Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

What would cause this? I've had this computer for like 6 years since it was brand new and it has never came on and now it's like a ------- hurricane in here with it running. It's not hot, and even if I turn it off and leave it off it will come back on when I turn it back on. ??? It's like ~70* in here and no matter what it stays running. :S
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Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

if your fan has never came on in 6 years i would think something is wrong. weather or not the pc is used with high end video games or just common usage such as surfing the web the fan should have came on. i dont think this it true dr.boost, just doesnt sound right at all to me :-\ all i do is program pretty much and mine still comes on after a bit.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

Wiring?

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

Well it scared the ---- out of me when it came on. I don't play any games or do anything except surf the web. I've never heard this thing come on before. I'm pretty sure it has 2 fans, and I'm pretty sure the other one has came on before, but this one is definitely louder and moving more air than anything I've heard in the past 6 years. :S
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Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

are you sure thats not your secondary kicking on. how old is this pc were talking about? now the fans you hear all the time is usually the cpu fan and the power supply fan. if a louder fan comes on its usually you case vent fan if you have one. i know my moms tower is loud as hell but thats because i put 3 fans in it aside from the factory 2 it comes with. :P

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

I looked and it's a bigger fan with like a vent shroud on it that goes to something that looks like a radiator? It's like 6 years old. It's a Dell 4550 tower.
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Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

It's probably a heatpipe type heatsink. There are tubes with a little bit of water in them. The water evaporates and moves around in the heatsink and condenses when it cools. Supposedly they worked well when they came out like 6 or 7 years ago as a cheap air to air heatsink. Anyway if the can hasn't come on in that long there's something majorly wrong. Typically the fans are hardwired to a 12v line and they come on as the computer is started. Unless you know what you're doing with some kind of temperature control software or hardware they won't come on and off. Bad wiring it sounds like. I highly doubt a 6yo Dell tower is watercooled though.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

it might have a temp switch to only come on when it gets hot.

maybe its getting hot from a shitload of dust in there, or maybe the sensor is f'd and it thinks its hot

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

thats the cpu fan then.... maybe it needs to be replaced. i know they tend to get loud after a while from excessive use. i have an old gateway that the fan was dieing on me and it would shake back and forth real bad and sound like a pos ford with a few rods knocking. replaced and was quiet once more. if you have easy access to it, try turning off the pc sometime later, and shake the fan back and forth and see if there is any side to side movement. should be slight up and down movement.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

Be careful though when you buy a new fan. Deltas are notorious for cooling well, but they also sound like a jet turbine. Back when I OCed I had a 120mm Delta on an 80mm copper thin finned heatsink... that ish was tight. I miss having a desktop now :'( Laptops are so gay.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

if it gets louder all in a sudden then the fan is fucked.
take it out , spin it by hand see if it runs smooth or not.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

i bought 4 of those maglev bearing fans, and occasionally one will stick and make a grinding noise at times. just give it a bump and back to normal!

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

Every few months I take my tower covers off, take it outside and spray the ---- out of it with the air compressor. you wouldnt believe the dust that gets cought in those things.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

Open 'er up and clean out the dust.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

I bet that thing has always run you just didn't know but now that the fan is fucked and making noise you noticed it ;)

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

Too much porn? ???

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

Could it be the fan was quiet before and you never knew it was running and the bearings in it have gone back making it noisy now?

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

Could be. lol

But seriuosly, what were you doing at the moment it came on? Mine only comes on when I'm using a lot of resources(------- limewire uses a lot). Also comes on if I get any kind of virus.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

not possible ;D

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

just open the case and blow the fan out with canned air, after a period of time they get clogged with dust and that causes alot of friction, or the bearing could be going out and you need a new one, clean it first though.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

It is kinda dusty in there. :l I've never cleaned the inside of it, only the outside and the back where the vents and ports and ---- are. I'll try that and see what happens. I turned it on first thing this morning and as soon as I hit the power button the super fan turns on. It's a pretty steady BBBBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ coming from it, not like it has a bad bearing or anything. I would hear piston knock if that were to happen, right? :P
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Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

its a bad fan.

just go to a computer store and spend the $6 on a new one.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

You sure? Are they supposed to run 24/7? As soon as I hit the power button it comes on, no matter how cold or warm it is. I dusted the ---- out of it and vaccuumed it all out and it still does it. I guess I'll try a new fan.
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Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

Yes, they run 24/7.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

detonation. adjust your afr's and you should be good to go, thats if you're running a safc, otherwise you're fucked.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

bearings have more play than a ssac special

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

Just like others have said: 6 years, it's either dust, or the fan went. If the fan is jet engine fast then it's dust, if it's just making noise but the rpms around around the normal 3k (your bios might be able to tell you, else DL a utility that can read the sensors) .... can of air is probably the fix... or take it in the garage and hit it with the air compressor!

Matt

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

Of course ;D


seriously though, just turn the fucker on with the case opened and figure out whats making the noise, could be the power supply fan as well, but if its not running slow or locking up you don;t even need to mess with it, the processor fan in my laptop has been bad for over a year i just give it a whack every now and then and it shuts the ---- up, lol.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

the fan went. they die. you can re oil them by pulling the sticker off (not the rotating portion) and re oil it.

speaking of fans.

what do you get when you overclock your dual core pc with the stock heat sink?
http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/1...0978ii4.th.jpg

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

Check the temps in bios and make sure nothing is overheating.

I'd just buy another fan to put in it's place if it's super loud. Make sure to get the right connector.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

I got some fans if you need one. Bought them to use in a few projects that I didn't finish. 120mm 150cfm. Should plug into your mb and be temp controlled. Damn things were $14ech. You can have one for the cost of shipping.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

How do I do that? ???
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Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

hit DEL right when the computer starts to boot up. Look in teh menus. If its not an old as piss PC, it'll have a temp readout. Some have 2 - one for the case and 1 just for the proc.

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

Take the fan out and pull the sticker (carefuly) of the back, if it's got a tiny hole in the back....

Use a coffe stiring straw, or something that size, and put some Vegtable oil in it !! make sure you lay it flat when you do it, and don't fill it to the brim,

Replace sticker and presto, you have a quiet fan.

Or just go buy a new one.. but who the hell likes doing that ?!

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

I took it out and cleaned it and oiled it, but it's still loud as ----. The other morning when I started the computer up it was quiet, like normal. Weird, I guess if nothing is wrong besides a noisey fan I'm ok with it. I never knew it ran all day long until it got this loud. :S
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Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

can you FEEL any vibrations from the fan?

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

No. ??? It was quiet just now for a few minutes like it wasn't even running, but I know it was and then all of the sudden it seemed to kick on and now it's a noise maker again. :S I'll go to radio shack with it tomorrow and get a new one. If that doesn't fix it I'll just disconnect it and wait for the computer to burn up. >:D
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Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

i have a friend that works for dell.. apparently this works:


call them and tell them you smelled something that was like plastic burning and saw a whisp of smoke come from the tower. they'll replace the computer with a new model thats what you have or as close to it as they have nowadays



apparently its cheaper for them to just throw you another computer than to risk their machine being the cause of you getting burnt alive...


my buddy says they do it no questions asked....

Re: Computer fan kicked on for the first time in 6 years. WTF?
 

I find this hard to believe. Someone try it.