[SOLVED] OT? Anyone Fixed a Rattling CPU Fan?

[razor7music]

Hey Group--

I bought a custom DAW a few year back and it came with a Zalman CNPS 12X heatsink/cooling fan. One of the fans seems to not be spinning true any longer, and appears to be tapping against part of the housing and causing  a rattling noise. At least that's what appears to be the problem.

This particular heat sink actually contacts the CPU, so I don't want to start messing with it only to find out from someone with experience that it's better to just replace them.

Anyway, I've reached out to the DAW builder (bought the PC with lifetime warranty--hmm) and I reached out to Zalman support. 

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Stephen

Edited September 2, 2020 by razor7music

[John Bradley]

51 minutes ago, razor7music said:

This particular heat sink actually contacts the CPU

As opposed to the ones that don't? ?

Anyway, unless Zalman offers those particular fans as a replacement item, you're pretty much gonna be replacing the whole assembly.

Personally, I'd recommend similar designs - such as the Deepcool Gammaxx 400 - that use standard rectangular 120mm fans, for cheap & easy replacement down the line when (not if!) the bearings start to fail.

Also, unless you're overclocking or some such, a single 120mm fan on the CPU should be more than adequate. And quieter (and cheaper!) than a dual-fan cooler.

[melmyers]

With the bearings going bad, it'll only get worse, and then it might lock up and quit spinning at all.

[Matthew Sorrels]

If you can get the exact model of fan you could replace it, contact Zalman and check.  But usually that's harder than you'd think on things no longer being made (the Zalman CNPS12X is discontinued).  And trying to fit a random fan into that heatsink and have it still work well may be very tricky.  That means you most likely need a whole new heatsink/fan unit.  While there are a lot of different companies in this space, Noctua is where I'd start.

If you have never installed a CPU cooler before, it's not that difficult, but it's best to do some homework.  You have to make sure the new unit fits (height/width/ram clearance).  You also should get something to clean off the old thermal paste.  Just yesterday I redid the paste on an older computer using ArctiClean was pretty happy with it (vs old school 100% isopropyl alcohol).  Though you'll need a micro-fiber/lint free cloth (which it doesn't come with).  The new heatsink may come with new paste, though you may be better off getting something better.  Again homework pays off.

YouTube has lots of videos on the steps for just about everything.  Watch a few of them so you know what you are getting into.

[razor7music]

On 8/25/2020 at 5:13 AM, Matthew Sorrels said:

If you can get the exact model of fan you could replace it, contact Zalman and check.  But usually that's harder than you'd think on things no longer being made (the Zalman CNPS12X is discontinued).  And trying to fit a random fan into that heatsink and have it still work well may be very tricky.  That means you most likely need a whole new heatsink/fan unit.  While there are a lot of different companies in this space, Noctua is where I'd start.

If you have never installed a CPU cooler before, it's not that difficult, but it's best to do some homework.  You have to make sure the new unit fits (height/width/ram clearance).  You also should get something to clean off the old thermal paste.  Just yesterday I redid the paste on an older computer using ArctiClean was pretty happy with it (vs old school 100% isopropyl alcohol).  Though you'll need a micro-fiber/lint free cloth (which it doesn't come with).  The new heatsink may come with new paste, though you may be better off getting something better.  Again homework pays off.

YouTube has lots of videos on the steps for just about everything.  Watch a few of them so you know what you are getting into.

Thanks. I did hear back from my DAW builder (I think telling them this is my 3rd attempt at support helped). The part is not under their warranty. I did reach out to Zalman and am waiting to hear, but I don't have a lot of hope for them giving me a new fan heatsink for free.

Noctua is actually the replacement the DAW builder recommend and they gave me the model that fits my mobo, so that's where I'm going.

I've replaced heatsinks before, so I should be ok, just a hastle. Oh we'll, things wear out.

 

EDIT: Zalman's warranty (other than power supplies) is 1 year. My current heatsink/fan is well over one year. I bought the Noctua.

Edited August 27, 2020 by razor7music

[gustabo]

Noctua products are great!