So I took off my processor fan (the one on the motherboard) to clean off the dust. I didn't take the heat sink off. I just realized I'm not sure how it goes back on! Which way should the blades be pointed? Toward the motherboard or away from it? Dang it! No wonder Rick Dale takes pictures before a breakdown. There's a little arrow on the fan. I think it was pointed down at the motherboard when I took it off. But that can't be right, can it? If the arrow represents air flow, shouldn't it be pointed away from the motherboard. Ugh, I'm confused. HELP!
HA! Been there, done that. I always think I'll remember how something goes back together, but fail. Try to look at the insides of a similar computer and see how that fan is mounted. Seriously, I do that at work all the time - compare my bad (suspected) problem with a known functioning example.
The arrow should point in the direction of air flow. But if you want to be absolutely sure: 1. Plug the CPU fan power cord back into the motherboard. 2. If all the other pieces and parts are in place, plug the power into the PC power supply and turn it on. 3. Look at the way the fan is turning (don't take too long, don't want computer to overheat). 4. Turn computer off. 5. Blow directly into fan. If the fan spins in the opposite direction from when it was plugged in, the side facing you is the side that should be facing up. If it spins the same direction, the side facing you is the one that should facing down.
well then I just screwed up because I pointed it to blow ON the cpu. I found this thread... http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125220 ... and thought 'what the hell, ok'
