Pentium 3, Slot-1 type, fanless?

RaptorZX3 · Post by **RaptorZX3** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:09 pm

my older computer is a Pentium 3, 500Mhz, Slot-1 type (codenamed "Katmai"), and i would know if it can run without a fan without having problems with it?

a year and a half ago, i had to replace the CPU fan because it was getting noisy and the fan was vibrating a lot (i had to take a Socket 370/Socket 7 fan coming with a heat-sink, but the fan still work on a Slot-1 heat-sink on my Slot-1 CPU)

i want to ask because in this computer, there's only 2 fans right now: small CPU fan (40mm?) and the PSU (cheapo 400W one) 80mm fan.

before buying this new computer, i took off the front 80mm DC fan because it was getting noisy...(tried to replace it with a new one, but it was as noisy, if not noisier, brand is Aspire, clear-type 80mm fan with holes for LEDs), then i noticed the CPU barely heat (with speedfan)

without that front DC fan it pretty much stay the same than with one, maybe 1 or 2 degrees more, but that's it, if i remember, it goes around between 30-34 degrees, idle as well as loaded (3D game, etc...)

i would say the noisiest component in this computer is the hard-disk, brand MDT (refurbished Western Digital "white label" i believe). I have a 80gb REAL Western Digital here that i could put in, on a sponge or something, down the case, because it vibrates like hell!

well, that's what i want to know, if i can take the CPU fan off without the CPU going crazy, overheating and shutting down itself. (i heard those CPUs types are real tuff and "work-horse".)

el-tel · Post by **el-tel** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 12:28 am

I had a similar issue with my Slot-1 Celeron 300A (based on the Pentium 2), it was overclocked to 450Mhz and the 40mm fan developed a terrible vibration over time, so in the end I just removed the fan altogether and cleaned up the heatsink. The heatsink is now just luke-warm, despite being overclocked by 150Mhz, and i've never had any stability issues!

You could try stopping the fan or removing the fan connector whilst the machine is running and monitor the temperatures via speedfan. If everything seems ok, try loading the processor with CPUburn and see how that goes.

wwenze · Post by **wwenze** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 3:13 am

MDT... yeah I've had 3 of thems (including a real WD) and they're sh!tloud.

Depending on your version you may or may not be able to run it without a fan directly blowing at it. The retail box versions have puny heatsinks with a puny airguide and a puny 40mm fan. The tray/oem versions have much bigger hsfs that can handle an Athlon. Some OEM celerons/P2 do away with the fan completely with heatsinks almost twice the height of the processor package.

And as expected, the difference in performance is obvious - the box version becomes too hot to touch, while the big hsf version, fan removed and ducted, is cool even when overclocked (without voltage boost, nice overclocker there).

You can remove the box version's fan/air guide and position a very quiet 80mm fan, also cool to the touch.

BillyBuerger · Post by **BillyBuerger** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 5:10 am

wwenze wrote:... The retail box versions have puny heatsinks with a puny airguide and a puny 40mm fan. The tray/oem versions have much bigger hsfs that can handle an Athlon. Some OEM celerons/P2 do away with the fan completely with heatsinks almost twice the height of the processor package.

Since he was able to replace the fan once before, I would guess it's not one of the crappy retail HSFs. I don't believe that fan is easy to replace.

I've got a number of PIIs laying around in the 266-550 range. Most came from Dell's and have a nice large heat sink as wwenze is talking about. Although, even with these large heatsinks, they still like to have a case fan nearby. I don't remember if I ever tried leaving one without any case fan or other direct airflow nearby to see if it would overheat. But I do know they get very warm like this. It's hard to find good slot CPU heatsinks. But I did come across these a while ago:

Super Large Heat Sink
Large Aluminum Heat Sink

The first one is larger and has nice widely spaced fins. But is designed to fit PIIs with CPU completely enclosed. The second one is for PIIIs that don't have this so that the heat sink connects directly to the CPU. Unfortunately this one has smaller tighter fins. (Although the picture makes them look bigger) But what I did do was put this one on a PIII-550 and then mounted an 80mm fan with two large screws in the bottom two holes. The top of the 80mm fan hangs well over the top of the heat sink. But even at 5V, it keeps the CPU very cool and makes very little noise. If you want, I can take a picture of it this weekend.

RaptorZX3 · Post by **RaptorZX3** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 10:09 am

the CPU have a wide heat-sink, a mix of the 2 you're showing here, but mine, the middle is a bit higher than on the sides, and have 4 small spaces for screws for a fan.

i noticed some slot-1 boards doesn't have the small plastic security things that prevent the CPU to move in the slot (mine have it, but my friend's board doesn't)

i would say it's a pretty big heat-sink for a Pentium-3, but i guess it's because of the fact it's a big wide cartridge instead of a socket-type CPU.

no it's not overclocked, never been overclocked.

wwenze · Post by **wwenze** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 3:11 am

This is one fanless low-end P2 Deschutes. Not the best (or bulkiest) one I've seen, but the only pic I can get my hands on. Katmai generates around the same heat. A pity yours isn't Coppermine.

(pic taken without permission from VRZ forumer)

About the plastic retention module, it comes with the box CPU iirc, the tray CPUs not in the box package can't use that bracket - they either have their own type, or no bracket at all.

kentc · Post by **kentc** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 9:29 am

RaptorZX3 wrote:my older computer is a Pentium 3, 500Mhz, Slot-1 type (codenamed "Katmai"), and i would know if it can run without a fan without having problems with it?

i used to run a 450mhz p3 24/7 on just a single nexus 92mm fan at about 9v, around 1000-1100rpm. it was ducted to cool the cpu, harddrive and psu. it sat between the cpu and the psu, ie in the middle of the case. when the harddrive spun down the computer was completely silent - i ran linux from a ram-drive on it - for a month my girlfriend slept just 2m from it and never noticed it was on. i shouldn't have told her.

i'm sorry i don't have any pictures, but i could throw some together if you're interested in going the "one-fan-in-the-middle-of-the-case"-route.

regards, kent.

RaptorZX3 · Post by **RaptorZX3** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 12:35 pm

because if i take off this CPU fan, there will only be 1 fan in the computer, the PSU fan.

kentc · Post by **kentc** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 5:06 pm

there you go... with some clever ducting i'm rather certain that'll be great!

pony-tail · Post by **pony-tail** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 2:46 am

I have had a dual PIII 800 coppermine (slot 1) fanless - It had aluminium heatsinks about 3'' high and the width of the cpu cartridge and 1'' thick - worked well for years .

DanW · Post by **DanW** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:40 am

I've had many old P3 450mhgz systems in the office with just the PSU fan in them, and they seem to run fine. I've actualy had one running BOINC for the last few days and it hasn't died yet. I don't think it has anyway...

I'll get a picture of it when I go home...

Techno Pride · Post by **Techno Pride** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 7:23 am

you can try a Zalman ZM-80HP or Coolermaster Coolviva.

jamesavery22 · Post by **jamesavery22** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 9:08 am

Gateway also had large "passive" heatsinks. Aluminum pin fin design. Close to 60mm x 60mm x 80mm. Whatever slot1 max heatsink dimensions where. Just an FYI

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