can I test my system without a CPU fan?

[Relaxrelax]

I bought a refurb sabertooth x79 and a used i7-4820k cpu. Can i test the system without a cpu fan to see if the parts work?

 

[Maarsch]

Shortly.
As in, very, very shortly.

Seconds, maybe tens of seconds.

So it's an intel which should shut down if it gets too hot on its own. *Should*
Also your mobo probably has a test in it to see if a cpu fan is connected (as in the plug, not whether it is physically connected to the back of the cpu) which will stop the boot while in BIOS phase if it isn't.

You could see if stuff spins, yes. You should not be getting to the windows screen.


PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK

 

[Relaxrelax]

Shortly.
As in, very, very shortly.

Seconds, maybe tens of seconds.

So it's an intel which should shut down if it gets too hot on its own. *Should*
Also your mobo probably has a test in it to see if a cpu fan is connected (as in the plug, not whether it is physically connected to the back of the cpu) which will stop the boot while in BIOS phase if it isn't.

You could see if stuff spins, yes. You should not be getting to the windows screen.


PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK

So...to get through POST and check CPU and Motherboard function I need a cpu fan?

 

[Maarsch]

Well, to get through post you need to have a fan plugged in. And you can sniff around in BIOS.
You can certainly glance some info from that. If there's no GPU displayed while you have one plugged in that would be bad obviously. Same with RAM.

But if you planned to get the function from things like cpu-z or whatever then . . . no.

 

[Icaraeus]

You need a fan w/ heatsink to cool your CPU. Otherwise the connectors on it can burn out the CPU solder, rendering the CPU dead. The actual chip can't be melted, no need to worry about that. It's the connectors that are the biggest issue.

 

[drtoast]

if you have a large heatsink tho you might get away with a room fan blowing on it temporarily.... but thats IF you got past the POST checks

 

[jsmithepa]

You have time to boot into BIOS, that's it, don't look around. It boots into BIOS, the thing is alive. Now wait for cooler for next step.