I have a Dell Dimension 8100, purchased in Fall of '02. Lately, it’s extremely noisy, which is more of a petty annoyance than anything else.
I’ve opened the case and cleaned it out with canned air, but that didn’t really quiet anything down.
I’m assuming it’s the stock fan(s) that came with the PC that are just cheap/reaching the end of their life-cycle/poorly designed.
Given the exact model that I have, could anyone suggest a 3rd party fan or fans (I’m not sure how many are in there- I know there’s one at the back but that’s it) that would a)fit my computer and b)significantly reduce/remove CPU noise?
I would GREATLY appreciate any help here. I’m pretty much able to open and remove/replace/install bits on my own, but I know very little about specs for the non-video card or processor hardware components of computers in general, so I’m hesitant to take a stab at buying something without a little handholding.
I have not called Dell, because I would prefer to replace the fan with a higher-quality-than-Dell fan, and in the past when I’ve called them (for info on hard drive upgrades), they’ve tried to convince me that only Dell hard drives (external, even) would work with this computer, which is patently false.
Almost all fans (case and CPU) are a standard size. However, that size can be any number of sizes, thugh usually a case fan is 80mm and a CPU fan is 60mm.
You say there is a fan in the back, is this the fan for the power supply or a case fan? And do you know which fan is making the noise? It could be the CPU fan, power suply fan, or that possible extra case fan you have. A CPU fan is probably the trickest to replace, cause sometimes they are permantly attached to the heatsink, in which case you need a whole new heatsink/fan assembly, and for someone who is inexperienced with building computers, replacing one can be daunting (I know the first time I did it I was very scared of cracking the CPU die, or not getting it aligned straight, etc…)
At any rate, Compusa will have whatever you are looknig for, and they might do a free install (though with something as small as a fan maybe not.) If you prefer online shopping and feel you can install it yourself (it’s not in any way hard, note above withstanding) then a good place is NewEgg.
My fan hasn’t begun making grinding noises or anything (yet.) It’s just really loud, but decidedly fan-like in nature.
Let me ask you this, Happy Scrappy Hero Pup- how was the quality of the replacement fan you received? On a scale of 1-10, one being silent, how would you rate it?
Also, am I right in assuming that it’s the fan? There’s nothing else that would be constantly making loud whirring noise while the computer’s on, is there?
Ooh- that’s a good idea. Here I was focused on replacement, but maybe lubrication will work! At worst, I’d have to replace a fan that I was going to replace anyways.
Anybody want to chime in on this being a really bad idea? I’ll be really careful, of course, like Gary said.
The $10 (max) you’ll pay for a really nice quiet fan would certainly be worth it in my mind, when compared to the real possibility of screwing up your machine. I guess it’s much safer to lubricate the case fan than the CPU fan, though, and you can always take them out to avoid getting oil anywhere it shouldn’t be. How brave do you feel?
If you do get a replacement, it’s worth getting a brand of fan that specifically markets itself as quiet, IME. Zalman and Vantec make good, quiet fans (this is typical, although obviously you’ll want to make sure you get the right size - that one’s 80mm).
Alright- one more silly question (and thanks to the last few response, too. I DO need to check the mechanical connection first). If I find that my computer’s case fan is 80MM, for example, can I just buy an 80MM case fan to replace it? IOW, do I need to be concerned with different fans having different connectors and such (much like there are different types of memory, or PCI slots, etc.)?
I’ve had to take the connector off the old fan and install it on the new fan in cases where the connector was incompatible or missing. In most cases, they both have the same type of connector.
Only slightly, and a better fan will alleviate this.
There are two types of power connectors. Small 3-pin connectors generally attach directly to the motherboard. Larger 4-pin connectors attach to a lead from the power supply. A good fan, such as Vantec or Zalman, should include an adaptor allowing the fan to be connected to either power connector. You’ll likely be connecting to a 4-pin connector directly to the power supply if it is a case fan, which is very easy to do. CPU fans always connect to the motherboard.
To find which fan is your problem, open up your case with the computer on and listen. If you can’t pinpoint which fan is an issue, start disconnecting case fans, one at a time. Unless you are reckless (like a certain computer builder who happens to share my underwear), you’ll want to power down and power back up between each attempt. Keep touching the metal frame of the case to remove static electricity.
Optionally, as fans are cheap, look online at the Dell website, find how many fans the case houses, and just replace them all. Probably won’t be more than two, one in front and one in the rear (front is often harder to access).
I’ve had Dell PCs sound like cement mixers right out of the box, and replacement fans shipped by Dell that had cracked blades, so I’d wager they’re using bottom-of-the-barrel fans with sleeve bearings. Ball bearing designs are generally going to have much longer lives.
I’m a big fan of PC Power & Cooling’s fans and power supplies. When they say “Silencer” they mean it.
To find the bad fan(s) open up the computer and one by one, stop the fans, either by unplugging them or pressing your finger against the blade hub. Don’t try jamming a pencil or screwdriver into them to stop them - you risk damaging the blades this way. When you replace fans, pay attention to the airflow. Generally, front-of-case fans suck air into the case and fans on the back, top or side blow air out. One one or more of the skinny sides of the fans, there should be an arrow indicating flow.
If the power supply’s got the noisy fan, it’s usually best to just replace the whole power supply than attempt a fan-ectomy.
So, I ended up ordering this fan from newegg. I got it a few weeks ago, but time slipped away from me, and I just got around to installing it last night.
Except not really. After futzing with the bracket that is attached to the current fan I have (instead of screwing the fan to the case, there is a square bracket that I was able to remove and attach to the new fan), it came time to plug the fan into the motherboard.
So here’s my new problem: the new fans comes wired as a 3-pin, with 4-pin connectors supplied. The old fan was a 3-pin. Only the receptacle that receives the 3-pin plug is shaped much differently than that of the 3-pin plug on the new fan. Is this a Dell thing? Have you guys run into differently-shaped 3-pin connectors, or are they usually standard, with the exception of large companies who want you to buy their parts only?
I’m totally fruatrated at this point- while I was in there anyways, I cleaned out alot of dust that had been sucked into the plastic duct that the fan is encased in, and then had to put the old fan back in. It sounds horrible still, but I guess I’m gonna have to live with it- I have no plans on spending $30 for a POS Dell fan until this one gives up the ghost entirely.
So for one fan, I have now learned my lesson- I won’t be buying Dells anymore.
Unless one of you can point me to some sort of 3-pin to 3-pin adapter? I’m assuming it’s unlikely that they make that though.
Thanks all.
p.s. Happy Scrappy…- did you install that new fan? How does it sound?
That’s an interesting solution. Could you please expand it to explain how: 1) I go about fitting a 4-pin connector into a 3-pin receptacle (which, near as I can tell, is affixed to the motherboard) 2) this resolves the problem of totally differently-shaped fittings?
Honestly- maybe I’m missing something here; it wouldn’t surprise me at all.
It’s possible it’s the hard drive, but there’s a quick test on Dells you can run to rule that out, the 90/90 diags. Unfortunately I just quit my job at Dell yesterday, (nothing against the company, just hated doing phone-tech support), so I can’t look up how to get into there for you…http://support.dell.com probably has it. Just search for “90/90” and it should get you there. If all else fails, you can still call them and get support, they just won’t send you parts (unless your service contract is still good).
I’m almost positive that it’s your power supply. Dell use proprietary power supplies that are NOISY AS HELL. I’m typing on one right now, and it sounds like a small jetliner taxiing down the runway.
