KWSN Orbiting Fortress

[mohrorless]

I agree with JerWa, it definately sounds like the fan at this point. Compressed air is the way to go. Get the cans with the small nozzels that you can get into the smaller areas to blow them out good too.
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[Michelle]

I'd say the fan is the most likely culprit.

As for BIOS settings - I have no idea how to fiddle with them or even find them but maybe that's a good thing because who knows what might happen if I changed something there.

I've got a good air pump with three different nozzley bits - the kind that does air mattresses, bike tyres etc - so that might do the trick.

My other older Acer, the one my son has been using, shut down by itself last night. I haven't turned that back on today because I want to get the dust out of it too. It's a stupid case on that one and it has hardly any ventilation. That's the one that had to have a new psu and motherboard last year.

I've already blown up one computer (older one with win98) that was packed up with dust a few years ago so I don't want to do it again.

Thanks, guys. If getting rid of more dust doesn't work, I'll have to look into a new fan - maybe for both of the Acers.
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[JerWA]

It sounds like you have as bad of a dust problem as I do. One way to fix it, depending on how the case is setup, is to make your own dust filters. It's way easier to clean a filter a few times a month (or week if it's really bad hehe) than opening up the case every time. They sell pre-made filters but they won't work with most cases (or at least not in a way that makes it easier). You can usually get fine mesh screening for windows that will work, or the small air conditioner filters can also usually be cut to size. Either way will be plenty affordable, just have to figure out how to get it to work with your case. My Dell isn't filtered, and uses a weird 3 inlet design that still has me scratching my head at how I'm going to filter it.
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[Michelle]

Dust filters sound like a good idea. What do you do? Cut them to sized and put them over the vents on the outside of the case?

Well, I took the covers off both computers and gave them a good blow out with the air pump.
I did the older Acer first then plugged it with the cover off - fan worked fine. Fired up as soon as computer was turned.


Then I gave this one a really good blow out and got right in to the fan itself. You should have seen the big chunky bits of fluff and the fried moth! Turned this one on without the cover and the fan came on straight away, and then stopped as the computer was booting up. It looked like it wanted to go because it was trying to turn but kept stopping. Turned it off and hooked everything back up again, started it up, checked with speedfan and now have the temp hovering around 60 - 61C so that's an improvement.
The fan also starts up at around 61C and the rpm is going up and down, rather than 67C and full speed like it did this morning. It's not great but it is an improvement.
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[JerWA]

Yeah, that's a dead fan. "Trying" to turn = burning up the motor, as resistance creates heat. Eventually the bearings fail and you end up with a fan that's struggling at best, or just not turning at all at worst. Oh, don't forget that it's still drawing electricity, it's just not accomplishing anything with it hehe.

As for filters, I haven't made one myself yet. My other computer has a side fan and a front fan. The front is weird and I haven't filtered it yet, but the side intake I put a premade 80mm fan filter on and it works a charm. Cut dust intake by a lot more than I thought it would given that the front intake is still unfiltered. I only have to blow the dust out of that case once a month now, but I have to clean that side filter weekly!

But yes, essentially you'd just want to put the screening/filter stuff over the intake vents. How to keep it there is part of the challenge (and ensuring that the fan won't eat the filter). This is part of the reason I will never buy another case that doesn't have filters built in. Oddly enough that means that most of the expensive cases are right out, as they're very slow to adapt to new ideas.

Rosewill has a series of cases (basically the same internal case with a few different external "shells") that include a front filter that pulls out from the side, just like most window air conditioners use. It's cheap, too.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147058

My next system will probably be built in that case. They did make some funny decisions that are, thankfully, easily fixed. For instance, the side intake filter is on the inside of the case and "hard mounted"... so you have to take it apart to clean. You can buy an external "clip on" style filter like I have for $4. Problem solved. They also have a huge vent just below the side intake that makes fan noise pretty bad. Solution? Use zip-ties or wire wraps or whatever to put their filter (that's on the side intake) on the inside of the "vent" to act as a sound damper without blocking air flow hehe.
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[mohrorless]

[Eaving]

As long as were talking dead fans and you're probably in the market to replace one/many I thought Id do a quick point over to
http://www.silentpcreview.com/
and specifically to the fan section
http://www.silentpcreview.com/section12.html
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