Fan-free CPUs?

[Sofa]

I'm looking to make a little linux box to take care of some network routing and storage chores. I'd like to have it running 24/7, and fan noise disturbs my sleep, I'd like to make the power supply's fan the only one in the system. I've heard that the newest VIA Cyrix units can run safely without a fan (I'm not looking for severe power here ). Is this a fact, or just something I heard and should ignore? Also, are there any other CPUs on the market that can run (safely!) without a fan? Thanks in advance....

 

[ElFenix]

p4 has some really good thermal protection. get the low end one of those plus a massive heatsink then undervolt it and you should have a pretty quick, almost noiseless system.

sure, the C3 would be cheaper, but cyrix is suck!


alternatively, the new celerons based on the tualatin core run really cool already, so a bit of an underclock/undervolt will easily let it run fanless. and that would probably be the fastest solution too.

 

[ed21x]

http://www.crusoe.com/everywhere/products/servers/nec/nec_cs56.html

go transmeta!!

 

[Henny]

Use a Tualatin 1.2. It's based on the .13 micron process.

I have a second system using this CPU and it doesn't even need a fan. I have a Volcano 5 heatsink and dropped the fan RPM down from 4800 to about 3200. Then I totally disconnected the fan. The difference was about 2-3 degrees in CPU temp.

As long as case airflow is good, this CPU doesn't need a fan as long as the heatsink is decent.

 

[Shmorq]

I would personally go with the Cyrix myself if you can find it. It's cheap, and I've read many times that it can rely on completely passive cooling. Also, while it's not exactly a very robust processor, it will have plenty of power to handle routing and fileserving duties.

The Tualitin's are nice, but do you really wanna spend that much on a simple router and fileserver?

-Shmorq

 

[jm0ris0n]

I'd go the cyrex way myself. They offer enough juice and an unbeatable quiet price

 

[freebee]

Not sure the exact setup that Dell uses in terms of its fan ducts, but many Dells don't have CPU fans, but rely on a single, large fan and plastic shroud in the back for all cooling needs. Check out some of the Dells if you can to see if you can configure a similar setup as they are extremely quiet.

 

[ST4RCUTTER]

Welcome to Anandtech Sofa!


I couldn't recommend a P4 in this situation. You'd end up paying a horendous price just so you can undervolt/underclock it. The CPU has bad IPC as it is. Lowering the frequency would just kill its performance more. A waste of money IMO.

The Tualatin would be a better choice. You could run it slightly underclocked, and it would still perform well. It runs pretty cool because of the .13um process and maybe you could even put a small fan on it that would make little to no sound. (at least when compared to the PSU fan)

The Cyrix can run w/o a HSF, maybe even w/o a HS. It's also cheap as dirt. Not quite as powerful, but if all you want is a router/file server, it will do just what you want...

 

[FlippyBoy]

what about the new durons? would a duron based on the palomino core underclocked to say 650 or 700 be possible to run fanless, maybe with an alpha pal8045?

 

[KpocAlypse]

The tully celly 1.2 might do the trick. The Cyrix can for sure do it.

But when thinking about a fanless linux box, i think about just seeing if i can pick up a older p2 233-400 for cheap, both of my beater boxes are a fanless 233 and a fanless 400, and do there job perfectly fine. Heck its linux, does one really need more of a beater box? (our current novell file, web, and print server is a 400, the linux play box is a 233)

P4 might have good thermal protection, but the cost is high, and the .18 p4 isn't all that cold of a chip to start with.

 

[CTho9305]

via

or a duron... my tbird 700 can run fanlesss at 500mhz, 1.5 vcore. hot, but stable.

 

[stultus]

Get an old CuMine Celly 533 - it only puts out something like 15W and can be run just fine with a big honkin' heatsink on it. Sounds like you don't need too much power...

 

[Armitage]

<< Get an old CuMine Celly 533 - it only puts out something like 15W and can be run just fine with a big honkin' heatsink on it. Sounds like you don't need too much power... >>



I'll second this...
If you're just doing some network routing, you can probably get by with an antique 486 running LRP or freesco.
You said it needed to do storage also, in which case you may want to up that to a PPRo (mine does great with no heatsink, although it does have an additional case fan) or old celeron.

 

[MoMeanMugs]

My CPU is water-cooled. Does that count?

 

[MikeMike]

<< Not sure the exact setup that Dell uses in terms of its fan ducts, but many Dells don't have CPU fans, but rely on a single, large fan and plastic shroud in the back for all cooling needs. Check out some of the Dells if you can to see if you can configure a similar setup as they are extremely quiet. >>



my new dell uses that it is basically a nice looking heatsink with a 120mm? fan uses the green flow director and just the ps fan

but the 120 is loud as hell and annoying! i wish my parents would let me change it for a quieter better fan

 

[Grisnatch]

just get an old celeron and put a big heatsink on it. if you are really worried about heat they make really quiet 50-60mm fan's that are quieter than psu fans. might be an option. good luck on your project.

 

[thomsbrain]

You should see the heatsink that's on a Dell slot 1 PII I got somewhere. This thing is massive, it extends twice as high as the processor PCB. No fan needed.

 

[Rahminator]

My Micron Millenia with P3 733 doesn't have a fan and it's rock stable.

 

[Sofa]

Hrmm.... Tual sounds good... didn't expect I'd get a CPU in the listing that has guts =) Thanks all.

 

[BeauJangles]

Get an old P3. SOmething around 650 mhz. They can run without fans and do a damn fine job. Or get a slot A tbird... my parents 566 runs with one fan, at that runs at 2700 rpm and makes so little noise when the CDs or HDDs spin up, it sounds really loud!

 

[oldfart]

Go with a lower clocked Celeron or PIII. A Celeron 533A uses only 11.2 watts, a PIII 500e, 13.2 watts.
Celeron Specs
PIII specs

 

[Quickfingerz]

Celeron II for sure!! and add a fanless powersupply...

 

[n0cmonkey]

PPC chips generally run without fans.

 

[CTho9305]

<< PPC chips generally run without fans. >>


expensive, proprietary, and by default come with a crap OS and a one-button mouse
sun's come with 3-button mice - they must be 3x better

 

[Sestar]

The powerpc thing doesnt sound bad, pickup a cheap mac on ebay(any G3 really, should be around 300$ for 300mhz). I dont think they have fans, and put OS X on it and bam linux quality, low price, and a mac to play around with.