Solved How to Replace Stock CPU Fan

[Graysull]

Hi,

I am building a PC and I would like to upgrade my CPU fan from the stock one. I want to keep the stock heatsink to save some money if possible. My idea is that I can remove the fan from the stock cpu heatsink, and then replace it with a CoolerMaster Sickleflow or Rosewill fan. The processor is an Intel i7 (LGA 1150). If this is not possible, can someone please recommend an affordable aftermarket heatsink with a replaceable fan?

Thanks

 

[Mellon Head]

Well, not knowing what your budget for replacement is, it makes it a little tough. What might be affordable for me, may not be affordable for you...

However, I would not recommend keeping the stock heatsink and putting a new fan on it. You'd gain nothing really, and you'd just waste money on a good fan for no benefit.

This is widely considered to be a good aftermarket cooler:

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120 mm PWM Fan - Newegg.ca

It's not too expensive ($39 CDN - less in the US) and comes with a good fan, so there is really no need to change the fan on it, though I suppose you could if you really wanted to.

 

[Monster212]

also what case do you have??? that will also help us pick a cpu cooler that will fit in the case..

 

[Graysull]

By "affordable" I mean $20-$40, and I looked at the fan you suggested. Do you know of any cpu fans that stand upright instead of facing the other direction, that also is replaceable?

Thanks

 

[Graysull]

I am going to have a Corsair Obsidian 350D with Window.

 

[Mellon Head]

Do you know of any cpu fans that stand upright instead of facing the other direction

Sorry, I'm not quite following what you mean by that. Could you elaborate a little bit? Thanks.

 

[Monster212]

By "affordable" I mean $20-$40, and I looked at the fan you suggested. Do you know of any cpu fans that stand upright instead of facing the other direction, that also is replaceable?

Thanks

push pull cpu coolers work great... i think you are asking for a cpu like the one you have???? with the fan blowing on cpu...

 

[Graysull]

Sorry, I mean that the fan that you showed me had the fan pointing towards the front of the case. What I am looking for is a fan that points directly down at the CPU, like the stock one.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Down blowing coolers are usually so-called "Low Profile" coolers that are less than maybe 3 inches tall. Like the stock Intel cooler.

Go to newegg and sort their heatsinks by those that are "low profile".

Low profile coolers are usually cheaper and not intended for big overclocks.

They typically weigh less and can fit in almost any case.

The other style heatsinks are usually taller and won't fit in many narrower tower cases.

Scythe makes some; Noctua makes some; there's quite a few. Arctic Cooling makes some cheaper ones.

Most fans can be mounted either blowing to the front, rear, or down. It's the heatsink itself that may require that its fan blow down or in some other specific direction.

 

[Monster212]

i would go for the push pull setup for best cooling or for super cooling a water cooler but that is not in your budget... i personally dont know of any good cooler that is like a stock cooler...

 

[Graysull]

Ok, I looked on Newegg and I found one. What do you guys think of this one?

RAIJINTEK ZELOS, Low profile CPU cooler, 3 pcs 6mm nickel plating Heat-pipe, 9015 PWM fan, Total height of 44mm including fan, Supports Intel & AMD modern CPU sockets and platforms - Newegg.com

I'm going to replace the fan with a Cooler Master or Rosewill fan, btw.

Thanks

 

[Mellon Head]

Zalman makes a couple of low profile coolers that aren't too bad, IIRC, but the fans aren't replaceable. They have the advantage of cooling the chipset at the same time, as well as the memory. They're no good for overclocking, but they do the job usually better than a stock cooler.

 

[Graysull]

Ok, but what do you think of the one that I posted?

 

[Mellon Head]

This would be a better choice:

COOLER MASTER GeminII M4 RR-GMM4-16PK-R2 120mm Slim Fan Long Life Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler Compatible with Intel 2011/1366/1155/1156/775 and AMD FM1/FM2/AM3+ - Newegg.com

The one that you posted is only using a 90mm fan. You won't get the kind of cooling that you need if you're running anything that is processor heavy. The one I just linked has a 120mm fan, which is what I assume that your replacement fan is going to be.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

That's an uncommon brand. All you can do is try to find reviews about it with Google.

Do you care about noise level?

Do you have overclocking intentions?

Do you care whether your temps are 40 degrees or 32 degrees at any particular time?

I'd try to find something with a 120 MM fan that didn't spin over maybe 1000 rpm. When you go above that, they tend to get noisy.

 

[Graysull]

Ok thank you, I will go with that one. One more thing, do you recommend Rosewill or Cooler Master SickleFlow fans? Or does it not matter? My preference for sound is very little sound.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Ok thank you, I will go with that one. One more thing, do you recommend Rosewill or Cooler Master SickleFlow fans? Or does it not matter?

Do you care about noise levels?

If you do, look at fans from Scythe, Noctua, Nexus, Yate Loon, or BeQuiet.

Do you care about over clocking?

 

[Graysull]

I edited the post and said I don't like the noise from the fans. A subtle hum is okay I guess, and I don't overclock unless the component comes overclocked like a Graphics card. Also, I found this fan on Amazon. What do you think?

Amazon.com: Cooler Master JetFlo 120 - POM Bearing 120mm Blue LED High Performance Silent Fan for Computer Cases, CPU Coolers, and Radiators: Computers & Accessories

I will look at ones from the brands you suggested.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I edited the post and said I don't like the noise from the fans. A subtle hum is okay I guess, and I don't overclock unless the component comes overclocked like a Graphics card.

Then stay with coolers that use 120 mm fans.

You can't really evaluate a fan without hearing it. Buy the cooler and try its included fan. If it is too loud for you, then start looking for a replacement. How offensive the included fan is will vary from person to person.

120 mm fans start to get audible above 1000 rpm, but will vary in the type of noise they produce. You just have to experiment. Most people can tolerate pretty much any fan if its fairly low speed.

I wouldn't buy a replacement fan unless I found the included one too loud. You might save some money.

Scythe Gentle Typhoon and Scythe Slipstream models are among the quietest 120 mm fans if you have to replace.

 

[Graysull]

Ok, thanks for your time.