Replacing CPU fan!

TallVicar

Whilst installing some extra RAM I must have disturbed the wire to the CPU fan and now there is a broken connection in the fan and it does not work. As it is a sealed unit I guess I have to replace the fan.

It looks a simple job but I'm worried about tdisturbing the CPU.

Can anyone give me any tips? The CPU is AMD Sempron Socket 754.

Thanks for reading.

bingo_bango

The only thing you may need to do is to reset the fan using heat compound. This is a heat dissipation material that you place between the base of the fan's heat exchanger and the CPU. Kit should cost around £5-6 from somehwere like Maplins, and is easy to do.

ollyshaw

Its very easy. My BIG tip would be to warm the system up for a bit first. On my AMD the paste was solid, nearly broke the CPU pulling it off. If I had warmed the sytem the paste would have been liquid and been removed more easily.

Olly

Omertron

If you need to replace the fan because it's broken, then have a look for a replacement unit at somewhere like eBuyer (HERE) and then follow this guide HERE. It's quite simple to do if you are reasonably competent. Most coolers come with some free thermal grease, but you can buy better stuff for pennies, e.g. HERE

Omertron

ollyshaw wrote:

My BIG tip would be to warm the system up for a bit first.

Not a good idea if your cooler is broken as you can fry the CPU quiet easily, as it's amazing how fast they heat up.

superscaper

Omertron wrote:

Not a good idea if your cooler is broken as you can fry the CPU quiet easily, as it's amazing how fast they heat up.

I'd agree, I don't know what they're like now but AMD processors could be fried in a minute without the cooling fan and heat sink. Very risky.