changing CPU cooler fan

spaceboy

I would like to change my cooler fan for a quieter one, it is 80mm in size. The plug to the motherboard though is 4 pin but not molex size it's smaller like the 2 and 3 pin plugs you get, and I cant find any fans that have this type of plug, can anyone help? Why does it have 4 wires/pins anyway?

aliEnRIK

Ebay usually has anything you require

spakkker

It has 3/4 wires to allow for speed control by the pc - a standard cpu fan connection. A prog like speedfan can be used if control not available on the m/board. Maybe if you stopped your fan from running flat out it would be a lot quieter. The cooler should be kept as clean as poss. also.

DatabaseError

changing from an 80mm fan based cooler, to maybe a 120mm one should make a big difference to the noise levels

ensure you buy the correct cooler for your system (various socket fitments) and that you have some TIM to refit with, Artic Silver 5 is recommended by many, but I'm now using IC Diamond 24 (made out of real diamonds!) which seems to have gained me about 4 degree drop over as5

spaceboy

Am trying speedfan but I cant seem to make the speed of the fan change.

spaceboy

DatabaseError wrote: »

changing from an 80mm fan based cooler, to maybe a 120mm one should make a big difference to the noise levels

ensure you buy the correct cooler for your system (various socket fitments) and that you have some TIM to refit with, Artic Silver 5 is recommended by many, but I'm now using IC Diamond 24 (made out of real diamonds!) which seems to have gained me about 4 degree drop over as5

To much work, I'm pretty sure I could get a quieter 80mm fan.

spakkker

See this for speedfan - http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=109858.0

There may be options in your bios to keep the cpu temp. in a certain range - just raise the allowed temps, within reason. If you keep a low cpu temp setting the fans will be working nearly all the time to keep it cooler. cpu is ok between 40-50'C pref cooler of course.

Richie-from-the-Boro

spaceboy wrote: »

Am trying speedfan but I cant seem to make the speed of the fan change.

- switched off / disabled in the BIOS

Every opportunity should be taken [ if at all ] to move from 80 to 120mm, the way CFM works is .. .. almost all 80's changed for a~n~other 80 will give only very marginal improvement in terms of cooling / noise.

The third wire on a three wire communicates with the BIOS & O/S and 99% of BIOS's can automatically turn your CPU fan up and down as needed without the need for speedfan / whatever.

All apart from the very expensive CPU fan units with additional expert case cooling any fan spinning at more than 2k is going to be similarly [ dB ] noisy. This whether or not its 80 / 90 / 120 / etc or if its expensive or cheap.

Pikeyp

I can recommend fans from 'Arctic Cooling' if you go down that route!
Swiss made and guaranteed for 6 years .. http://www.arctic-cooling.com/catalog/index.php

spaceboy

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

- switched off / disabled in the BIOS

Every opportunity should be taken [ if at all ] to move from 80 to 120mm, the way CFM works is .. .. almost all 80's changed for a~n~other 80 will give only very marginal improvement in terms of cooling / noise.

The third wire on a three wire communicates with the BIOS & O/S and 99% of BIOS's can automatically turn your CPU fan up and down as needed without the need for speedfan / whatever.

All apart from the very expensive CPU fan units with additional expert case cooling any fan spinning at more than 2k is going to be similarly [ dB ] noisy. This whether or not its 80 / 90 / 120 / etc or if its expensive or cheap.

Actually some 80mm fans are very quiet. See this list:

http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/products/80mmfans

They can be quieter than bigger fans.

Now if anyone can explain how I get around the 4 wire/pin problem that would be great.

aliEnRIK

If you could take a pic and write all the details down of the one you have it may help