The NMB fan used on some Dimension 8200 and 8300 models is much quieter. I believe the Dimension 4550 has the same case so the 8300 fan should fit. The fan that came with my Dimension 8300 is NMB model 3612KL-04W-B66.

Regarding CPU temperature - I also want to monitor CPU temperature on my system. I tried installing Intel Active Monitor on my 8300 since it has an Intel motherboard. Unfortunately it wouldn't install - apparently the Dell version of the Intel board has a different hardware monitoring chip or temperature sensors. If you find something that works for temperature monitoring, please let me know.

you have a temperature controlled fan.when the temperature gets high,the fan kicks and spins faster.when the cpu is idle,doing nothing,the fan will slow back down and will be quiet.you might want to buy an aftermarket fan like a vantec stealth but i am not sure if it will fit and i dont know what size fans your dell computer uses.the fan kicks in because the cpu temperature has raised and wants to keep your processor cool.a toasty processor isnt good.try sisoftware sandra 2003,install it,open it and click on CPU and bios>if you scroll down you might see the CPU temperature.im not sure if dells come with temperature probes or not.

Great.   Thanks for the tips..both of you guys.  I will try the Sandra thing.  Easytune and MBM are two packages that will NOT work on my system at least.  So we will see about Sandra.  Back to the other comment, I understood the fundamental relationship between power used, Processing intensity and heat generation and the reason for the variability of the fan.. But in your comment is the answer to your question...That is that there must be a temp sensor in there because the fan speed is controled by the reading off of it.

Again thanks to you both and I will post back if I find anything that will let me read that temp and display it.  This is necessary prior to me trying to improve over the stock cooling for this processor.

It would seem to me that Dell themselves would have an answer for us ... kind of like Ford offering AfterMarket dual exhausts etc. "Psst ..... Hey Buddy... If you want to run that Cancer Research thingie, let me sell you this super-duper high-class heat dissipation gizmo that will keep that P4 cool and quiet no matter how much work you give it." 

Please, don't someone tell me that the ambient temp in the environment is important..been all though that and understand.  Thanks

You folks have a Great Day

Message Edited by Robert76043 on 07-12-2003 01:29 PM

Switching to a water cooled system with the chiller unit in the other room cuts down on all fan noize.


This is of course not supported by dell.

err depending on the water cooling i think most or all use 4 holes around the socket of the cpu.do dells come with these 4 holes?

I downloaded the Sandra thing and cannot figure out how to coax it into telling me the temp.  It did tell me the environment Monitor model was a SMSC M10x/14x LPC.  I poked around a bit and found that this thing probably came from Standard Microsystems Corporation (SMSC).  They do build environmental monitoring & control stuff according to their website but, I sank chest deep in the Electronics tecnospeak prior to being able to find anything that would be helpful in being able to read a temp from one of them.

Guess I will take a different tack.. As to the water cooling, with my room arrangement, I have no other adjacent room that I am willing to sacrifice (read my wife would go ballistic), to the noise of a refrigerator unit.  I wonder... If I built this big mesh of copper piping that ran around the perimeter of the room; long enough for the water to reach ambient temp -- a sort of passive radiator -- then I would need a contact block/water jacket; I suppose somewhere there is a kit for this sort of thing (do you suppose Dell supports it  ), would it be ...something just seems wrong about putting water into a mini-tower..kind of like putting mittens and a muzzle on your cat and putting it in with the canaries...everything will be fine unless

Finchin: "The NMB fan used on some Dimension 8200 and 8300 models is much quieter. I believe the Dimension 4550 has the same case so the 8300 fan should fit. The fan that came with my Dimension 8300 is NMB model 3612KL-04W-B66." Any idea how I could confirm this and then give it a try...or would I just have to order it?

Rank amateur messing with these things..still seems as if Dell ought to offer a solution that makes sense from an engineering point of view that both keeps the processor cool and makes the room habitable from a noise pollution point of view.

Message Edited by Robert76043 on 07-13-2003 10:57 AM

http://picserver.student.utwente.nl/getpicture.php?id=200439
you dont see anything like the above picture?

I suggest you email Dell tech support and ask them to verify that the NMB fan will fit.

In my Processor 1 Section of Sandra i have only nothing shown below the Sensors !!!  And By Power Rating(s) , there is only the Core Power is shown ?. I have installed the newest Version of the Sisoft Sandra (2003.7.9.73) , but it is the standard edition of course.

@youm0nt

Is your Sandra Professional Edition ?

Logically there must be a sensor to regulate the Fan, why can't use it the programs such Sandra ?

yes,mine is professional but i do not think it would matter.i think have read some where else that dells do not come with temperature probes.i am not sure if this is true or not