Problems with CPU fan?

[Laxer17]

Hey so I bought my pc around 3 years ago and it has a Cooler master hyper 212 evo. I've used my air duster but it's impossible to get out with that. Often I here it go CRAZY loud for like 20 seconds and then it goes back to making an average to low level of noise. It goes loud about every hour or so but like I said just for 20 seconds sometimes up to a minute. I'm getting concerned if I should buy a replacement or if there is an efficient safe way to clean it. Thanks.

[ELSknutson]

Take it off redo your thermal past give it a good cleaning and put it back in then get good dust filters for your case

[knightslugger]

agreed. Thermal paste should be reapplied every so often. at that time you are also able to clean the heat exchange with compressed air.

[Ryujin2003]

If you haven't put new thermal paste on in 3 years, its probably dried and cracked. Thermal Paste ages like milk.

[JakeNTech]

12 hours ago, knightslugger said:

agreed. Thermal paste should be reapplied every so often. at that time you are also able to clean the heat exchange with compressed air.

Hears how to do thermal paste:

1- Remove cooler

2- Clean off old TIM

3- Wipe over CPU with something non-abrasive your tee-shirt would be fine

4- Make a line of thermal compound in the center of the CPU parallel to the longest edge.

5- Spreed the Thermal paste out, you want a thin coverage along the CPU.

6- Place the cooler on the top and wait a minuet, to let the air escape

7- tighten down the heat sink in a star pattern.

I have found this to give best results and works extremely well.

As for your fan the bearing is probably on its way out, if this system has been used alot and the fans are on full alot then this can happen. I would say you sill have a few years left in it yet.