UNSOLVED
Noisy fan - a warning!
I took delivery of a Dimension 8200 2Ghz this week and had the same noisy fan problem as many here - high buzz like a motorboat or someone shaving, changing in pitch periodically and VERY annoying. After about an hour's use I would also detect a faint smell of burning plastic.
Through reading posts at this forum, I opened the case and discovered I had one of the known faulty Datech fans.
Called technical support several times and got these responses:
1) It is normal for a fan to make noise, and the P4 processor gets hot, it needs alot of cooling - just live with it!
2) OK, so we'll send someone out to replace your faulty Datech fan with another (probably faulty too) Datech fan.
When I pointed out that the problem is with the Datech fan and that they should send me an NMB quiet non-faulty fan (as read in this forum), I got the reply...
3) We admit the Datech fans are a problem but we don't have any NMB fans available, so...
The result? My system is boxed up and ready to ship back to Dell tomorrow.
The moral of this story? Don't buy from a company that knows some of its hardware parts are faulty but uses them in new systems anyway! Could it be that Dell is eager to avoid the cost of pitching these faulty fans and therefore ships them in new systems still and hopes users will just think the noise is "normal"???
Through reading posts at this forum, I opened the case and discovered I had one of the known faulty Datech fans.
Called technical support several times and got these responses:
1) It is normal for a fan to make noise, and the P4 processor gets hot, it needs alot of cooling - just live with it!
2) OK, so we'll send someone out to replace your faulty Datech fan with another (probably faulty too) Datech fan.
When I pointed out that the problem is with the Datech fan and that they should send me an NMB quiet non-faulty fan (as read in this forum), I got the reply...
3) We admit the Datech fans are a problem but we don't have any NMB fans available, so...
The result? My system is boxed up and ready to ship back to Dell tomorrow.
The moral of this story? Don't buy from a company that knows some of its hardware parts are faulty but uses them in new systems anyway! Could it be that Dell is eager to avoid the cost of pitching these faulty fans and therefore ships them in new systems still and hopes users will just think the noise is "normal"???
676
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Posted November 16th, 2001 21:00
as i posted in other articled on here its not faulty i dont think. every fan makes a different noise and some are louder than others. some fans are 10db louder . it dont mean its broken. i have an old 200mhz pc and the fan is like 3 times louder than my 4300 fan. its not broke its just a loud fan.
im sure there are quiter fans than the datech but all fans make noise like i said.
my old 16mhz pc has a louder fan. i dont get how everyoen expects it to be quiet. i never heard of a quiet fan
676
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Posted November 16th, 2001 22:00
Maybe I am an exception regarding noisy fans but my Dell 4100 bought new in April is so quiet I have to look over to the tower on occasion to make sure it's still on.
Some fans are better than others but there is no reason for a CPU fan to be annoyingly loud. It depends on the quality of the bearings and balance and it certainly appears that recently Dell bought the cheapest they could find.
__________________________________________________
"My work is so secret it even prevents me from knowing what I am doing."
__________________________________________________676
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Posted November 16th, 2001 22:00
I agree that some fans are loud but I think most people can tell the difference between a loud fan that makes a constant, normal "white noise" in the background and a fan like mine (and others') that buzzes in a strange manner and at varying frequencies.
And I certainly don't expect a fan to give off a heated / burning plastic smell after only an hour or so's usage. Some fans are loud but some fans are also faulty. The Datech fans that Dell still ships in brand new systems are faulty, plain and simple.
nyguy wrote:
- as i posted in other articled on here its not faulty
- i dont think. every fan makes a different noise and
- some are louder than others. some fans are 10db
- louder . it dont mean its broken. i have an old
- 200mhz pc and the fan is like 3 times louder than my
- 4300 fan. its not broke its just a loud fan.
-
- im sure there are quiter fans than the datech but
- all fans make noise like i said.
-
- my old 16mhz pc has a louder fan. i dont get how
- everyoen expects it to be quiet. i never heard of a
- quiet fan
-
-
676
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Posted November 16th, 2001 23:00
before i bought my dell pc i actually though they got rid of fans in computers. i thought i read years ago they have liquid cooling or something. i guess its still in the future. :)
676
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Posted November 17th, 2001 03:00
Thanks pollycat! I, too, purchased a wonderful 8200 system and the noise from the fan has been *very* annoying. I knew there must be a way to fix it so that it is quit. Other high powered cpu's are quit... there is no excuse for what Dell is doing with these fans (slow boil). Now, I think I'll get on the phone and see about getting a new fan out here.
Shrek
676
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Posted November 17th, 2001 09:00
Your going to send back a killer computer like that just because of a cheap fan? Why dont you just go buy one and be done with it?
I hardly think that is a big enough problem to turn around and ship the entire system back to Dell. I mean come on now dude.
676
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Posted November 17th, 2001 12:00
Pollycat
I can understand why you are upset over the fan noise. On the other hand, shipping the system back to Dell is going to cost you more than a new fan. Why not wait and have an acceptable fan provided to you by Dell? The 30 day return policy is fine except for the hassle of re-packing and paying shipping costs.Paul
Dell 8100
WinME
40 gb ata hard drive
CD-RW
DVD drive
Harmon Kardon 695's
676
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Posted November 17th, 2001 12:00
"Dude", when I pay top dollar for a brand new system, including paying for three years onsite support and repairs, I do not then accept a brand new machine containing faulty hardware and expect to have to pay for and make my own repairs, however "trivial". I mean, come on, Dude!
I am returning the system because Dell itself says they know of this problem, cannot fix it (no fault-free replacement fans available) and they themselves suggested I send the machine back for a full refund. Dell needs to know that shipping faulty goods is simply not acceptable and will lose them custom and reputation. By accepting faulty goods and doing your own repairs, you are encouraging Dell to continue with its shoddy practices. If they lose enough customers, they will improve.
ScottChrisWalsh wrote:
- Your going to send back a killer computer like that
- just because of a cheap fan? Why dont you just go
- buy one and be done with it?
-
- I hardly think that is a big enough problem to turn
- around and ship the entire system back to Dell. I
- mean come on now dude.
-
-
448
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Posted November 17th, 2001 13:00
Me three!
My 8200 (about 2 weeks old, now,) is basically silent.
Maybe I never get it hot enough for the fan to kick in.
I dunno.
You guys aren't talking about the CD / CDRW player, though, (are you?) which _does_ sound like a jet airplane taking off. Now, _that_ is loud!
But, you would have to rip this computer off my desk for anything other than a major problem.
You can't count me in as "totally satisfied," (at least at this point,) as long as I just never have to deal with Dell tech support or customer service again (ha!)
Sal Sessa
Dallas, TX USA
http://www.salsessa.com
nyguy
295 Posts
676
0
Posted November 16th, 2001 21:00