XPS 8900, overheating, can I upgrade the fan?

Question

Its old, but still works great--or did until it crashed twice during grad school on-line classes.

This started crashing right before finals.

When sorrows come, they come not single spies...

I finally figured out that the 4 cores were running at or near 100 and, while I keep wondering why it is running so hot, everything I see says to replace the thermal paste and fan.

Good thing fans come with paste, although it isn't the best.

I benchmarked my desktop, replaced the paste, and benchmarked it again.

It was negligibly slower.

I keep shutting down my computer, disconnecting my cables, and then needing to get back on for something for school.

I finally made the time to replace the cooler, finally figured out that the bracket goes on the back of the motherboard, and realized that required removing the motherboard.

The fan doesn't look like it would fit with the cover on, but I just want it to be reliable.

It looks like Dell makes it difficult to upgrade the cooler a couple different ways, but they made an upgraded cooler for the 8940, which is a popular upgrade, and available for $17.08, while the 8950 cooler is $68.37.

So, just swap in the 8940 cooler?

Is my processor thermal throttling because the original fan is dying?

redxps630 · Answer

It may not be cpu cooler fan dying.

try replacing CMOs battery w a new battery

then clear CMOs settings by using motherboard jumper

Dell also offers a premium oem tower cooler VWMTJ for 8900 direct drop in no need to remove motherboard

search for it on the forum

(edited)

redxps630 · Answer

https://www.dell.com/community/en/conversations/xps-desktops/xps-8900870085008300-cooler-upgrade/66b81eaee712766c3bae15ef?keyword=XPs%208900%20cooler

Xist · Answer

The VWMTJ looks a lot like the VWD01, which came out for the 8940, is arriving today, and cost $17.08.

Xist · Answer

The plastic tab broke when I popped out the battery, so now I have a new problem! :)

Xist · Answer

I wanted to create a new post about the new problem, but the Dell site is working as well as my Dell computer.
I can comment on this thread, but when I try to create a new one, it tells me to log on, and then try again later.
Meanwhile, I can still comment on this thread.

Xist · Answer

For now, I am using electrical tape, but someone pointed out there was 9 years of dust in the heatsink, so I removed that.

My computer now benchmarks 3.4% higher than where I started, but right now, I have Vivaldi with hundreds of tabs, including 100 YouTube videos I loaded just for this, Zoom, OBS Studio, which is recording, Brave with two windows and dozens of tabs, 12 Word documents, 8 Excel spreadsheets, it is updating Hearthstone, and Windows Security is running a full scan.

My temperatures are staying below 80°C.

I guess that I will upgrade the fan, but what will it do, prevent my computer from overheating with another 9 years of dust?

redxps630 · Answer

dust depends on environment and where you put the desktop. in a dusty environment and leaving pc on carpeted floor is one of the worst ways to make it a vacuum cleaner.

8900 case like 8700 has a rear exhaust fan. if the air flow gap is not blocked significantly by dust, it does not alter the air flow (CFM) much. cleaning is more for a cleanliness habit.

aluminum heatsink fins when accumulating too much dust between fins loses heat dissipation capabilities. they are getting choked as the air from cpu fan can not pass between fins to dissipate heat away from them.

not very easy to thoroughly clean but if you soak just the heatsink without fan in soapy water for a day, it can be done.

to save effort, just get a new replacement oem cooler. it does not have to be a premium tower cooler, but it should be a performance grade heatsink that is not a thin pancake. the heatsink should be at least two inch in height.

Xist · Answer

The VWD01 arrived three days ago and cost $17.08.

XPS Desktops

XPS 8900, overheating, can I upgrade the fan?

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