BleepingComputer.com: Noisy CPU fan

Acer Aspire M3800
Intel core 2 quad CPU Q8300 @2.50GHz
4gig ram

For the last two years this computer was running silent until about 4 weeks ago, then the CPU fan became permanently noisy like I am in a wind tunnel with fluctuating speeds. Solution, buy a new fan and replace it. Didn't work, the new fan is making the same amount of noise. Fan speed is running around 3800rpm.

Help!

It is possible that your computer is overheating hence the noisy fan. 3800RPM is really loud.

Download speedfan, to find out the temperature of the CPU http://www.almico.com/sfdownload.php

Your CPU might need the thermal paste replacing.

I have already downloaded speedfan. Which temp reading is the CPU and what is a normal operating temperature?

If it is just a matter of replacing the paste, is that as simple as buying a tube and applying it to the CPU and fan?

Hi,

What you need to try is HWMonitor.

If the temps. seem high, here's what you can try:

- Clean out the CPU heat sink and fan using a can of compressed air

- Clean out the old thermal compound and reapply the thermal paste (don't add too much though)

While you're at it, you might also want to clean other hardware components using the can and do some cable management inside the case to improve the airflow within.

Let us know how it goes.

This post has been edited by ReviverSoft: 07 February 2012 - 07:39 PM

Everything has been cleaned. Removed heatsink from CPU cleaned properly. Applied small amount of thermal paste. Nothing has changed. Still noisy, still running fast maybe a couple hundred rpm slower, what is a normal fan speed? Don't know what temp 0,1,2 stand for, which is the CPU? What temp should it be running?

Where to from here?

Thanks

This is the data from HWMonitor

Hardware monitor ITE IT87
Voltage 0 1.07 Volts [0x43] (CPU VCORE)
Voltage 1 2.99 Volts [0xBB] (VIN1)
Voltage 2 1.52 Volts [0x5F] (+3.3V)
Voltage 3 5.00 Volts [0xBA] (+5V)
Voltage 4 11.84 Volts [0xB9] (+12V)
Voltage 5 -4.54 Volts [0x47] (-12V)
Voltage 6 -13.57 Volts [0xD4] (-5V)
Voltage 7 5.03 Volts [0xBB] (+5V VCCH)
Voltage 8 3.23 Volts [0xCA] (VBAT)
Temperature 0 40°C (104°F) [0x28] (TMPIN0)
Temperature 1 33°C (91°F) [0x21] (TMPIN1)
Temperature 2 59°C (138°F) [0x3B] (TMPIN2)
Fan 0 3629 RPM [0xC5] (FANIN0)
Fan PWM 0 0 pc [0x0] (FANPWM0)
Fan PWM 1 0 pc [0x0] (FANPWM1)
Fan PWM 2 50 pc [0x40] (FANPWM2)

Just wondering does anybody have sound technical advice to assist me with this issue.

There is nothing wrong with the fan or the seal between the CPU and heatsink.

Is the problem the CPU? How can I tell and what tests can I conduct to make that assumption?

Is there a problem in the BIOS? What do I need to check or change to get the system running back to normal?

Thanks in advance.

Stuffed.

I fixed the problem.

So try the following if you experience a loud CPU fan as it is running too fast before buy and replace the fan and before you reapply thermal paste.

Go into BIOS, select PC health status and enable smart fan.

It is that easy, problem solved.

The silence is scary.

That setting should not have changed on its own.

Did you change the CMOS battery, CR2032?
Did you reset the bios settings for some reason?
What changed 4 weeks ago that the fan got loud?

It is good that you found the problem and troubleshooting why it happened is a option not needed if you don't care what happened as long as it is fixed.

Absolutely no idea why there was a change that set the fan off running fast. I did no tinkering to the system.

The main thing all is operating normal again.