Replacing loud case fan?

[doomfan]

In a attempt to lower my GPU temperatures from 55 C stock to some where in the 40s I have attached several case fans. However the front fan is some what loud, it causes a high pitch noise that stops when I unplug it. The front fan does cool of my computers temperatures quite a bit, are there any recommendations for a quite case fan?



The problem fan is the one on the bottom right, next to my Hard drive. Its an Ultra fan and I have not a clue how old it is, I got it out of a pile of old hardware.

Also would a new thermal paste better than stock on a Geforce 9800 GT, I was looking in to this thermal paste. I had a previous post here, but I have found that if I do something graphic intense for longer than an hour I do go above 80 C

 

[JamesXP]

By the looks of it you can fit maybe a 92mm fan in there possibly a 120, i'm not too sure.


Yate loon are quiet, silent at 5/7V.

 

[Conumdrum]

Replace that noisy fan with a quality one, in fact both front fans. Here is my recommendation, but many will chime in with other choices.

EDIT: You have one or two front fans? Hard to tell in that pic. If one, put another please.

http://www.petrastechshop.com/sc80kasafan2.html

I would also get rid of the rear fan and replace it. That teeny one isn't helping cooling at all. I like the way you cut the holes out on the front fans, smart move.

Repacing the TIM on the GPU can help, not all trhe time, but it can. I use MX-2, it's very popular. If you open up that GPU, you could mess up the TIM tape on the vram chips etc. So you might want to have some replacement TIM tape handy before you open the card up.

The GPU getting to 80C isn't uncommon, it's more of a case airflow issue for you. You can go aftermarket cooler for the GPU, thats the best move.

 

[muddocktor]

Yeah, looks like you have room for bigger fans in the front and rear. So I would suggest you buy yourself some 120 X 25 mm Yate Loons (low or medium speed) and cut out the proper size holes in the front and rear to mount them properly and get a 120mm wire fan guard for the rear hole to keep the fingers out of the fan. This will improve the case ventilation and quiet everything down.

 

[doomfan]

By the looks of it you can fit maybe a 92mm fan in there possibly a 120, i'm not too sure.

That is a 120 mm fan, sorry if the pic is too hard to tell.

You have one or two front fans? Hard to tell in that pic. If one, put another please.

One, however I could fit another one in the hole up above it if I modified a fan / the case. I have another old spare fan, do you think it would help to put another 120mm fan in the front?

I would also get rid of the rear fan and replace it. That teeny one isn't helping cooling at all. I like the way you cut the holes out on the front fans, smart move.

The small one in the back is actually a CPU fan that I modified so I doubt its cooling much. I noticed no difference in my GPU obviously, but it did bring my CPU temps down by about 2 C which is nothing really. Yeah I had to cut a few holes as most of the fans are wrong sizes and I am just trying to economic and save money.

The GPU getting to 80C isn't uncommon, it's more of a case airflow issue for you. You can go aftermarket cooler for the GPU, thats the best move.

Good idea but too expensive, like every one else now days I can barely afford to eat let alone buy a aftermarket cooler for my video card. The absolute maximum I can spend on new hardware is $30 and that might be cutting it close.

Yeah, looks like you have room for bigger fans in the front and rear. So I would suggest you buy yourself some 120 X 25 mm Yate Loons (low or medium speed) and cut out the proper size holes in the front and rear to mount them properly and get a 120mm wire fan guard for the rear hole to keep the fingers out of the fan. This will improve the case ventilation and quiet everything down.

Yes a 120mm would work in the back and I shall check into Yate Loons fans.

Thanks for the suggestions,

 

[henzo]

Back to your XFX 9800GT you have there. You should take the shroud off and use a razor knife ( i know it sounds ghetto) and make the fan hole wider to the size of the fan itself. Renewing the tim on the heatsink will help out too, since you are taking it apart anyway.

Here is what I mean.

 

[doomfan]

henzo, I like that idea to increase air flow but couldn't I just remove the whole piece of hard plastic safely?

 

[henzo]

henzo, I like that idea to increase air flow but couldn't I just remove the whole piece of hard plastic safely?

It does look like you can simply unscrew the plastic piece. Im wierd i guess, once the screwdriver comes out I have to do it all the way lol.

 

[jmdixon85]

You couldn't do that as the plastic diverts the air accross the heatsink fins. Making the hole bigger will improve temps slighty.

 

[exe163]

I wouldn't touch the card if I were you. Doing anything to it will void the warranty.

If you don't mind noise you could get a high rpm fan blow directly toward the card since you have so much room at the bottom.

 

[doomfan]

It does look like you can simply unscrew the plastic piece. Im wierd i guess, once the screwdriver comes out I have to do it all the way lol.

Don't bother, jmdixon85 is right the card runs a few degrees hotter with the plastic piece removed.



The temps are on the bottom right, thats within seconds of playing and with the case open.

You couldn't do that as the plastic diverts the air accross the heatsink fins. Making the hole bigger will improve temps slighty.

I don't have a blade sharp enough to cut the plastic, I'll have find a "ghetto knife"

I wouldn't touch the card if I were you. Doing anything to it will void the warranty.

Voided...... But who cares almost everything I own isn't under warranty and the few times I try to use the system legitimately they almost never send a new piece of hardware.

 

[knucklehead]

The fan opening in the lower front of your case by the hard drive can be modified to make much less noise and flow more air in doing so. Installing a fan that is the right size would be the first move. But taking the case apart and cutting out all those little holes that only serve to restrict air flow and make noise should be your first priority. I've done this same mod on quite a few cases. I use a 22,000 rpm air tool with a cutting blade that makes short work of the metal in the opening.

Most case manufacturers are beginning to make those holes bigger. Don't matter to me. I buy cases that do not come with a power supply so cutting into it and voiding the warranty does not concern me. Whats to go wrong other than maybe a power button and how often do they go bad anyway?

If you are hesitant to modify your case in this manner, using an old fan body minus the guts will make an excellent spacer that will keep the fan blades from being so close to those little holes, and that will make much less noise. Try moving it closer and farther away and see for yourself.

 

[DragoXT]

doomfan, do you realize that your rear case fan is set to suck air in from the rear and blow on the mobo? Your rear fan should always be exhaust, and you fronts intake. You have your psu and the pci slot cooler sucking air out and you should have your rear fan doing the same. With fans, the direction of airflow is always where the crossbars are. These are not like regular house fans. To get your rear to exhaust you need to have that fan turned around and if your front fan does not have the cross bars closest to the hdd cage, then turn it around. That should help with airflow in your case by tons. Right now you have fans fighting for air creating lots of turbulence and little air movement. The idea is to have air flow in one part of your case and out the other so that the heat is carried with it.

 

[MVC]

doomfan, do you realize that your rear case fan is set to suck air in from the rear and blow on the mobo? Your rear fan should always be exhaust, and you fronts intake.

I was just about to write that It looks like the case doesn't have any exhaust except the PSU and that will almost never be sufficient.

Doomfan, if money's that tight and you'd like a couple 120mm Adda fans (stock out of Lian Li cases) that have probably never been used let me know and they're yours. They aren't as good as Yate Loons, which is probably what I replaced them with (though I like the Scythe fans as well), but they're free and probably worth trying before you spend money you may need elsewhere.

 

[doomfan]

Sorry to reply and bump the thread so late, I was busy/overwemled with college. I replaced the stock thermal paste with OCZ freeze and that helped a little (3-4C).

doomfan, do you realize that your rear case fan is set to suck air in from the rear and blow on the mobo? Your rear fan should always be exhaust, and you fronts intake.

Fixed, Thx I don't know how I missed that.

Doomfan, if money's that tight and you'd like a couple 120mm Adda fans (stock out of Lian Li cases) that have probably never been used let me know and they're yours. They aren't as good as Yate Loons, which is probably what I replaced them with (though I like the Scythe fans as well), but they're free and probably worth trying before you spend money you may need elsewhere.

That would be great if you still have em, send me a PM. again sorry to reply so late.

 

[DragoXT]

Well good airflow helps, but my 6800GT had the same basic stock cooling and it did suck. I ended up replacing it with my AC NV5 silencer, which is awesome, but doesnt work on your card. Seems that the only stuff out there now for after market gpu cooling is zalman and thermaltake. To get something for that 9800gt you will need to spend like $40 to replace what is there, or you can yank the stock cooler off, and get rid of the old junky paste and put on some new stuff. I knew folks that did the same thing with their 6800GTs and replaced the stock goop with AS5 and got near 10c drops in temp.