Processor + heatsink - Fan?

Well, my question is, about how long will a processor with a heatsink on it, last without it's fan?

I'm asking because today I opened up my box to change an IDE cable (since the one I had wasn't mine). When I open it I get curious and decide to turn the fan. When I turned the fan (manually) it BARELY moved, and when it did it sreeched. So I wanted to know how fast was the fan actually going since it wasnt moving and plugged in the computer and turned it on. Well, it didn't move at all.

Well I bought a new fan yadda yadda (only $4). But the thing is, my computer was on for 3-4 days prior to me finding out. So how much more days could it have lasted. Now I know that this isn't something people test lol but just a random estimate to fullfill my curiousity :) I have P3 567MhZ, and luckily, didn't play any high gfx games while the fan wasn't working (not like my computer can actually run high gfx games lol)

Which btw, also explains the mystery as to why my computer was going to slow as I stated in another thread.

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Originally posted here by Raion
Well, my question is, about how long will a processor with a heatsink on it, last without it's fan?...

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Unfortunately there are a lot of variables to consider. The good news is that I guess it still works and wasn't immediately toasted. The older P3's don't run as hot and if you have a max temp setting detector that shuts things down, either in the BIOs or built in the CPU, that would help keep it from toasting as well. If the fan was running much slower, but at least still turning, that would have assisted greatly as well. Additionally, it appears that you don't really know when the fan stopped turning. So hopefully it hasn't been very long!

I had a similar situation, on my old P3 that I use with IPCop and Smoothwall, the fan was dying, however I didn't find out until after I shut down the computer to put another memory stick in and then attempted to restart. It was only then that the fan started to squeel. So I shut it down and replaced it.

It would also depend on how much other air was moving around in the box. If you have great air flow then it would have lasted longer as well. And my newer unit shuts down if the CPU gets above a temp that I set. So regardless of anything else, if it gets near that temp, it will be spared.

Based on all the possibilities, I don't know for sure whether there is a specific time frame it could last.

cheers

Relyt is correct in that there are so many variables that you can't really know hom much damage or not has been done to the processor. The most obvious sympton of damage will be if it starts to crash.

What i would suggest is to download a system health program. I have never used these programs before so someone else might be able to suggest a good one, or if they are even worth it, but after a very quick google, i did find this:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/...ster-Pro.shtml

It says it has a free trial, but i didn't look into what functionality you get in the trial.

Anyway, hope its cool ;)

Just to add an overheating story of mine, a couple of years back i got a brand new P900, oohh. Anyway i ran this thing day and night, and literally just left it on as i was at uni and it was always in use. After 9 months of only being turmed off when i went home (possibly 3-4 times over those 9 months) It started crashing while using graphic intensive games. Anyway forunately i was still in the year warranty, called them out and was told that i had fried the motherboard. :eek: They asked about ventilation and i said i'd improve it, didn't mention i hadn't turmed it off since i bought it :p

Good luck

Good airflow? On my computer? HAH! that'd be the day lol. My front fan is probably dying out by now since it, just like the processor fan is 5 years old. I really haven't put any effort into improving the airflow since I'm getting a new computer.

ShippMA, doesnt the Mobo have to support that temperature feature to be able to calculate the temperature on a computer?

buy fans [plural]
it may be you are going to get a new one
but until then ....................


look after the box, and it will look after you
apart from trojans / virus / pwned / yatta yatta :)

spend some money on the box that is running NOW

to the main feature :
PIII never really needed a fan as the heatsink [passive] was sufficient
this is still no excuse

SPEND SOME $$$$$$ :D

Hi Raion,

Yes, the mobo does have to have a temperature sensor port on it in order to calculate CPU temperature, and older ones sometimes do not have these. However that is but one way of checking the health of a CPU. The program that i googled up runs other tests like caluclating Pi etc in order to load test the CPU and Motherboard.

Like i said i have never used one and have no idea as to how good or accurate these programs are, but if you can get a free one or a free trial, it might be worth dowloading one just to see if they pull up any problems. As long as its free you can't loose anything. :D

Hi Raion

I strongly suspect that your manual spinning of the fan was what finally killed it........as you were applying force at a tangent to its natural rotational axis you must have introduced an additional amount of torque...........not a good idea as it sounds as if it was in its death throes anyways.

If you did not run it for long periods at a time, I would expect that you "got away with it", although you have probably shortened its life.

Remember that the case and airflow are important. A tower case is probably a lot less vulnerable than a desktop, which is , in turn, less vulnerable than a laptop.

Also, there is nothing "magic" about a little fan mounted on top of your heatsink. I could probably get similar results with non-mounted fans and good thermal paste. It is all about airflow and thermal conductivity.

:)

I've spent too much money on this computer as is on minor upgrades ($119, yes not a lot, but for a 5yr old computer, it is too much) and I suspect that this computer will last a few more years (or months? :-p) since I don't really put it under any HEAVY usage (since it's too slow).

nihil, weather or not my manual spinning killed it, it was for the best since if I didn't kill it, it would've died without me knowing therefore causing me to be out of a processor therefore causing me to be without a computer and in the end out of $1,240 (yes, i already calculated the costs of my new comp :-D assuming the prices of the parts don't change)

EDIT:

nihil:

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You must spread your AntiPoints around before giving it to nihil again.

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