Chipset fan

Skrapt · 6 Jun 2008 at 09:34

Hi,
I've been refurbishing an old broken computer and managed to get it working again after replacing the hard drive, graphics card and reseating the cpu cooler with new thermal paste. However I'm running into one last problem whenever I start the PC up the BIOS gives me a warning saying the chipset fan isn't working, I assume this is the southbridge fan which indeed isn't working.

I've installed XP and run some temperature checks and all seems normal however is it safe to leave it running without the fan working? It's an Asus A8N-E Nforce motherboard

http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?modelmenu=1&model=455&l1=3&l2=15&l3=171

so is it safe leaving it like this? All temps are 40 degrees C or lower, or should I buy a new fan? And would this:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-026-AK
for example be able to replace it?

Admiral Huddy · 6 Jun 2008 at 09:37

I'm pretty sure you can set the fan detection off in the BIOS?

If your not OC'ing to extreme, then just get yourself a cheap passive block.

bledd · 6 Jun 2008 at 10:55

if you're worried, i'd get a zalman fanless chipset heatsink

no noise, always does the trick

Skrapt · 6 Jun 2008 at 11:05

Ok thanks, do the northbridge and southbridge share universal mounting systems then? So would a fanless heatsink for a northbridge be able to fit on the southbridge? Like this for example:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SY-007-ZA

bledd · 6 Jun 2008 at 11:11

thats the one i meant

the mounting holes can be moved a lot on that, to fit any sized chipset mounting hole basically

also, that is the northbridge on that motherboard, will fit it fine

dntbloodshot · 6 Jun 2008 at 12:52

Another vote for the zalman, the chipset fan was the single most noisiest part of my old pc. I ran it with the fan disconnected for a few days, just with the stock heatsink (this was on a Gigabyte socket 939 main board) and temperatures ran around 75 celsius, so I got the zalman. I had to hack off a few milimeters from one side of the fins, because it's too tall and in the way of my graphics card, but I'm really happy with it, noiseless and cool. A bit fiddly to install with sausage fingers though.

bledd · 6 Jun 2008 at 14:07

i've used about 6 of them in the past, they're easy to bend / cut if you need to (usually because of poor nb chip placement on the boards!)

Skrapt · 6 Jun 2008 at 16:47

bledd. said:
thats the one i meant

the mounting holes can be moved a lot on that, to fit any sized chipset mounting hole basically

also, that is the northbridge on that motherboard, will fit it fine

Ah ok, I thought they were the other way around for some reason :rolleyes:

Only got back into the hardware scene a couple of months ago after an absence of 4 years though.