Question I'm not sure if my cpu has a fan?

[Callmecarrot]

I'm not sure if I have a fan on my cpu. Can the cooler be any type of cooler? Also not sure how to upload photos. This is my first time posting in any forum ever.

 

[McKeu]

Highly unlikely you have no fan, although you can have systems with passive cooling only. Those are low power CPUs and mostly older systems, though. Could also be liquid cooling, but I guess you would know, if you have that.
In doubt: Open your case and have a look. Just turn the PC off and unplug the power cord before. Also: Don't touch anything in there. You might damage components by accident and inexperience.

 

[Callmecarrot]

Well last night it took the whole thing apart and cleaned every singly part. This pc use to be pretty nice in 2010 and it still is now. Just some part are getting dated. I've only started leanringbabout pcs tho in the last couple of weeks. All I see is this 2 tower lookin things with now fan.

 

[Callmecarrot]

I have 3 case fans on the bottom and looks like an exhaust fan on top

 

[McKeu]

Well, it would probably look something like this:

 

[Callmecarrot]

Well, it would probably look something like this:

Defiently not I'm reading on how to upload a photo on here

 

[Callmecarrot]

???

https://imgur.com/a/lgT0f2L

View: https://imgur.com/gallery/lgT0f2L

See if this link works

 

[McKeu]

That looks like a passive cooler to me.
So: No fan present.

 

[Callmecarrot]

That looks like a passive cooler to me.

Okay what does that mean lol? All I known everytime I start my pc I get a message that pops up saying cpu fan error. Doesn't seem to cause any problems for me just wondering whats that all about. Also backbwhen I got it from someone in 2010 it had a lot of problems and I was cleaning out virus and stuff one day and reset the bios back to default. Idk if I need to have any thing set in the bios or not. My concern was when I play the division 2 my computer gets super hot. Now since I cleaned all the fans out its not as hot but still.

 

[McKeu]

You can ignore that error, if your PC is not making any problems. You might have a setting in the BIOS for the CPU fan, maybe for disabling it. But as I said, you can probably just go on ignoring the CPU fan error.
Passive coolers in a setup like that are pretty rare and honestly, it makes no sense in your setup. You would normally use them to build a "silent setup". But seeing your Case having multiple fans, it somehow defeats the purpose.
Also you should never attempt to overclock your PC or it will probably go up in a puff of smoke.

 

[McKeu]

You should probably think about replacing those heat sinks with a proper fan. The more demanding the games get you play, the more problems you will have in the future.
Maybe the fan controller on the motherboard is broken, though, which might have been the reason for the previous owner to put in a passive cooler.
Sooner or later you will burn through your CPU, I am pretty sure.

 

[Callmecarrot]

You should probably think about replacing those heat sinks with a proper fan. The more demanding the games get you play, the more problems you will have in the future.
Maybe the fan controller on the motherboard is broken, though, which might have been the reason for the previous owner to put in a passive cooler.
Sooner or later you will burn through your CPU, I am pretty sure.

Probably sooner since the division is have some cpu usage problems just about anybody is running at 100%. I'm looking into upgrading many features. We'll pretty the whole thing considering my mobo is an older one it only uses ddr 3

 

[McKeu]

What you should do for the time being:
Very carefully unmount those hunks and renew the thermal paste. In a setup like that a proper thermal paste layer is more important than anything and it only costs you around 10 bucks.
After nearly ten years of being there, the old paste is probably hard as concrete and sub-par.

 

[SkyNetRising]

What are full specs of your pc?

 

[McKeu]

What are full specs of your pc?

I am especially curious about the CPU you are running, as passive coolers normally should only be used for 45 Watt CPU and below.

 

[Callmecarrot]

What you should do for the time being:
Very carefully unmount those hunks and renew the thermal paste. In a setup like that a proper thermal paste layer is more important than anything and it only costs you around 10 bucks.
After nearly ten years of being there, the old paste is probably hard as concrete and sub-par.

If I go to the fan on it cuz I was thinking about buying the fan of going to buy for a new set up and just go ahead and install on my old setup how would I take this passive heat cooler or is it just those two towers or it looks like there's some put a piping I don't know that's included

 

[EndEffeKt_24]

While you are already dismounting the cooler I would probably try to install a fan on the cpu fan header to check if it works.

If it does you had some options including mcGyvering (yes I did make that up) the fan to the passive cooler or getting an inexpensive cpu cooler.
I would opt for the former because its more unique.

 

[Callmecarrot]

If I go to the fan on it cuz I was thinking about buying the fan of going to buy for a new set up and just go ahead and install on my old setup how would I take this passive heat cooler or is it just those two towers or it looks like there's some put a piping I don't know that's included

Also I'm using speech to text my bad

 

[McKeu]

If I go to the fan on it cuz I was thinking about buying the fan of going to buy for a new set up and just go ahead and install on my old setup how would I take this passive heat cooler or is it just those two towers or it looks like there's some put a piping I don't know that's included

The piping normally vents the hot air from the thermal plate, sitting directly on the cpu, into the heat sinks. It is part of the whole construction, normally and is attached to the heat sinks.
It should be enough to carefully unscrew the plate on which the heat sinks sit. Just keep the whole construction vertically and support it with one hand, otherwise you might rip something on your board, due to those guys being quite heavy and unwieldy.

 

[Callmecarrot]

I'm not home to give exact specs but off the top of my head
Processor : Intel core i7 @2.67gh, 2668mhz 4 cores, 8 logical

Mother board : p6x58D premium
Soket - lga 1366
Chio set Intel x58
33 gb of ram I think may have 20
Ssd 240
Hdd not sure size I have 600gb free space atm I think

Graphics card geforce gtx 970
Psu- 750 w it's either 80 bronze or 80 gold rating
The brand name was thermal so thing I think

I'll get more info when I get back home

 

[McKeu]

I'm not home to give exact specs but off the top of my head
Processor : Intel core i7 @2.67gh, 2668mhz 4 cores, 8 logical

Mother board : p6x58D premium
Soket - lga 1366
Chio set Intel x58
33 gb of ram I think may have 20
Ssd 240
Hdd not sure size I have 600gb free space atm I think

Graphics card geforce gtx 970
Psu- 750 w it's either 80 bronze or 80 gold rating
The brand name was thermal so thing I think

I'll get more info when I get back home

It is normally unwise to have an i7 passive cooled. They are too high power.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Processor : Intel core i7 @2.67gh, 2668mhz 4 cores, 8 logical Soket - lga 1366

Yeah, that's i7-920 - 130W TDP cpu. You don't put that on passive cooling.