CPU Fan spinning loud & fast

[Brendi]

My cpu fan seems to run an awful lot faster (like zoom fast) and more loudly than it has ever done it the past. It used to only spin fast & loudly whenever I had the power supply turned off, and then turned it on and started up the computer. Now, it is going so fast a lot of the time and is so loud that it seems like my computer has a jet engine in it.

I have placed new heatsink type stuff on it, but it is still doing this.... mostly upon accessing Yahoo email. Could a virus cause this?

Any ideas as to why the fan may be doing this?

Brendi

[scragar]

It sounds like you are just using more of your CPU, have you upgraded to IE8 or something(That's a joke, IE8 is more intensive than IE7 is, which is still obscenely intensive).

I would run some software to tell you how hot your CPU is getting(for linux you want lmsensors, no idea about windows), you might also want to montior your CPU usage, if your fan is running a lot it might be better to invest in using a bit of disk space to install an email client, they tend to use much less CPU than yahoo mail(which I have to say is very bloated).

[Brendi]

hi scragar, I am using IE7. This fast spinning only happened after I removed the fan to clean it. But I am sure I replaced it correctly. There are 4 pins where the fan connects, to which I have connected it. I wonder if by chance it was connected by only 3 pins or less & that was maybe why it didn't run as fast. BUT would the fan even work at all if it was connected with less pins used? I haven't tried it that way and don't really want to because I do not want the cpu to overheat.
Brendi

[scragar]

If you removed the fan did you use thermal gel when you fastened it back down to ensure a good conductive connection? That might(although I doubt it) mean the heatsink is having less effect, and would account for a slight increase in fan rates.

Ensure you have the fan correctly fastened down.

[Charles]

That happens to me all the time. Usually it means that I have to clean the accumulated cat hairs. I used to have the same problem with my mouse and while I enjoyed the irony I replaced the thing with an optical one. Fans have bearings that wear out over time. It might be time to replace the fan.

[Brendi]

scragar, yes I used thermal gel, but I will check again to make sure it is fastened down correctly. Could a virus be causing this?

And Charles, yes, the fan may be getting old and it is time to replace it. Just thought it strange that when I cleaned it that THAT'S when it started going faster.

Brendi

[Brendi]

is T-O-O much thermal gel on a cpu bad for it?

Brendi

[scragar]

Well you can only put so much between the CPU and the heatsink, and it's an electrical insulator, so I'd say it's highly unlikely.

I guess it could be a virus of some kind, but I doubt it, it is more likely that you are just using more processing power for some reason(I/O might also be the problem, I know it doesn't count as CPU usage in the conventional way, but too much I/O on the CPU, even if it is doing minimal work can cause a huge heat increase).

[Brendi]

I am not doing anything any different from before... that's why I wondered if it was possibly a virus. I'll do some more checking & stuff. maybe change the fan? check for a virus? or maybe wipe the hard drive, start over and see how it goes from there. I'll check to make sure the fan is seated properly first. thanks for all your help.

Brendi

[TheTeenScripter]

Too much thermal glue would have a negative effect, you are supposed to use as little as possible to ensure the maximum efficiency (the thermal-contact glue is just supposed to SEAL the processor to the heatsink). Also, CPU fans are VERY touchy. You are only supposed to use compressed air to clean them.

I've worked on quite a bit of computers and have had fans go like that before after a cleaning (they weren't necessarily going faster, but definitely made noise). The only time I ever had a fan go faster was when I broke the thermal-paste seal. It also made some extra noise though.

If the fan is making excess noise, the problem is probably with the fan itself and you should replace it.

[Brendi]

My fan problem is fixed now. I removed it AGAIN, took off a fair amount of the thermal gel, (thanks to TheTeenScripter) leaving just enough to coat the cpu, examined the bottom of the metal thing (whatever it's called) and saw that I must have not replaced the whole thing correctly. Maybe the fan wasn't contacting the cpu as it should have been. The metal thing has areas notched out that possibly should have fit over some of the components on the motherboard. I think I had it turned around the wrong way.

All in all, the next time I have to remove a fan, I am going to place a little piece of tape or make a mark or something similar that points towards the front or the back of the computer so I will know it is being put back on the way it should be. It runs whisper quiet now; in fact more quiet than it did when I got it about 3 years ago. Maybe it was not installed correctly in the first place? Who knows.... anyway, I appreciate all the help.

Brendi