Help! Neo2-FIS2R Fan Replacement?

[ravx]

Hello,

The northbridge fan on my Neo2-FIS2R (865PE) has started making an awful whine, and at some points has stopped all together. I can only believe that this means it is on its last legs. I was wondering if someone could post some suggestions on how I go about replacing it? What should I be looking for? I've never replaced a Northbridge heatsink fan before.

I checked MSI's site and couldn't find any single fans being offered. The one on this board has a pretty neat strobe light effect which will suck to lose but I rather have a functioning board than the bells and whistles. The quieter the better ...

Any suggestions are much appreciated. I'd like to get this done before it dies all together.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Hapcorrolr]

Hi Ravx,

I have exactly the same motherboard, and I had the same problem with it's northbridge fan. Mine was also making a loud, annoying, highpitched sound. Unfortunately, it stopped working completely one day and although I looked around online for a replacement, both from MSI and from a 3rd party, I decided to just consider it a loss and remove the fan from it's heatsink.

I've used it like this for approximately 2 years and haven't had any issues with overheating.

I also tried installing a Zalman passive cooler, which is basically just a tall blue heatsink minus the fan, but I found that the mounting hardware wasn't directly compatible with that particular motherboard's mounting brackets.
Naturally my system is a lot quieter without the Northbridge fan, and with a couple of case fans running it stays cool enough and I don't miss the extra noise.
But yeah, it's unfortunate that these things are so cheaply made because they really do add a lot to the look of the motherboard. Mine went out after the first few months of use, but it was nice to look at while it lasted!

If you do decide to replace it, the old one should should unscrew easily from the heatsink (4 small screws, I believe), and the new one ought to fit directly in it's place. I'm not sure what size the fan is. Though I don't think MSI offers replacements, I'm sure there are others out there but without the funky, multi-colored lights.

Best of luck in finding a replacement if you are inclined to go that route.