How long can I go without a CPU fan

jsmoke · 20 Feb 2013 at 18:24

So rebuilt the PC, forgot to put the CPU fan connector in and was running for 2 days without, touched the heatsink and it felt not particularly hot, so I am thinking keep the connector out perm, what do you think, it's a pretty good h/s lot's of fins etc, can't remember the model but seems as though the h/s is enough to dissipate the heat without the fan?

dacads · 20 Feb 2013 at 18:27

What are the temperatures like?

If you're running something like I am I would be hesitant to not use a fan for even a few seconds

linwelin · 20 Feb 2013 at 18:36

what CPU is it ?

ridgway90 · 20 Feb 2013 at 18:40

if when its plugged in you have no problem with noise then i wouldnt risk it
but if youre gonnago for it then keep a bloody good eye on temps

ridgway90 · 20 Feb 2013 at 18:40

if when its plugged in you have no problem with noise then i wouldnt risk it
but if youre gonnago for it then keep a bloody good eye on temps

kPATm · 20 Feb 2013 at 20:47

I its still running OK you have been lucky. Plug the fan in its there for a reason

Bacon? · 20 Feb 2013 at 20:50

Blimey even when I used toothpaste cause I had no thermal paste on me I had the fan plugged in

Raikiri · 20 Feb 2013 at 20:55

I've run my CPU passively ok when it's at stock.

snips86x · 20 Feb 2013 at 21:38

Bacon? said:
Blimey even when I used toothpaste cause I had no thermal paste on me I had the fan plugged in

Really! Did it end as you expected?

areksnumbr1sxylady · 21 Feb 2013 at 01:27

I dont see why something like intel G540 cant run on Phantecs heatsink without fans... I mean that thing is massive..

setter · 21 Feb 2013 at 02:16

It would be fine passive. Ive ran a q6600 and an i7 920 passive with a TRUE black cooler.

paradigm · 21 Feb 2013 at 07:08

I guess this all depends on if the case fans are still all active.

If they are, and the airflow is sufficient around the CPU, then you'll likely not need a fan directly on the heatsink anyway... it's how most servers work

Rubicant · 21 Feb 2013 at 10:56

We ve got hybrid graphics cards and psu whose fan only spin up when needed. Lookn forward to the day when same can be said for the cpu.

ubersonic · 21 Feb 2013 at 12:17

Rubicant said:
We ve got hybrid graphics cards and psu whose fan only spin up when needed. Lookn forward to the day when same can be said for the cpu.

The original 486 didn't require any cooling and most Pentiums could get by with a pasisve heat-sink, in fact the early slot 1 Celerons were available with passive heat-sinks too, the only reason we ended up with large heat-sinks and fans was due to the performance boom of the late 90's and 2000's, manufacturers released hotter and hotter CPU's trying to match ever increasing software demands.

Today software performance has, for the general user plateaued meaning the 35W Celeron G440 with its 1.6GHz single SB core or possibly even the 65W G530 with its twin 2.4GHz SB cores could both be passively cooled. As Haswell is apparently bringing low power use CPUs it will be interesting to see how the power/temp ratio turns out in the very low end.

MaxP779 · 21 Feb 2013 at 21:11

jsmoke said:
So rebuilt the PC, forgot to put the CPU fan connector in and was running for 2 days without, touched the heatsink and it felt not particularly hot, so I am thinking keep the connector out perm, what do you think, it's a pretty good h/s lot's of fins etc, can't remember the model but seems as though the h/s is enough to dissipate the heat without the fan?

Never heard of that particular make/model.

TALON1973 · 21 Feb 2013 at 23:08

i was running an athlon 3700+ without an active cpu fan ..... was using a antec p180 case with 3 case fans mind .. never tried it with newer models

stuie · 22 Feb 2013 at 08:54

Rubicant said:
We ve got hybrid graphics cards and psu whose fan only spin up when needed. Lookn forward to the day when same can be said for the cpu.

Get a fan controller like the recon, the havik 140 on my 3770k hardly ever turns on unless taxed. Ive got a probe in the heatsink and the fan is set to come on when it hits 30c.

subbytna · 22 Feb 2013 at 10:36

I used to run my CPU, q9550, passive at stock settings with a thermalite cooler and temps stayed in the 40's at idle and 55-60 under load. Apart from teh case fans, the pc was really quiet.

KelDG · 22 Feb 2013 at 13:39

Depends what you are doing with it really, if it is just idling and your temps are low then I suppose it would be ok. But as soon as you tax the CPU for any amount of time you are asking for trouble.

For example, don't try to encode video or run Intel burn test on it with no fan

greenbrucelee · 22 Feb 2013 at 19:36

imo you should always have a fan unless you have a passive heatsink and all you do is type letters or do spreadsheets all day long then you would probably get away with no fan.