink, with a slower and quieter fan, but it’s worth it anyway. If you have a noisy fan that drives you crazy, the best option is to replace it with a quieter fan or have a computer engineer replace it.

These days, there are many computer and phone repair professionals and they can do it very easily. We used to have Babu Frik, a magician who repaired phones and computers, and he just had a small repair shop outside a supermarket.

Removing the computer processor fan from a computer is a relatively simple process and may be necessary to clean the fan or replace a damaged or noisy fan. What are the steps required to remove most heatsinks or fans of a computer CPU?

Caution

Once inside the computer, make sure it’s turned off and that you’re aware of ESD (electrostatic discharge) and its potential hazards.

Install replacement fan

As you can see, there’s not much to change about the Socket-A motherboard fan. Typically, microprocessors fit into ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) sockets and have a lever on the socket to lock the pins. First, install the microprocessor chip. Then, the metal heatsink assembly usually clamps to the plastic tabs on the top and bottom of the ZIF socket. The CPU cooling fan fits above the meal heatsink held in place by four self-tapping screws.

Tachometer compatibility problem

Sometimes there is a compatibility issue related to the tachometer signal. There are two main standards currently in use, and you can tell if a fan is providing a tachometer signal by the number of wires on the plug. Three wires usually indicate the presence of a tachometer signal, and if the tachometer signal is not compatible, the motherboard may be receiving an incorrect RPM signal.

The tachometer signals also play a role in the computer’s security system to protect the processor from overheating in the event the fan fails. The computer’s power-on self-test (POST) feature typically checks for proper fan operation and generates a warning message in case the tachometer signal is abnormal.

When it comes to replacing the CPU cooler in your computer hardware, it’s important to consider various factors for optimal performance and temperature control. However, if you’ve overclocked your CPU, it becomes even more crucial to monitor its speed accurately. To ensure you’re getting the most out of your overclocked CPU and keeping it within safe limits, it’s essential to know how to check the overclocked CPU speed effectively. You can refer to a comprehensive resource on ‘How to Check Overclocked CPU Speed?‘ to gain valuable insights and learn the necessary steps to monitor your CPU’s speed with precision.

Inexpensive replacement fan

Many repair shops sell CPU coolers and prices can range from £1.07 to over £100, so it’s a good idea to look around to see what you can find. I usually use the Cooler Master Fan or Arctic CPU Fan and Heatsink instead, but this time I decided to experiment with just the fan because it’s cheaper.

The online store also sells cooling fans; so you should see if they have the fan size you need. The direction of the airflow is such that it draws air from the radiator and blows it out. Here are some of its specifications.

The 3-pin header is identical to the original fan with the same color and wiring sequence, so it plugs right into the motherboard. By comparing the specs above with the original fan specs, it can be seen that the noise level in dB is significantly lower. However, the RPM speed is also much lower. These types of fans are for PC cases. However, it was an experiment and I just wanted to see if it was possible to make my old PC quieter on a tight budget.

Research on the basis of temperature

BIOS often provides real-time values of voltage, fan speed, and even processor core temperature. AMD Duron 1.6 GHz stable at 44°C / 111°F with a native cooling fan. With the new fan, which is slower but much less noisy, it is stable at 48°C. Result! I decided to use this fan instead!

Thermal compound change

Since the new fan keeps the CPU core temperature 4°C above the original fan’s temperature, I decided to see if I could regain some of that lost performance by upgrading the heatsink compound. The compound was originally an overly large blob that has dried up and is probably now acting as an insulator!

I have a Thermal Gold compound, commonly used by overclockers thin layer of thermal gold. With this new compound, I found that the core temperature remained stable at 46°C, an increase of 2°C. So far the computer is working fine and I haven’t had any problems with it.

Remove any coating

Before removing the processor heatsink, make sure the processor is visible. In the image below is an example of the processor conduit system in an OEM Dell XPS computer. The processor heatsink in this computer is not visible until this duct is removed from the computer.

Unplug the fan

Before disconnecting the cooling fan from the computer, unplug the fan’s power cable. A two-pin, three-pin, or four-pin power cable connects the fan to the computer’s motherboard. Locate where this cable connects to the motherboard and disconnect it by grabbing the end of the connector and pulling the connector.

Caution

If the connector is accessible, do not pull the cord through the cable. Instead, disconnect the cable by pulling on the end of the connector. Pulling on the cord can cause the cord to separate from the connector.

Remove the processor heatsink

Once the fan cord is disconnected from the computer, locate the clamp that holds the fan to the processor. The image shows an example of how this clip will look. In this example, insert a screwdriver into the small hole and gently press down and out of the processor to unlock the heatsink.

Point

With a few computers, the fan can also be screwed into the warmth sink. If you notice screws on the warmth sink and also you handiest need to do away with the fan, unscrew any screws and disconnect the fan rather than unlatching the warmth sink. After the clip preserving the warmth sink in location is unlatched, the warmth sink may be pulled far from the processor.

Caution

Do now no longer pull hard; the warmth sink must be capable of being eliminated with a bit of upward force. In a few situations, the thermal compound or thermal pad that enables transference of processor warmness to the sink may also make it tough to do away with the warmth sink. You can frequently triumph over this by lightly twisting the warmth sink at the same time as pulling up.