Should I install a GPU Fan?

[TLAM Strike]

I noticed that a few of my old Vid Cards have fans on them instead of Heat Sinks. But my new Geforce 6200 has a heat sink. Should I swap it for a fan off one of my old cards like an old Nivida 32 meg clunker I found?

[Rhodes]

It's a passive heat sink! My olod card was also like that and I never had a problem. And since no fan= less noise, wich is a good thing.
You shouldn't swap for a old nvidia 32 fan, since the heat dissipation of the fan will not be suffucient for the new board.
You could by a new active heat sink or put a fan on top of the card heat sink, but I think that's not necessary!

[Herr-Berbunch]

No, as long as your case has good air through-put then any heat around the heatsink will be drawn out. You could, if concerned get a small PCI slot extractor fan for a couple of dollars and place it as close to the heatsink as possible.

[TLAM Strike]

Ah good to know.

Should I consider mounting my old fan to the top of my heat sink? Or would that not cool it any more?

My case does not have good air flow at the moment since lacks a rear exhaust fan. It only has one on the side. I plan to buy one or two next time I'm near the local computer store since my HDD temps have been getting high (60 c).

[CCIP]

Yeah, don't remove your heat sink, but putting a fan on/near it may be a good idea. In general, anything that improves air flow inside your case, and especially near the video card, is a good idea. Most standard cases do have a fan slot down there, which in standard system builds is not occupied (this was true of both my current cases). Consider putting a standard intake fan there, before you think about sticking one on your card, as usually that will have more of an effect. Also might be a good time to check over and clean up your system fans in general, and make sure they're blowing the right way (front/sides = in, back = out).

[edit]

Wait, you said you don't have an outtake fan - get one! They're just a few bucks and are easy to install. Overall airflow is honestly a lot more important than local air flow at the card - it's all no good if hot air just lingers in your case. In fact, get two fans and set up a proper in/out pair so that your case can get that air moving.

[Herr-Berbunch]

You should have more air going in, through filters, than you have coming out - that way you create a very slight overpressure inside and it'll prevent dust entering through all the smallest little chinks in your case.

I wouldn't worry about the graphics card, it's been designed that way - just concentrate on getting cold filtered air in and warm unfiltered out. :DL

[TLAM Strike]

Yeah, don't remove your heat sink, but putting a fan on/near it may be a good idea. In general, anything that improves air flow inside your case, and especially near the video card, is a good idea. Most standard cases do have a fan slot down there, which in standard system builds is not occupied (this was true of both my current cases). Consider putting a standard intake fan there, before you think about sticking one on your card, as usually that will have more of an effect. Also might be a good time to check over and clean up your system fans in general, and make sure they're blowing the right way (front/sides = in, back = out).

[edit]

Wait, you said you don't have an outtake fan - get one! They're just a few bucks and are easy to install. Overall airflow is honestly a lot more important than local air flow at the card - it's all no good if hot air just lingers in your case. In fact, get two fans and set up a proper in/out pair so that your case can get that air moving.

You should have more air going in, through filters, than you have coming out - that way you create a very slight overpressure inside and it'll prevent dust entering through all the smallest little chinks in your case.

I wouldn't worry about the graphics card, it's been designed that way - just concentrate on getting cold filtered air in and warm unfiltered out. :DL


Great to know!

I do have an outtake fan on the side of my case but that's all, plus its on the small side.

I'm going to buy back of case two fans at the local computer store next time I'm in that neighborhood (next week for sure).

How should I set them up when I get them? Two large blowing in and the small out? :hmmm:

[CCIP]

Set up the side ones to be blowing in, and the one on the back blowing out. I'm not sure what you mean by a small one, but regardless as long as there's a bit more blowing in than out, you're good. Generally most case slots are just 80mm fans, and getting two of those is fine. Then make your current side one blow in rather than out, and you should be set.

[TLAM Strike]

Set up the side ones to be blowing in, and the one on the back blowing out. I'm not sure what you mean by a small one, but regardless as long as there's a bit more blowing in than out, you're good. Generally most case slots are just 80mm fans, and getting two of those is fine. Then make your current side one blow in rather than out, and you should be set.

I misspoke earlier, I have one fan slot on the back and both it and my current side fan are the same size.

I think I have a slot for one up front (Got to shut my computer down to take a look), but it only has three little vent slits on the front of the case. Should bother with trying to put a fan there?

[Herr-Berbunch]

If it can take one then yes, install one there. Try to get a reputable and quiet fan, they sometimes come with a filter but sometimes not so check that too. You do seem rather warm in there. If possible try and get your cabling routed together and secure, anything to aid airflow.

[TLAM Strike]

Well I bought a Antec 80mm Tricool fan today. Couldn't get it to work, plugged in the four pin molex connect and the system wouldn't' start. Plugged in the 3 pin connector and it wouldn't start. I even unplugged my working fan and plugged this new one in and my system still wouldn't boot.

I found a old fan lurking in a P1 system in my closet and installed it just to see if something was wrong with my motherboard's fan connector, the old fan works fin on its 3 pin connector. System boots and everything.

What is wrong? Did I buy the wrong kind of fan? Is this new fan defective?

My HDD still is hot, is that a sign my HDD is getting too old?