|
This page is the by-product of my spec'ing out the FBK-09A12L fan in my
8573-P75.
> The fan stops from time to time, causing the system to get dangerously
hot.
Dave Burton replied:
You asked the right guy. :-) I've become somewhat of an expert on
this topic. :-|
That is a very common problem with clone computers, though they usually wait
more than the warranty period before dying. I first tried replacing the bad
fans in my computers with Radio Shack's equivalent. But they were at least as
unreliable as the originals, probably worse.
So, I bought several fancier (ball-bearing) fans from Digi-Key. They carry
two brands: Rotron/Comair and Panasonic. I bought a few of each. I was
surprised and disappointed to conclude that I like the Panasonics slightly
better than the Rotrons, even though the Rotrons are more expensive. Rotron
gives a MTBF of 60,000 hours for these, but Panasonic gives a *guaranteed*
lifespan of 40,000 hours, which I think is better, too. (Lifespan ratings are
for operation at a temperature of 25 Celsius.)
40,000 hours is about 4.5 years of continuous operation. Not great, but a
lot better than the miserable made-in-China originals in these clone
computers.
(One good thing about IBM computers: they *do* put decent fans in them,
unlike most clone vendors!)
Both Rotron/Comair and Panasonic fans come in both of the two popular sizes
for clone computers: 92x25 mm, and 80x25 mm (note: you almost always need 12v
DC fans in PC clone computers, so don't get the 24V models).
In the Panasonic ball-bearing fans, you have these choices, all at $18-19
each from Digikey:
| Size | Power | Air flow | Air pressure | Noise | Model |
|---|
| 80x25 mm | 0.66 W | 22.6 CFM | 1.8 mmH2O | 23 dB-A | FBK-08A12L |
| 80x25 mm | 0.98 W | 29.0 CFM | 3.1 mmH2O | 29 dB-A | FBK-08A12M |
| 80x25 mm | 1.56 W | 37.1 CFM | 4.5 mmH2O | 35 dB-A | FBK-08A12H |
| 92x25 mm | 0.96 W | 35.3 CFM | 2.5 mmH2O | 27 dB-A | FBK-09A12L |
| 92x25 mm | 1.13 W | 41.0 CFM | 3.3 mmH2O | 31 dB-A | FBK-09A12M |
| 92x25 mm | 1.64 W | 48.4 CFM | 4.4 mmH2O | 35 dB-A | FBK-09A12H |
I would suggest the "M" versions, normally, or for minimum noise (but
minimum cooling) the "L" version. The "L" version is probably closer to the
original that you're replacing -- these clone computers often have very anemic
fans.
(Panasonic also has non-ball-bearing fans, for about $5 less... but why
would anyone want one? The specs and model numbers are similar, but the model
numbers start out "FBA-" instead of "FBK-", and there's an extra "1A" on the
end. E.g., FBA-08A12L1A for the 80mm, 12V, Low-capacity version.)
The Rotrons you want are the "Flight II 90 series" and "Flight II 80 series"
(for 92mm and 80mm fans, respectively). They sell for about $24-25 each from
Digikey. In the 80mm fan, you can get either the 1.8W version (33 CFM) or the
1.1W (quieter, but only 26 CFM). In the 92mm fan, you can get either the 3.7W
(45 CFM) or the 2.4W (38 CFM).
|