Power Supply gone bad, or CPU Fan?

[RobertX]

Hey guys,

My eight years-old Dell Dimension 3100 computer is starting to make a humming noise when I start ConvertXtoDVD 5 and encode a three hour file.

The funny thing is that it happens when I start ConvertXtoDVD 5 and encode something; it does so when it starts to encode.

My specs, if useful, are:
- Pentium 4 2.8GHz
- 2GB RAM
- one internal 80GB hard drive
- one external 2TB hard drive
- two DVD burners

How do I narrow down the choices with just this type of information?

[ShadyJay]

Encoding is CPU intense.
You should consider opening it up and cleaning the heat sync.
Compressed air and a dry toothbrush should work.


If the computer is real old, Try also to replace the thermal paste.

[RobertX]

For the entire time since 2006, my computer has always been without an extra fan; the only things (humming!) installed here the CPU fan and the power supply. Would it be prudent to add another fan?

EDIT: AND, if another fan helps, do I have to find a place on the motherboard to plug my fan into, or can it be with a male/female connector from a power supply wire?

[LowOrbit]

Power it from a Molex connector running off your PSU:

[RobertX]

OK, I'm going to ask a very tough question for myself, but just tell the truth.

Yesterday, when I went to the computer shop I saw a heat sink and fan combo labelled for Intel LGA775 Sockets. My Dell Dimension 3100's processor motherboard has an LGA775 socket, so for a moment I thought enough to go to that shop to buy that heat sink and fan combo, until this question dawned on me.

If I'm using a Dell Dimension 3100 and, if I want to replace my CPU fan, can I do it by getting any fan combo that I was salivating that works on the alleged socket types (in this case, an LGA775 Pentium 4) without going to the Dell website, or do I have to purchase from Dell?

Simply put, my question is: If I want to replace the heatsink/fan combo on my computer, can I just get another heatsink/fan combo that supports the LGA775 socket from the store, or do I have to go somewhere else?

This will potentially be painful for me, but I think I can handle it. The truth, please.

[LowOrbit]

LGA775 is Pentium 4? Correct. Everything can be modded RX. Once the processor seats with ZIF then your good to go. You can mod anything/everything from there

[RobertX]

I meant if I can replace this Dell heat sink with just another heat sink from Joe Blow, with the fact that it's not from Dell?

Sorry if I didn't make my words that simple.

---

OK, I solved the problem.

It was a case of dust on the heat sink and the CPU fan.

Thanks to all who tried to help.

[RobertX]

I hope I'm not at risk of hijacking my own thread, but I think I'm all right since I have seemingly isolated it to the dust of the heatsink.

Anyhow, how often do you folks clean your heat sinks/fans? Once every day? Once every month? Once every year? How often?

[Henderson50]

I have one computer case that I leave open that's on a desk (hard to reach area, just easier to do anything if the case is off) and that one I'll use canned air on whenever I notice it's getting a lot of dust inside. Certainly no more often than every 6 months, maybe as long as a year.

The other PC with the closed case I definitely clean out whenever I need to open it, maybe every 6 months or so. It also sits on the floor which I think contributes to more dust being kicked up near it. While getting the dust off the heatsink and fans, make sure you use the canned air everywhere inside and blow away as much dust as possible, including off the mothers, from inside the power supply openings, and any openings along the video card as well. The heat from the PC is a dust magnet.