Northbridge fan on AK77-333 is dying...

[Me]

The fan on my Northbridge fan on my AK77-333 is starting to make a death
rattle. I looked at the fan (http://usa.aopen.com/products/mb/AK77-333.htm)
and it looks like the fan(not a standard 20mm fan) is attached to some sort
of bracket that's appears to be glued to the board.

Other than RMA is there anything that I can do? I don't know how long it
takes to get one of these MBs RMAd. (I'd hate to be 6-8 weeks without my
computer)

Thanks in advance,

J

 

[kony]

The fan on my Northbridge fan on my AK77-333 is starting to make a death
rattle. I looked at the fan (http://usa.aopen.com/products/mb/AK77-333.htm)
and it looks like the fan(not a standard 20mm fan) is attached to some sort
of bracket that's appears to be glued to the board.

Other than RMA is there anything that I can do? I don't know how long it
takes to get one of these MBs RMAd. (I'd hate to be 6-8 weeks without my
computer)

Thanks in advance,

J

An RMA replacement would be several weeks wait at least, might even be
a week or two till you hear back from them, YMMV.

You're probably as well of to just replace the fan or the whole
northbridge cooler. Are you sure the fan isn't removable by 4 screws
in each corner? It looks like a 40mm x 10mm thick proprietary fan
though, a replacement would have to sit above the heatsink, not down
within it... not a big problem but you'd need longer screws.

You might first try peeling the sticker back and adding a drop of
heavyweight oil.... might work a long time like that, need reoiled
every year or so, or might buy you enough time to find/order/receive a
new fan or northbridge cooler.

Here are a couple of fanless alternatives:
http://www.svcompucycle.com/zanoco.html
http://www.svcompucycle.com/zazmnobrhe.html



Dave

 

[Me]

Good idea I'll try the oil out. I'll see if I can find some screws. IIRC
it looked glued on though. I'll get back you you on that. The fan noise
was as though it were hitting something. I hope I can get the thing off. I
bought a HS kit (with a 20mm and a 40mm fan inside of it) Wish me luck!

Thanks!