N54L Fan Replacement

[CJRoss]

I have an N54L that needs a new fan. Unfortunately, the link I find referenced everywhere doesn't work anymore.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1193-page7.html

From what I've been able to piece together, any 120mm fan should work as long as it stays above 300 rpm. That appears to rule out almost all Noctua fans as most of them have a 0 rpm feature. What's puzzling is that I have a fan with a min speed of 500 rpm but it seems to work only sometimes and even when it does, that doesn't last.

I already have an adapter cable to fix the proprietary pinout, but I haven't found a fan that works in PWM. Converting to a 3 pin connection ends up with a fan that's either too loud(even with a Noctua LNA) or a fan that produces weird harmonics.

The BIOS is out od date, and I've found a web archive link to the original BIOS and several unofficial BIOS, but from what I've read, none of them changes the Fan Missing! alarm or any other PWM settings.

Any suggestions for a replacement that works? I'm just using it as a TrueNAS backup target.

 

[Ralph_IT]

WayBack Machine is your friend.
I've had a N40L which is basically the same model (lower CPU, that's it).
I remember installing a hacked BIOS to allow 16GB of RAM and changing the fan for a Noctua NF-A12x25 PWN to make it quieter.
Keep in mind that the PWM of the MoBo applies a reduction of the fan's speed.

 

[CJRoss]

WayBack Machine is your friend.

Doh! I should have thought of that, especially after having someone use it to get the HP BIOS.

I've had a N40L which is basically the same model (lower CPU, that's it).
I remember installing a hacked BIOS to allow 16GB of RAM and changing the fan for a Noctua NF-A12x25 PWN to make it quieter.
Keep in mind that the PWM of the MoBo applies a reduction of the fan's speed.

I used one of the listed 16G kits that works with the OEM BIOS. Are you using the NF-A12 with PWM? What fan speeds are you seeing? How does it sound?

The fans I tried that weren't too loud ended up producing weird harmonics that were annoying despite not being very loud. It wouldn't be bad if I wasn't sitting in the same room.

 

[CJRoss]

Reading through the SPCR page, I think the poster is off on their 35% PWM estimate. The only fan I have that worked with PWM runs at 500 rpm at 20% and under. It's also the one that sometimes works and only for a little while which leads me to agree that the cutoff is probably 500 rpm.

This is also why I'm not sure about using the NF-A12 as it's rated 450 rpm at 20% PWM.

 

[Ralph_IT]

Are you using the NF-A12 with PWM? What fan speeds are you seeing? How does it sound?
The fans I tried that weren't too loud ended up producing weird harmonics that were annoying despite not being very loud. It wouldn't be bad if I wasn't sitting in the same room.

I am not using it anymore, sorry. It was decomissioned more than 4 years ago because of reasons.
I had it laying on the floor under my desk and I remember hearing a low humm from it with the NF installed, but clearly less than the original.
Also I changed the PSU fan for a Noctua, which also help.

Reading through the SPCR page, I think the poster is off on their 35% PWM estimate. The only fan I have that worked with PWM runs at 500 rpm at 20% and under. It's also the one that sometimes works and only for a little while which leads me to agree that the cutoff is probably 500 rpm.

This is also why I'm not sure about using the NF-A12 as it's rated 450 rpm at 20% PWM.

Do not know your budget and if you can get a grab on one, but Be Quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 are well over 500rpm at 20% duty-cycle.

 

[CJRoss]

I am not using it anymore, sorry. It was decomissioned more than 4 years ago because of reasons.
I had it laying on the floor under my desk and I remember hearing a low humm from it with the NF installed, but clearly less than the original.
Also I changed the PSU fan for a Noctua, which also help.


Do not know your budget and if you can get a grab on one, but Be Quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 are well over 500rpm at 20% duty-cycle.

Did you set the NF-A12 using PWM or some other sort of speed control? Interesting that you found it quieter, as I don't have any issues with the other N54L I have that has stock fans.

That fan looks good, but my concern is that it's to produce the weird harmonics as well. Unfortunately it's not something I can check without actually trying it. I may end up having to go back to just letting a slower fan run at full speed.

 

[Ralph_IT]

Did you set the NF-A12 using PWM or some other sort of speed control? Interesting that you found it quieter, as I don't have any issues with the other N54L I have that has stock fans.

That fan looks good, but my concern is that it's to produce the weird harmonics as well. Unfortunately it's not something I can check without actually trying it. I may end up having to go back to just letting a slower fan run at full speed.

Mmmm....The more I think about it, the less sure I am it was easy peasy. I've the feeling that I ended up connecting the fan on 3 pins with a LNR adapter, but memories are blurry.

I am sure the noise was more..."pleasant"...if you will, but YMMV. Sound perception is very subjective.
Don't know if you can do it, but I'll buy a fan on Amazon Prime and return it if it doesn't fit.

 

[CJRoss]

Mmmm....The more I think about it, the less sure I am it was easy peasy. I've the feeling that I ended up connecting the fan on 3 pins with a LNR adapter, but memories are blurry.

I am sure the noise was more..."pleasant"...if you will, but YMMV. Sound perception is very subjective.
Don't know if you can do it, but I'll buy a fan on Amazon Prime and return it if it doesn't fit.

From what I've read, their PWM setup is odd. I wish there was an easy way to view the PWM signal that it's outputting.

I've ordered an NA-FC1 to do some experimentation with. Not sure if I'll just leave it in there or if I'll use it to find a good fan setup.