My Prescott-powered computer just got quieter....all by itself. How? Ambient temps just dropped about 3C in my house due to weather changes. The thermo-controlled CPU fan on my Alpha 8952 dropped about 100rpm, down to about 2050rpm. The CPU temp is the same....but the computer is quieter. All automatic....

Here's the deal...I think this is the way to go for all fans: thermal-control. You set it up for a certain temperature/operation, then the thermal-control takes over. The problem is you really need a remote sensor to set the fan operation properly. And many/most thermal-controlled fans only have a sensor on a very short wire setup. If you can locate the sensor to your own liking....at a certain spot, this is ideal.

Why don't more thermal-controlled fans come with a remote sensor? This would avoid buying another sort of fan controller.

I think the problem is that 1) it adds to the overall expense of the fan, and 2) it's really diffcult to place a thermal sensor in a spot where it would make a difference.

Bluefront, the problem is, most fans with thermal sensor have an extremely narrow range of adjustment. I work with HEC 6A19 cases a lot, they come with a Y.S.Tech 120mm thermally controlled fan preinstalled in the exhaust. Between having the sensor in free air, and stuck between fins of a 3.0GHz Prescott stock cooler, there's probably a 100-150rpm difference. Others might be different, but so far, I haven't run into any.

Well those are other problems. I see absolutely no reason a thermal-controlled fan could not be engineered so it had a better range of (auto)adjustment. Insead of a 200-300rpm range, the range could be 1k rpms, maybe with an adjustable heat/rpm curve. There are a few external fan controllers that do this, but I'd like to see the whole thing contained in the fan......sure it would cost more.

Right now my CPU fan has it's sensor touching the center of the heatsink, the hottest spot at the base of the fins. At 44C it is running at 2050(today)...at max CPU usage the Prescott reaches about 52C and the fan speeds up to about 2350. I'd like to be able to run the fan faster at 52C....but I'm stuck with the fan OEM heat curve.

Perhaps in the future we'll see more improvements in this technology.

I think the best and long-run cheapest(for OEMs) solution would be done in software; it could monitor the probes already built into all the parts we care about, and adjust the voltage to hit a target temperature. If that ever happens, though, it's a long way off

RTF....That motherboard/software control of fan speeds using onboard sensors had already been done by A-Open with it's silent-tec utility. It controls two fans, but the sensors are on the board and cannot be relocated. That could be fixed.

However, doing it that way forces you to buy a particular board to control your fans. Having the controller built into the fan would be a better solution (IMHO).

I agree that better temal controlled fans would be a good thing. The problem is that the market is quite small and cost is a major issue.
Concumers need to be willing to spend $5-$10 more to get a good termal controlled fan. It the market is large enough there should not be a problem.
Another option is to build and sell a simple fancontroller similar to Zalmans fanmate that makes any kind of fan a thermally controlled fan. It should be possible to build and sell something like this for ~$10 if mass-produced.

AFAIK, these are fairly universal. I think a few people here use them and have raved about them. Use the search for their comments.

I've got a couple of thermal fan controllers that do exactly what you're looking for: they've got a remote thermosistor that can be placed anywhere, and they're adjustable so that you can control the start-up temperature.

The price? About $1.50 for the parts at RadioShack, and about 30 minutes to assemble.

I'll go hunting for the link if anyone wants it....(although I'm sure I've posted it here before....somewhere.... )

Well, just use the search, dammit. It really does work well.

One of these days, Alice. One of these days... Pow! Right in the kisser!


Just to Ralfie happy, I did use the search.... DIY Thermal Controller

Humm....nice cheap solution.But I'd rather just buy a slightly more expensive fan that did the whole thing. There are a few fans around that work pretty good that have remote sensors. None are really quiet units.

I've got an orange 80mm TT fan with a long sensor wire. In order to get the fan to spin at the rpm I wanted at a particular heat level, I had to experiment with the sensor location. I was using it as a rear case fan controled by the CPU temp. This process was involved, but after a tedious install, it works ok. I'd like to see this heat/rpm curve contained in the fan itself.

I would like to see a fan(or controller) with user configurable start temp &voltage as well as peak temp & voltage - untill then I guess it is a hand full of Diodes , a soldering iron and a 2 position , or more , switch - high speed for summer or low for winter . just would be nice to be done automaticly by the fan or controller .
I have tried a few thermo fans but most are very noisy ( particularly NMB )
or do not have a suitable curve .

The problem I think herein is no one really cares, we are a very minor group of players, similar with me is wanting gaming companies to release shooter games with TONS of maps but they don't. same for fans. When demand is high enough we will see it.

This looks like a very simple design...Thanks for that! I now have visions of a small PCB with 3 of these things built into it and mounted to the front panel...sexy.

If you want to see some nice thermocontrolled fans go to http://www.verax.de/. The site opens in German but there is a link to switch to English on the top right. (This site doesn't allow deeplinking.)

They have fans with the sensor in the hub, with the sensor on a cord and with user adjustable heat/rpm curves. They claim the fans make no motor noise. Some have a linear heat/rpm "curve", some have a progressive heat/rpm curve.

But this is definately a nieche market, as the prices are between €45 and €50 a piece

Sure that counts, but only if your MB supports it, which you might not know till the whole thing is assembled and running. Or you could buy an A-Open board with Silent-Tec.

Or you could find a good thermo-controlled fan, with a long sensor wire, and retro-fit any case you now have.