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.
Re: Processor + heatsink - Fan?
Quote:
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?...
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