Passively cooling the old hog - pls comment

[chevkoch]

After trying out 2 different cpu coolers when my original Evercool fan did die a week ago and ripping them out again as they made my PC sound like a helicopter going down, I just put heatsink paste on the, well heatsink, and installed that without a fan.

I got an old Celeron 466 on a 370 LT adapter and read the specifications about max temperature and they apparently are (not sure if I trust the sources) 70?C Case temperature (whatever Case temp actually is).

So I've been running it without a fan now for a couple of days and have been checking the CPU temperatures with a program called Speedfan. Just surfing the net means a temperature of 47/48?C, while playing a First-Person-Shooter like Serious Sam lets the CPU heat up to 51/52?C. In my BIOS the overheat warning temp is set at 55?C.

Before, when my original cooler + fan where installed, the "surfing-only"-temp was around 41/43?C.

My question is: is it hazardous to run my particular processor without a fan and am I seriously shortening its lifespan by doing so?

And while I'm at it, my Riva TNT2 Ultra's fan makes a grinding noise now and then as well, I suppose going the passive way without a fan here would be too adventurous?

Please lay your insights on me.

[oracle]

eeeeeeek

yes

if you want a cooler thats quiet there are many available, i reccomend the zalman flower

[DjSatansfury]

I would of said get a Coolermaster Aero blower

However its only a 466 Celeron

TBFH

It wont overheat to the point of damage, they dont get that hot, and if you want it to be nicely cooled, then sorry, but its going to have to sound like a helicopter

[charlaph]

The fan on my old Celeron 400 broke and the PC ran for about 12 months afterwards with just the heatsink and never gave any bother at all, so you shouldn't have a problem. If you're really worried you could try underclocking it if your BIOS will allow you to.

[mid]

The old Celerons ran gloriously cool by default, its why my old 266 was clocked to 400 without even upgrading the stock heatsink and fan.

Is it slot 1 or a socket by the way? If its slot 1 you'll be lucky to find any new heatsinks for it anyway.

[Freddo]

I have a server downstairs with a celery733 in it, I just slapped a big copper cooler on that with no fan and its been fine for like, 200days uptime.

never had any trouble with it

[Shimmyhill]

It will run passive no worries m8, i ran a 466 celery passive for months.

As for the gfx card it too will run passive, however u may want to paste a bigger heatsink on to the gpu - ive used old 486 heatsinks with success.

However id suggest you chuck a case fan or 2 in there, 5v them so they run silent.

[chevkoch]

Your comments are very appreciated you all, thanks a lot everyone.

Right oracle, I've seen the Zalman ones, those that have the fan screwed in seperately. But if it works with this current setup, I'd rather not put more money in my machine anymore.

Is it slot 1 or a socket by the way? If its slot 1 you'll be lucky to find any new heatsinks for it anyway.

I don't know, the cpu sits in an adapter that says "PG 370 LT". I put on a slightly bigger heatsink (aluminium) than I had installed before that came with a GlobalWin cooler I recently bought, but ripped the fan off, because, as mentioned, it made my PC sound like ready for takeoff.

As for the gfx card it too will run passive, however u may want to paste a bigger heatsink on to the gpu - ive used old 486 heatsinks with success.

Good to hear. Right now the TNT2's fan is silent again, mysterious. But it's probably deteriorating in phases. Or has broke down already.

Again, thanks for all your input, I will leave the CPU passively cooled from now.