Can you run a CPU without a heatsink/fan

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Blazestorm

Supreme [H]ardness
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Jan 17, 2007
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Just to get into... BIOS?

What kind of temperatures do you think you would see... (Any modern P4 or Athlon Processor... Single/Dual/Quad-core) ?

Just curious
 
You can run some of the lower TDP processors without a fan if you have a good heatsink, but its not a good idea to run any modern processor without a heatsink;)
 
Nightcast said:
nope, not as far as i can remember you can't. And I wouldn't try.
Click to expand...

I did try it...

This guy was claiming to be an Alienware tech (With 3 certs!) and said he would test customer's computers by swapping out a good processor with their's and not bothering to put a heatsink on because it would save him time...

At first I said I doubted he could get into BIOS, then tried to say he was running a Q6850 for the past 10 minutes and it wasn't above 24c (without heatsink and fan)

I tested it myself, I happened to have my server (mock server) setup on my desk with ESD pad and everything... first time I couldn't get into BIOS without heatsink... once I put the heatsink on, I managed to get in for maybe 1 minute before it rose to 85c

Finally I got into BIOS to watch temps without heatsink or fan, and my P4 3.2 went from 62c to 105c in about 2 minutes... even after adding a heatink (not mounting, just rested on top) and fan, it wouldn't keep the temps down fast enough... finally after mounting it properly I got decent/usable temps...
 
Modern intels will just throttle and then shutdown after a bit (probally without damage but it is not recommended) older AMDs (T-birds, Bartons etc. ) will instantly explode, newer AMDs I dont know. I do it all the time with C2Ds (pre install test, NO OC, STOCK Voltages, before installing aftermarket cooling and mounting in case) to just see if it gets to POST Beep and then immedately remove the power. Probally not the brightest thing I do but one will notice at stock settings and EIST enabled and with everything dead cold most of the time it takes almost 30 seconds for things to warm up enough for the cpu fan to even start turning. Still, I do not recommend it, just making a comment on a slow Saturday morning.
 
i did once install a windows XP on a PC with a C2D without the fan on.

and it wasn't heating.
 
Intel's "Atom" platform which will be released in 2009 or 2010, will be able to run at full frequency without a heat sink or a fan. Intel already has a prototype used at a demo showing that was running Vista and UT2004 flawlessy. Now, if the "without a heat sink or fan" thing doesn't amaze you enough, this was all on it's PowerVR SGX integrated graphics. This looks very promising... =D
 
I can see the 45nm and 65nm chips being able to run for a bit, if not for an extended period of time (of course, it will throttled down as another poster stated)... however I cannot see a P4 running with no HSF, unless you place a cast iron skillet with egg in said skillet on top of that chip. And you will have to keep an eye on that sucker... no one likes a burnt egg
 
Shambler said:
... however I cannot see a P4 running with no HSF, unless you place a cast iron skillet with egg in said skillet on top of that chip. And you will have to keep an eye on that sucker... no one likes a burnt egg
Click to expand...

or a burnt skillet.
 
As far as I know it'll throttle back so hard that it won't even crash. As seen in the tomshardware video with a really old socket 432 P4. (Damn, I saw that vid the day they released it, still remember all the ruckus and arguments from intel vs. amd then lol)
 
I used a lapped potato on an athlon XP it loaded windows and ran for a few minutes then froze.

You could also dip the board in oil....but the oil might be considered a heatsink.
 
Sorry, but why would you want too? It takes all of what, a minute to slap a hs on?
 
Modern processors will shut down if run without a heatsink due to built-in thermal protection. Older processors like P3s, Athlons, and AXPs will simply fry themselves. Basically, recent CPUs are not usable without a heatsink.
 
The only x86 CPU without a heat-sink or fan would be the VIA C3. The C5 needs a heat-sink and the C7 1.2Ghz uses heat-sink and the 1.5Ghz uses a fan+heat-sink.

The VIA cpu's are found in many laptops and some desktops. NewEgg carries those computers too.
 
Those Videos are too funny.

I keep a stock heat sink around for when needed for testing as such ....

But never run one without one ..

I guess you could way under clock a CPU and it might work ..

FSB 50 x 9 = 450Mzh might not require a heat sink
 
EvilAlchemist said:
Those Videos are too funny.

I keep a stock heat sink around for when needed for testing as such ....

But never run one without one ..

I guess you could way under clock a CPU and it might work ..

FSB 50 x 9 = 450Mzh might not require a heat sink
Click to expand...

just imagine trying to surf the web with that... haha
 
I had a perfectly good 386 that ran without a heat sink. I fried my first 486@100Mhz (Pentium 1st gen were renamed 586 processors, in fact there were Pentium knockoffs called 586 or were those 486 knockoffs trying to pretend they were better) because I didn't understand it needed a heat sink, would run fine for a few minutes and then freeze.
 
Blazestorm said:
I did try it...

This guy was claiming to be an Alienware tech (With 3 certs!) and said he would test customer's computers by swapping out a good processor with their's and not bothering to put a heatsink on because it would save him time...

At first I said I doubted he could get into BIOS, then tried to say he was running a Q6850 for the past 10 minutes and it wasn't above 24c (without heatsink and fan)

I tested it myself, I happened to have my server (mock server) setup on my desk with ESD pad and everything... first time I couldn't get into BIOS without heatsink... once I put the heatsink on, I managed to get in for maybe 1 minute before it rose to 85c

Finally I got into BIOS to watch temps without heatsink or fan, and my P4 3.2 went from 62c to 105c in about 2 minutes... even after adding a heatink (not mounting, just rested on top) and fan, it wouldn't keep the temps down fast enough... finally after mounting it properly I got decent/usable temps...
Click to expand...

I guess you'd be one of the first to drink the punch ;)

Don't believe everything anyone tells you, especially Dell employees (aka Alienware's new owner).
 
I did a full windows install on an e2160 and the heatsink wasn't mounted properly, it wasn't touching the cpu.
I did all the updates and installed all the utilities also.
The install went without a hitch, I didn't notice I had done something wrong until I tried to oc it and the temps just went through the roof very quickly.
This cpu is still happily chugging along at 3 ghz for almost a year.
 
I was replacing my Freezer Pro 7 with a watercooling HSF last winter.
The Apogee GTX bracket (my fault) didn't fit quite right, so the cooler didn't make contact with my overclocked e6700.

I thought it was good to go.
Turned the power on.
BAM...........dead CPU within seconds.:eek:
It might not have happened if the CPU was at stock, but who knows.

At this point, if I replace a cooler I always return the bios to full default.
 
I also wanna add that I once came across a PC where the heatsink wasn't properly connected, I hate those intel clips, the CPU was a e6320 and it was completely fried, would freeze randomly after having run like that for a few months and never ran the same again even after we found the problem.
 
Newsflash people, a heatsink's job is to disapate the heat as quickly from the CPU as possible. Even at STOCK timings (non-OC) a CPU will still burn out without proper cooling attached to it because the heat generated within the first few seconds will not be dispersed enough for the CPU to survive. So unless you have a the killswitch set at like an insanely low timings, the survival rate of a CPU without a heatsink is close to 0.
 
Last CPU I ran without a heatsink long term was my 80286.

I did run a celeron 300A for about 5 minutes without a heat sink before it crashed. Had a desktop oscilatting fan blowing full power right on it. Heat sink was still in the mail :p

Ran fine after I put the heat sink on it too for several years.
 
bmaverick said:
The only x86 CPU without a heat-sink or fan would be the VIA C3. The C5 needs a heat-sink and the C7 1.2Ghz uses heat-sink and the 1.5Ghz uses a fan+heat-sink.

The VIA cpu's are found in many laptops and some desktops. NewEgg carries those computers too.
Click to expand...

If you added "modern" to your statement it would be correct. However, until my Pentium 100 (586) I didn't have a heatsink much less a fan on my processor. ;)

 
The OP asked about modern CPU's and so the answer is no it won't run without a heatsink/fan.
 
Hehe I remember those videos!
But not to nit pick or anything, but those tests were run using the extremely intensive Quake 3. Surely booting into the BIOS should result in less heat compared to Quake 3. The AMD chip blowing up clip was also fake. Look at the voltage and <3GHz Spitfire? On stock AMD H/S and fan? Erm... Okay...
 
I guess the same would go if you install a modern Nvidia/ATI GPU without a stock cooler, right? Anyone tried that?
 
hell, i ran a prescott on my arctic freezer pro and it idled... IDLED at 55c... so i definitely wouldnt run anything older than a c2d without a HSF.
 
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