Has anyone changed the fans in the Mac Pro yet?

[GermanyChris]

I did and I'm quite impressed with the difference in CPU temps and airflow over the video card

[Washac]

Originally Posted by GermanyChris

I did and I'm quite impressed with the difference in CPU temps and airflow over the video card

Pray tell more, what fans did you change and how and with what ?

[GermanyChris]

Sharkoon Silent eagle 120mm x2 in the front. A BeQuiet silent wing 2 in the back. You just plug them in.

[DanielCoffey]

I was under the impression that the Apple fans used a proprietary pinout for speed control... something other than PWM?

EDIT : from the Sharkoon site...

Twin-Run technology allows the fan to operate on either a PWM or Linear electrical signal

[ActionableMango]

Originally Posted by DanielCoffey

EDIT : from the Sharkoon site...

I cannot find similar on BeQuiet site.

[FluJunkie]

More details on what you used, and how you did it, would be welcome.

[GermanyChris]

The Bequiet is a 3 pin fan it running at 1500RPM and 15db. It's currently hooked to a fan controller and SMC says its running at 966.

The Sharkoons ar running at 1200 their Max speed which is OK because they're just about silent. I hear the Power supply over the fans.

[GermanyChris]

Originally Posted by FluJunkie

More details on what you used, and how you did it, would be welcome.

it's a 1,1 flashed to 2,1 and has 5355's and a 560Ti 448 with an Arctic Cooling Accelero Twin Turbo 2. The ram is not apple standard it has the smaller heat sinks. I added the final final 4 sticks giving 8 in all and I was playing around inside and realized the ram was warmer than I was comfortable with.

I had the Sharkoons left over from the Rad on the Hackintosh so I pulled the front fan assembly took one look and knew they'd fit. The fan assembly is powered by a connector that leads to two 4 pin PWM connectors one for the top one for the bottom. I cut the rubber mounts mounted the new fans with rubber mounts connected the connect and we're off.

The rear is just a 4 pin MoBo header. I pugged the fan controller into the 4 pin plugged the fan into the controller and remounted.

Idle CPU temps via SMC fan control is 29ish degrees, yes> /dev/null on all 8 cores for 45min yielded 45 deg. I don't figure thats too bad for a 6 year old heavily modified computer. I going to stop searching for a socket 771 water block now for sure.

[DanielCoffey]

Oh I see - the fans are just running flat out, hence the lower temps.

You are fortunate they are quiet then.

[GermanyChris]

Originally Posted by DanielCoffey

Oh I see - the fans are just running flat out, hence the lower temps.

You are fortunate they are quiet then.

Yes which is why I bought them in the beginning inaudible at 1200.

[El Awesome]

These temps are awesome. I have 35°-40° idle. About 65° after doing 30min stuff with handbrake.
You made me think about replacing my fans as well, but it's the PCIe fan that annoyes me the most, because of my GTX570 it runs always at 1100RPM, which is quite a lot.

[GermanyChris]

Originally Posted by El Awesome

These temps are awesome. I have 35°-40° idle. About 65° after doing 30min stuff with handbrake.
You made me think about replacing my fans as well, but it's the PCIe fan that annoyes me the most, because of my GTX570 it runs always at 1100RPM, which is quite a lot.

One of the front fans was making annoying noises.The Apple fans are super high quality ball bearing but they just don't move as much air as modern fans.

[Washac]

Originally Posted by GermanyChris

Sharkoon Silent eagle 120mm x2 in the front. A BeQuiet silent wing 2 in the back. You just plug them in.

Thanks for the information

[DanielCoffey]

Just be aware that if replacing the fans with non-Apple ones, they will be reporting a fault to the fan controller which is why they are going full speed all the time. This will of course mean they are at their full current draw all the time. Worth checking the current of any fans you change.

[GermanyChris]

I'm not really worried about the power draw, and I'm a big fan of the reduced temps at the same noise level..If I want them to run slower I'll just put a fan controller on them.

[Concorde Rules]

Originally Posted by GermanyChris

I'm not really worried about the power draw, and I'm a big fan of the reduced temps at the same noise level..If I want them to run slower I'll just put a fan controller on them.

You missed the point. The fans themselves might be drawing too much current for the mobo traces to handle over a long period.

It is likely they are overprovisioned so it will be ok, but still.

[GermanyChris]

I highly doubt contemporary fans draw more than 7 yo BB fans but you could be right I suppose. Either way I'm a whole lotta indifferent

[Demigod Mac]

Also interested in this; one of my fans causes a rattling sound occasionally and wouldn't mind replacing it with an even quieter fan.

Were there any special modifications or adapters needed or do the fans work off the shelf?

my model is a mid-2010 (5,1) Mac Pro.

[Phrygian]

I'm not sure why this would be necessary at all...
Did you stock fans break down?

I find i run rather my system very cool even when playing graphic intensive games, and the fans stay running on low speeds. Then again i noticed my fans don't work as hard since i put in a radeon 6870.

So, was this just for fun, or did you feel like your system was running hot and fast?

[GermanyChris]

Yes the CPU fan was making noises like the bearing had seen better days.

[Chumnick]

Originally Posted by GermanyChris

Sharkoon Silent eagle 120mm x2 in the front. A BeQuiet silent wing 2 in the back. You just plug them in.

Hi GermanyChris,
Can you check? Specifications match?

Be Quiet Case Fan Silent Wings 2 120mm BQT T12025-MF-3 and
SILENT EAGLE SE 120mm 12V 1200 RPM model: 4044951008636

Thanks!

[GermanyChris]

Originally Posted by Chumnick

Hi GermanyChris,
Can you check? Specifications match?

Be Quiet Case Fan Silent Wings 2 120mm BQT T12025-MF-3 and
SILENT EAGLE SE 120mm 12V 1200 RPM model: 4044951008636

Thanks!

Those are both correct.

Interesting little factoid I put one of the factory fans back in and now both fans will PWM even though I don't have the 4th pin attached.. I can also control it SMC fan control.

[Chumnick]

Originally Posted by GermanyChris

Interesting little factoid I put one of the factory fans back in and now both fans will PWM even though I don't have the 4th pin attached.. I can also control it SMC fan control.

But what was the need to install the factory fan?

And one more question: much quieter after replacing the fans?

Thanks and sorry for my English!

[GermanyChris]

Originally Posted by Chumnick

But what was the need to install the factory fan?

And one more question: much quieter after replacing the fans?

Thanks and sorry for my English!

I always futz with stuff..

Not quieter so much as my bearings were making noises that drove me nuts..

The fans here are really expensive like 120 euro for the front fan assembly. but last week I ordered on from the states for $20 shipped that I'm going to try.

My recommendation is to go to a store and listen to the fans what may not be too loud for me may be entirely too much for you..