Replacing fan on stock AMD AM3 heatsink with a quieter one?

I've recently built a new PC which includes the AM3 Phenom II x4 955 Black Edition processor.

I've been using the stock heatsink and fan because I can't get any aftermarket coolers to get my CPU as cool as the stock (idling in the low 30s and peaking 50-55c).

However, the fan on this cooler is very loud. I have a case with 5 120mm fans, and the only fan I hear is the CPU fan. It sounds like a jet engine during gaming and other high load tasks.

Are there any (quieter) replacement fans that I can put on the stock heatsink? It's a great heatsink, but the fan needs replaced.

Thanks

th3dude

Posted 2010-01-26T14:36:29.843

Reputation: 9 189

Answers

Apparently the stock heatsink uses a standard 80mm fan. One of the quietest fans you can get is a Nexus 80mm PWM Silent Case Fan. Most likely, you'll need a 4pin PWM an so the motherboard can control the fan speed. Nexus makes their Silent Fans in other sizes as well.

Does it look like this?

Wayne Sheppard

Posted 2010-01-26T14:36:29.843

Reputation: 226

Interesting. Glad to see it's a standard size. The only issue would be connecting it to the HS. The stock fan seems to be clipped on to the HS, not screwed in like you see with case fans. Any info on this? – th3dude – 2010-01-26T15:59:02.383

I don't have the Phenom so I can't tell how it is attached. I've put a link to an image in my answer above. It appears that the plastic snaps down onto the HS. Is that plastic part of the fan, or does it hold down the fan?

If it just holds down a stock fan, replacing the fan with a quieter one of the same size should be no issue. If the clips are part of the fan, that's a custom design for that specific HS. Then you'd have to rig some way of attaching it with zipties, etc. – Wayne Sheppard – 2010-01-26T19:10:49.883

Yep, that's it! Hopefully the clips are part of the HS, then it's as easy as snapping it out and a new one in. I will update when I get home tonight. Thanks! – th3dude – 2010-01-26T19:22:33.897

Well, it does snap right off. Ordering a replacement fan as we speak. Thanks! – th3dude – 2010-01-26T23:55:22.490

I'm having the same problem with replacing the fan. I don't really care about quiet, but cool is important. The aftermarket fans don't actually fit the aperture as the outside edge is a hair wider. I have also tried aftermarket coolers to replace it, BUT I discovered something important: the board/cpu design is meant for the fan to suck the air directly through from the cpu. Most aftermarket have the fans facing parallel with the board instead of perpendicular, and because of this, even at high-speeds, the fan just can't cool the cpu sufficiently.

If you decide to replace the cooler, look for a design that is perpendicular, not parallel AND good luck on replacing just the fan.

Drakaran

Posted 2010-01-26T14:36:29.843

Reputation: 11

Something like the Zalman CNPS9900 will fit your socket type perfectly. It is very quiet and should do a MUCH better job cooling your processor than the stock cooler.

Russ Warren

Posted 2010-01-26T14:36:29.843

Reputation: 2 523

Sorry, but I don't think you read the question. I've tried after market coolers and haven't had any cool as well as the stock cooler. I'm looking to replace the fan on the AMD cooler, not the entire cooler itself. – th3dude – 2010-01-26T14:43:22.603

I read the question, I just chose to offer a different solution. The fact that you are getting better cooling performance from your stock cooler than aftermarket coolers tells me that you are either not installing the aftermarket cooler correctly or you are not choosing the correct aftermarket cooler for your application. You WILL lose cooling performance if you replace the fan on your stock cooler with one that is quieter, whereas you can replace the cooler with one that has been proven to be both quieter and better performing for about the same effort. – Russ Warren – 2010-01-26T14:54:26.057

Sorry, but I installed and reinstalled the aftermarket cooler 5 times, all with worse results than the stock cooler. The stock cooler idles at 30c and full load is 50c, I'm not worried about replacing it, just maybe a quieter fan. I don't think replacing the fan necessarily guarantees that the temps will be higher. A higher quality fan could still cool just the same and also be quieter. – th3dude – 2010-01-26T14:57:20.107

you both have good points. it should be possible to replace the stock cooler's fan with a better quality one to get a quieter system at the same cooling. but a proper aftermarket cooling system should be much cooler than the stock cooler, so i suspect your testing hasn't actually installed them properly (or you've tested the wrong aftermarket coolers for your application). – quack quixote – 2010-01-26T15:06:13.160

Well, I've been building PCs for a while. It isn't that hard to install a cooler. But I respect your opinion that I 'did it wrong'. All I'm asking for is if it's possible to replace the fan, not the cooler. I don't know why I have to defend myself. – th3dude – 2010-01-26T15:11:38.310

I'm sure you installed it correctly -- they aren't that tough to install anymore. What cooler did you test with? I'm curious to know so I can avoid it in the future. I've always used the Zalman CNPS line with great success. – Russ Warren – 2010-01-26T15:17:52.057

I bought one of these with Arctic Silver thermal compound: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134 It is supposed to be a very good cooler, but I couldn't get the thing to work very well. I'm not opposed to trying it again, but I don't know what else I can do to get it to work.

– th3dude – 2010-01-26T15:45:06.080

If I may, I would suggest re-examining the Zalman. While the Arctic Cooling is rated highly (and likely rightly so), an AMD processor will still be putting out more heat than an Intel processor (note that it works on both), and don't forget that a full copper heatsink will always be much more efficient than a copper/aluminum blend. – Tom A – 2010-01-26T16:02:04.793