northbridge hotter than CPU & NB fan going mad!

Mr Spoon · 28 Apr 2006 at 10:17

Since I installed SLi, my northbridge fan has been spinning at full speed making a lot of noise, on inspecting the temps I found that the Northbridge is running at 60 degrees C.

I removed the video cards and had a look around and noticed that one of the cards virtually sits on the NB fan and installing the card causes the NB fan to move around a lot. On inspecting the NB fan it seems very loose - i can twist it slightly left to right and it rocks up and down on the chip.

I did think about taking it off and applying normal Arctic Silver thermal paste (not the glue stuff) but how do you get the NB fan off ??

Any suggestions ?

ta.

ted34 · 28 Apr 2006 at 11:39

They are normally secured via two white plastic pins. Just take board out of case and squeeze the barbs together on the other side of the board. This will allow it to come away from the board. I use a zalman on mine with a x800 passive. That use to get to 40 so i put a 80mm blowing onto it. I now have an x850xt with a vf700cu and thats keeping it much cooler as vga cooler blows through zalman as well

Dutch Guy · 28 Apr 2006 at 13:26

You need to remove the mobo from the case to remove the northbridge heatsink, it is attached with two pins that you need to squuze at the bottom.

wellibob · 28 Apr 2006 at 13:44

First thing i do when i got my mobo, was to remove the chipset fan, and re-seat it with artic silver paste.

Mr Spoon · 28 Apr 2006 at 14:46

ok thanks, is the normal non glue stuff ok ? because the NB heatsink/fan seems very loose.

I cant fit any larger heatsinks on the NB instead because there isnt room under the video card.

Dutch Guy · 28 Apr 2006 at 14:48

You do not need glue as the pins attach the heatsink to the mobo.

Mr Spoon · 28 Apr 2006 at 15:49

ok thanks, will have a look tonight.

ElectroBlaster · 29 Apr 2006 at 14:39

This is the first thing I do with any new motherboard and thats to whip off the northbridge heatsink and get some proper goop on the chip

I just fitted an asrock board and the heatsink had hardly any goop there at all, infact I was surprised they even bothered to put some on as normally its a rubbish pad or none at all lol

Cyber-Mav · 29 Apr 2006 at 17:10

yea on my asrock board asrock really took the DELETED , READ THE FAQ with applying the thermal paste. they may as well not have bothered. :rolleyes: