Drives me INSANE. Gaming system that I built in '11 but hasn't given me any trouble past my (former) irrational trust of OCZ SSDs (long story), but the ball bearings in the CPU fans are giving up the ghost.

I hear it day in and day out - the grinding noises, it's enough to drive a man mad, I tell ya.

As if that's not bad enough, I cheaped out several years ago buying a case for my home server (really, just my old gaming rig dropped into a new case with a new purpose), and at least 3 of the fans start in on me with the same incessant grinding noises.

All this is stored in the same room I sleep in. I'm normally pretty immune, but I've noticed that I've been having more trouble sleeping than normal, so I'm actually at a point where the server's turned off, the offending fans have been unplugged, and I'm keeping usage levels to a minimum.

I guess I'm buying a CPU fan and possibly a new case (at minimum some new fans) for the gaming rig this weekend. It's been a long time coming; here's hoping I can find everything in stock. Unfortunately, this can't really wait as I also work on this thing.

Pull the fans out, remove the sticker & "oil" port cover, & see if it's dry, if it is, you know what to do...usually only takes a couple of drops.

Is it the OEM CPU cooler, or aftermarket? If it's aftermarket, you could probably spend ten bucks, and just replace the fan (without having to replace the heatsink.)

I'm typing this on a desktop I built around the same time as yours. Not long ago my wifi card started dying (it didn't have the decency to just drop straight dead, which would have made diagnosing the problem easier.) Once I decided it had to go, $35 solved the problem, and upgraded to AC as a benefit.

The advantage to building yourself is that you de facto know how to fix it yourself.

Aftermarket. I did know that I can just pull the fans and replace them. Even on OEM Intel fans, you can just pull the fan if you get creative enough (and the local shop sells leftover Intel heatsinks). I figured it might be cheaper to replace it.

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The advantage to building yourself is that you de facto know how to fix it yourself.

This is true. I've gone to some pretty extreme lengths to fix the problems I knew my computer had. Like the time I cut out a thermal sensor and soldered the leads together because it made a mediocre CPU cooler into a great one.

Didn't know about the oil ports. I'll take a closer look while I've got it apart.

Get some Noctua fans and be done with it. they last literally forever.

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Originally posted by FenderBender:
Get some Noctua fans and be done with it. they last literally forever.

+1 for Noctua fans, they're butt ugly but just plain work.