440shorty
Well-known member
So earlier this week my computer went down. The cpu fan bearings went out, as did the littler heat sink fan below it. So I pop the bad fans out and try to buy replacements.
Tried Best Buy. They don't carry the small fans. Guy told me to look online. I hold the fans up (by the wires) and say, "Gee my computer is broken. Kinda hard to get online." So he suggests Staples next door. Go over there - they have a large banner "WE FIX COMPUTERS" hanging outside. Apparently, not in one day, because they don't stock the little fans either.
Next day I find out no one in Annapolis stocks computer parts. I call an electronics supply house in Beltsville (about 30 miles away). At first the guy says to come on in so we can match it up, but I insist he look for it first. Comes back to the phone, "Good thing you had me look, I'm out of stock!"
By the way, one place I called asked for the dimensions & specs of the fan, but every other place kept asking me what processor I had, or what socket it was. I don't know anything about that, except that it is an AMD. I give them the fan specs and they say they can't look it up that way. Sound familiar??
Finally I find a Computer store in Glen Burnie, which is on the way to work, but I forgot to bring the old ones on Friday, so I go back today and get the fans. Oh, but it gets better.
The smaller fan screws to the heat sink with #4 sheet metal screws. The replacement fan was a lot thicker. Don't you know that #4 x 1 inch screws DO NOT EXIST! At least not at Home Depot or True Value they don't. I finally took a hacksaw blade and cut down the fan so the short original screws worked. That was after failing to get 6-32 machine screws to work.
Never knew how dependent we have become on the computer until it doesn't work for 3-4 days. My wife had to work around it for her job, too.
Just thought I'd share, since we rodders get the "Year, Make, Model" routine at the auto parts store.
440shorty
P.S. Support your local speed shop, and local computer shop! Otherwise, they won't be there in a pinch later.
Tried Best Buy. They don't carry the small fans. Guy told me to look online. I hold the fans up (by the wires) and say, "Gee my computer is broken. Kinda hard to get online." So he suggests Staples next door. Go over there - they have a large banner "WE FIX COMPUTERS" hanging outside. Apparently, not in one day, because they don't stock the little fans either.
Next day I find out no one in Annapolis stocks computer parts. I call an electronics supply house in Beltsville (about 30 miles away). At first the guy says to come on in so we can match it up, but I insist he look for it first. Comes back to the phone, "Good thing you had me look, I'm out of stock!"
By the way, one place I called asked for the dimensions & specs of the fan, but every other place kept asking me what processor I had, or what socket it was. I don't know anything about that, except that it is an AMD. I give them the fan specs and they say they can't look it up that way. Sound familiar??
Finally I find a Computer store in Glen Burnie, which is on the way to work, but I forgot to bring the old ones on Friday, so I go back today and get the fans. Oh, but it gets better.
The smaller fan screws to the heat sink with #4 sheet metal screws. The replacement fan was a lot thicker. Don't you know that #4 x 1 inch screws DO NOT EXIST! At least not at Home Depot or True Value they don't. I finally took a hacksaw blade and cut down the fan so the short original screws worked. That was after failing to get 6-32 machine screws to work.
Never knew how dependent we have become on the computer until it doesn't work for 3-4 days. My wife had to work around it for her job, too.
Just thought I'd share, since we rodders get the "Year, Make, Model" routine at the auto parts store.
440shorty
P.S. Support your local speed shop, and local computer shop! Otherwise, they won't be there in a pinch later.
