I just though I'd report how I've been getting on with my fanless systems after using them for a while.
On my 800mhz system (used primarily as a webserver), I noticed huge problems with occasional hanging and refusal to boot. In the end, I discovered that the heatsink is insufficient for dispersing the heat on the CPU if it is at full load for extended periods. The CPU gets so hot, that the system hangs and also hangs on reboot (reboot after letting it cool for a while is fine).
Has anyone else experienced this? The strange thing is that the room the server is held in is pretty cool so I didn't expect over-heating problems at all.
VIA 800mhz fanless problems
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
A) Is there any airflow at all? If you don't have any fans in the system, it may be the northbridge...I would also check the memory (RAM). It also may be getting too hot
B) VIA showed a video, where they ran a C3 with nothing at all on it (in terms of heatsink/fan), and it didn't crash after 24 hours. I reproduced this myself with the EPIA system I'm experimenting with...I doubt it's the processor. Zalman sells a huge Aluminum/Copper flower heatsink that you may want to try out to see if that solves the problem.
Hope you solve your problem
B) VIA showed a video, where they ran a C3 with nothing at all on it (in terms of heatsink/fan), and it didn't crash after 24 hours. I reproduced this myself with the EPIA system I'm experimenting with...I doubt it's the processor. Zalman sells a huge Aluminum/Copper flower heatsink that you may want to try out to see if that solves the problem.
Hope you solve your problem
Place on the VIA CPU a BIG cooper heatsing, like Zalman CNPS6000 and remove all PCI slot covers from back of the machine and also i suggest your drilling intake/exhaust holes to your case.
That way i was able to cool VIA C3 1200Mhz with Nehemiah core fanlessly with fanless machine at all, using ATM only cooper Zalman CNPS3100-Plus cooler - i hoping my temps go lower when i use CNPS6000
You can read more info there:
http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=9704
...and see some pictures there:
http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=9704
Temps - after adding the intake hole in bottom recently, my temps are 40 degrees on CPU in iddle and after a week (!) of nonstop Prime95 i hit 72 degrees. No reboots or problems. Perhaps your mainboard are oversensitive (or set to be in bios?) to temperatures? Please remember, that the safe shut-down temp of P4 is 135 degrees
, and the VIA C3 has operation range up to 85 degrees (and some folks tried it w/o any fan at all, reaching 132 degrees w/o damaging the chip, so... 
)
That way i was able to cool VIA C3 1200Mhz with Nehemiah core fanlessly with fanless machine at all, using ATM only cooper Zalman CNPS3100-Plus cooler - i hoping my temps go lower when i use CNPS6000
You can read more info there:
http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=9704
...and see some pictures there:
http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=9704
Temps - after adding the intake hole in bottom recently, my temps are 40 degrees on CPU in iddle and after a week (!) of nonstop Prime95 i hit 72 degrees. No reboots or problems. Perhaps your mainboard are oversensitive (or set to be in bios?) to temperatures? Please remember, that the safe shut-down temp of P4 is 135 degrees
, and the VIA C3 has operation range up to 85 degrees (and some folks tried it w/o any fan at all, reaching 132 degrees w/o damaging the chip, so... )thanks for the replies/suggestions. it's not a problem that i find annoying at the moment since this machine does not usually run to full load (and i've configured it now so that it should not).
i use the standard board (which is fanless) and have not replaced any of the heatsinks.
the board sits on the floor (raised slightly by a bit of padding) and is not in a case. there are no fans and the only airflow should be due to convection.
i posted just in case anyone else had the same problem and hadn't figured it out.
i use the standard board (which is fanless) and have not replaced any of the heatsinks.
the board sits on the floor (raised slightly by a bit of padding) and is not in a case. there are no fans and the only airflow should be due to convection.
i posted just in case anyone else had the same problem and hadn't figured it out.
Hi p_UK
I had some problems keeping my C3 800 stable when passively cooled - but then I realised that my BIOS had set the fsb to 166 MHz using the fail safe default!
I'm just using a cheap coolermaster heatsink with the fan removed and I've never had problems (the temps stay in the mid 20's usually)
Here are some obvious suggestions that you've probably thought of alread:
- check the heat sink is sitting properly (does it get warm)
- if you attach a fan does it make a difference to the stability
- if you can, try some different memory (I've had stability problems with generic stuff before)
Hope this helps a bit
I had some problems keeping my C3 800 stable when passively cooled - but then I realised that my BIOS had set the fsb to 166 MHz using the fail safe default!
I'm just using a cheap coolermaster heatsink with the fan removed and I've never had problems (the temps stay in the mid 20's usually)Here are some obvious suggestions that you've probably thought of alread:
- check the heat sink is sitting properly (does it get warm)
- if you attach a fan does it make a difference to the stability
- if you can, try some different memory (I've had stability problems with generic stuff before)
Hope this helps a bit
