Can I regulate my CPU fan speed with my HW?

[Jonathan86]

I put this computer together a few years ago and always thought the fan was loud. It seriously sounds like a turbine. I'm surprised the computer doesn't come up off the ground.

The mobo is a MSI K7N2 Delta 2
The fan is a Vantec VA4-C7040

It does a damn good job of keeping the CPU cool, but it constantly runs at 5700 rpm! Is there any way I can tone it down abit?

[Masaki 7-11]

You will need to get a fan speed controller, you should be able to get either a 5.25 inch bay multi-fan speed controller, or something like Zalman Fan Mate. Here are some references for what you're looking for:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813999251
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118217

Do you have any monitoring software for cpu temperatures? Old Athlon XP processors used to run really hot, so going under 3000 or so RPM would overheat the processor. I would take a look at your current temperatures since it may not necessarily be a good idea to lower RPM if the processor is running really hot. I would take a look at getting another fan/heatsink like the Zalman 7000 series an up since they are more efficient and quieter.

[Cricket]

You could try looking for a normal 70mm fan to replace that TMD fan. If you can find one with a lower RPM rating it should be quieter than the TMD.

Here are some 70mm fans. The Yate Loon might be a good choice.

Cricket

[Jonathan86]

Thanks for the suggestions. I played around in the bios today and found that I can control the fan (somewhat) from my motherboard.

To start with I should admit I dont really know what a healthy running temperature for an AMD 2500+ should be. It has always stayed right around 100 degrees F.

In an attempt to slow the fan down I changed my mobo settings to make it keep the CPU temp stable at 122 F. At first I thought this was going to work. The computer became much quieter. After about a minute, to my dismay, it roared back up. I went back into the BIOS to monitor the fan speed and saw that when the temp climbed above 130F the fan kicked it full speed. When it brought the temp down to 107F it completely stopped. It then went on to continue to do this.

I am rather disappointed as I thought the fan would keep it at a constant temp just by running continously but at a slower RPM.

There is also an option in the BIOS to control a "NB Fan" does this stand for North Bridge chipset by chance?

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by Jonathan86 To start with I should admit I dont really know what a healthy running temperature for an AMD 2500+ should be. It has always stayed right around 100 degrees F.

That's 38C and a very good temp for a 2500+.

Originally Posted by Jonathan86 In an attempt to slow the fan down I changed my mobo settings to make it keep the CPU temp stable at 122 F. At first I thought this was going to work. The computer became much quieter. After about a minute, to my dismay, it roared back up. I went back into the BIOS to monitor the fan speed and saw that when the temp climbed above 130F the fan kicked it full speed. When it brought the temp down to 107F it completely stopped. It then went on to continue to do this.

130F is about 54C and the BIOS is probably set to do something if the CPU temps start to get near 60C (140F) so it's telling the heatsink fan to speed up.

Originally Posted by Jonathan86 I am rather disappointed as I thought the fan would keep it at a constant temp just by running continously but at a slower RPM.

I really never heard good things about that particular Vantec heatsink. You might want to consider replacing it with something better, although it might be hard to find a good Socket A heatsink now. If you live in the U.S. you can get one of these MASSCOOL heatsinks from Newegg.com...MASSCOOL 5F286B 80mm Ball CPU Cooling Fan with Heatsink or MASSCOOL 5F263B1M3 80mm Ball CPU Cooler. They were very popular back in the early 2000s because of the low price and good cooling performance while still being fairly quiet.

Originally Posted by Jonathan86 There is also an option in the BIOS to control a "NB Fan" does this stand for North Bridge chipset by chance?

Yes.

Cricket

[Jonathan86]

Cricket, thanks for all the feedback. Today has been a busy day. I've been away from computers for several years. I checked newegg today looking for a fan and I couldnt believe how cheap everything has gotten to be. I haven't looked at computer parts in three years. After a few hours of researching I have decided to build a new machine. LOL screw the fan.

I found 2 gig of corsair for $30. Last time I was looking at memory that would have been $150 or more. I too damn excited, I'm going 64 bit.