Are case and cooler fans universal?

[FluffyMyNameIs]

I am ordering a 92mm case fan and I need to know if I should order another one to slap it on my heat sink or if I'm going to have to hunt for a cooler fan.

 

[maddogfargo]

Fans can vary by bearing type (sleeve, ball, hydro) speed control type (fixed RPM, PWM, thermal RPM) and speed rating/range (900 RPM, 1200 RPM, 900-2500RPM variable, etc.), power connection (4pin Molex, 4pin PWM, 3pin, etc.) and more.

You'll want to look at your existing fan and try to find as close a match as you can.

Resellers like Newegg have a very good filtering tool that lets you put in the fan size, type of bearing, type of speed control, RPM range and much more. They even have pictures to let you compare certain parts where fit may be an issue. This will help you fond a good match.

Being an electro-mechanical device that moves air it's not terribly critical to find an 'exact' match as long as you get the fit and performance needed for your application.

 

[MauveCloud]

The mounting hole positions for 80mm, 92mm, and 120mm fans are standardized, so they're mostly interchangeable (except for some Delta fans that are 38mm thick instead of 25mm, so they might not always fit in that dimension; also, they're louder than most vacuum cleaners). I'm not sure about 100mm or 200mm fans, and there are some heatsinks, especially from Zalman, that have non-standard fans that aren't easily replaceable. What heatsink do you have?

 

[FluffyMyNameIs]

The mounting hole positions for 80mm, 92mm, and 120mm fans are standardized, so they're mostly interchangeable (except for some Delta fans that are 38mm thick instead of 25mm, so they might not always fit in that dimension; also, they're louder than most vacuum cleaners). I'm not sure about 100mm or 200mm fans, and there are some heatsinks, especially from Zalman, that have non-standard fans that aren't easily replaceable. What heatsink do you have?

I have a stock HP heatsink.

 

[MauveCloud]

That isn't very specific, as HP has probably released a lot of computers with different cpu sockets, but Intel/AMD stock coolers generally don't come with replaceable fans. If you know what the socket is and can measure how much room you have available, you can buy an aftermarket cooler (which usually includes a fan as well as the heatsink) to replace the stock cooler.

 

[FluffyMyNameIs]

That isn't very specific, as HP has probably released a lot of computers with different cpu sockets, but Intel/AMD stock coolers generally don't come with replaceable fans. If you know what the socket is and can measure how much room you have available, you can buy an aftermarket cooler (which usually includes a fan as well as the heatsink) to replace the stock cooler.

The computer an HP Pavilion Elite 580t, I got a pre built machine because at the time I wasn't in to building rigs.

 

[MauveCloud]

I looked up the specifications for that, and it supports the i7-950 and related cpus as options, so it's LGA1366, and the stock cooler fan isn't easily replaceable separately from the heatsink. The specifications don't include a picture of the case, but based on the number of expansion slots listed, I'm guessing it's a micro-atx mini tower, so you probably won't have room for the popular Hyper 212 EVO, but you could get a low-profile cpu cooler such as the Zalman CNPS8900 Quiet:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118126

 

[FluffyMyNameIs]

I looked up the specifications for that, and it supports the i7-950 and related cpus as options, so it's LGA1366, and the stock cooler fan isn't easily replaceable separately from the heatsink. The specifications don't include a picture of the case, but based on the number of expansion slots listed, I'm guessing it's a micro-atx mini tower, so you probably won't have room for the popular Hyper 212 EVO, but you could get a low-profile cpu cooler such as the Zalman CNPS8900 Quiet:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118126

What part of the fan makes it difficult?

 

[MauveCloud]

Does your cpu fan look like the pictures here:
http://www.pcgameshardware.com/&menu=browser&mode=article&image_id=1187070&article_id=694437&page=1
If not, you already have a non-standard cooler. If it does, you should be able to see that the fan is integrated with the plastic that holds it to the heatsink and includes the plastic push-pins for holding it to the motherboard; it doesn't have square plastic with mounting holes like case fans do. AFAIK, that style of fan isn't sold separately.

 

[FluffyMyNameIs]

Does your cpu fan look like the pictures here:
http://www.pcgameshardware.com/&menu=browser&mode=article&image_id=1187070&article_id=694437&page=1
If not, you already have a non-standard cooler. If it does, you should be able to see that the fan is integrated with the plastic that holds it to the heatsink and includes the plastic push-pins for holding it to the motherboard; it doesn't have square plastic with mounting holes like case fans do. AFAIK, that style of fan isn't sold separately.

It looks like this just smaller. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103064

 

[MauveCloud]

Why did you think it was the stock heatsink then? If it already has a standard-looking square-cased 92mm fan, it should be pretty easy to replace it with a different fan of the same size.

 

[FluffyMyNameIs]

Why did you think it was the stock heatsink then? If it already has a standard-looking square-cased 92mm fan, it should be pretty easy to replace it with a different fan of the same size.

So a "case" fan WILL work?

 

[MauveCloud]

A case fan will run, though there might be some complications regarding speed control, as explained in this thread:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/266476-29-difference-3pin-4pin-connectors