MSI K8N Neo4 Mobo Fan from Hell

Thrasymachus · Post by **Thrasymachus** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 6:37 pm

Recently my MSI K8N Neo4-F motherboard fan decided to be very, very noisy. It is so loud I do not look at it as I am using my computer, I am just really trying to use the pc, but I only hear a loud motherboard fan. I definitely know it is the motherboard fan since I tried unplugging every fan to see which one is making so much noise.

I have an Antec SLK3700 case with one 120mm fan installed. If I install a second 120mm fan, do you guys think it would be ok to unplug the motherboard fan that is making so much noise? Or does anyone have a more ideal solution?

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 6:46 pm

Hello & welcome to SPCR,

You could just install a passive northbridge heatsink, like the Zalman 32:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835118002

or the Zalman 47:

http://www.siliconacoustics.com/zalmanzm-nb47j.html

These would probably require you to pull the motherboard out to mount -- but they are completely silent, and they will cool it just fine. The stock HS probably has tiny fins (right?) and it would not do very well passively.

Then you can find out what the next loudest fan is!

Krazy Kommando · Post by **Krazy Kommando** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 11:29 pm

ive got a Zalman 47J on mine and its fine

Operandi · Post by **Operandi** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:33 am

Simply unplugging the fan is not ok. The stock heatsink is simply far too small to deal with the heat without the help of a fan.

The Zalmans in Neil’s post are probably the best way to go. The NB32 includes thermal adhesive so if you are able to get the stock unit off without taking the motherboard out you will be able to attach this one with no board removal, though it will be permanent solution.

mikellpp · Post by **mikellpp** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:50 am

On my Neo4 i just run that NB fan at 5 volts. Just remove the 2 leads and plug into 4-pin molex(red+black).

_MarcoM_ · Post by **_MarcoM_** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 4:54 pm

mikellpp wrote:On my Neo4 i just run that NB fan at 5 volts. Just remove the 2 leads and plug into 4-pin molex(red+black).

What about eavy tasks (3d games etc...) in 5V mode?

Thrasymachus · Post by **Thrasymachus** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:44 pm

First thanks for the replies guys.

Unfortunately the best solution that you are giving me is to install a passive heatsink. The Zalman ZM-NB47J has a height of 47mm, the ZM-NB32J/K has a height of 32mm. My brother got me a heatsink from a coworker's old mainboard that is a little less taller at 29 mm but it still probably will not fit. I will probably try it anyway on the weekend. My PCI Express slot is a little too near for these solutions. My Aeolus PCX6600-DV256 (passively cooled from the factory, no fan) juts out over my Northbridge fan giving me a little more than 20mm of clearance only.

I notice the Zalman 27J has a shape like:

Do you think it would peak away from the PCI Express video card? How tall is it at mid peak Krazy Commando or anyone? Does anyone else have the same problem of their video card jutting out partially over their Northbridge, especially those with K8N Neo4 mainboards?

Firetech · Post by **Firetech** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 7:23 pm

Thrasymachus wrote:How tall is it at mid peak Krazy Commando or anyone? Does anyone else have the same problem of their video card jutting out partially over their Northbridge, especially those with K8N Neo4 mainboards?

31mm base to tip.
Here's a thread atOC Workbench with some modded NB47 cooler pics.
here's mine:

Krazy Kommando · Post by **Krazy Kommando** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 11:34 pm

seeing the heatsink on that gfx card, the NB47J wont fit without some pretty serious moding.
this is what i did to get mine to fit with the VF700Cu on my 6600GT
http://img268.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 0046ny.jpg
http://img28.imageshack.us/my.php?image ... 0178ir.jpg

-btw, that fan i strapped to the side of the NB47J is only for extra cooling in the middle of summer. its usually off