CPU Fan Mod DS1515+

[Tedster]

Here's an easy way to add a CPU fan to your 5 or 8 bay NAS. Or even other models that have a similar motherboard layout, 415+ etc.

I used the CPU fan from an AMD stock cooler. It's a three wire one, probably for a s939 or an AM2 or something. I never used the stock coolers when building a PC so I've a selection lying around.

Take the cover off the NAS and number and remove your drives.

Working from the top of the NAS. Carefully remove the 24 pin motherboard power connector. Hold the motherboard so it doesn't flex and gently pull on the connector whilst depressing the lock tab. Pull it out just enough to allow you to slip in a flat bladed screwdriver into the now exposed gap. Gently twist the screwdriver until the plug is free.

Remove the front panel led ribbon cable by pushing back the tabs at each end.

Move both out of the way.

This lets you see down into the gap between the drive cage and the motherboard cavity.

Get your CPU fan and slide it into the gap, label side facing the motherboard heat-sink. It is a perfect friction fit! Position it by looking into the drive cage, from the front and you'll see the perfect circular cut out.




Looking at the back of your NAS, remove the two screws securing the cage for the right hand side case fan. Pull it towards you out of the unit.

Feed the power wire for your new cpu fan towards the back of your NAS, so that you can access it from this case fan opening.

You need to buy a 3 pin fan splitter, cheap enough off the 'bay. Or make one, even cheaper!

Like this.....



So you can run both the original case fan and your new CPU fan off the one header.

Connect them both up and attach it to the fan header on the drive back plate again.




Put everything back together, observing the correct order for your drives, and enjoy your new chilltastic NAS!

The fan in my photo has been in my old 1515+ for the past four years, it's now in my new RMA replacement after the C200 bug finally bit me!

 

[WST16]

Interesting!
So what’s the reported temperature before and after?

 

[Tedster]

Depends on the weather!

The minimum the NAS seems to be able to report is 30c. The highest temperature I've seen is in the low 40's.

Where as before adding the fan I saw it in the high 50's.

Currently it's...

 

[WST16]

Wow!!!
That’s a big difference!
(I don’t even advocate using more than one exclamation mark and I’m doing it here).

 

[Tedster]

I think, a slightly additional benefit, is that the fan pushes the heat sink harder on to the cpu too.

 

[WST16]

But what about warranties and guarantees? Aren’t you voiding them if you do this on a new machine?!
I know yours is a replacement though.

 

[Tedster]

Like I said, it was in my old unit for almost all of the four years that I had it. Along with the eight gigs of ram.

You can easily return the unit back to stock, you're not cutting any wires or splicing into them or anything.

 

[Tedster]

Just to show a typical load temperature with the cpu fan mod.

This is with my unit doing a 3TB backup, which it's been doing all evening. The cpu fluctuates up to around 70% usage.

 

[WST16]

I think that’s quite low while under such load. Nice.

 

[Tedster]

It'd probably be a good idea to give some dimensions for a suitable fan!

I used one from the stock cooler on an AMD S939 Athlon 64. I'm pretty sure they are the same ones on everything from the S754 up to the AM3.

This is a 70 mm fan but the important dimension is that it must be 15 mm thick!

This allows it to be a sliding fit in between the drive cage and the CPU heat sink on your NAS.

It is the perfect choice for this application.

 

[Dr_Frankenstein]

I might do this later today, I have one of these fans and a fan splitter in a box. My 1815+ gets up to 60c when I am getting high CPU usage.

 

[Tedster]

Let us know how you get on.

 

[Dr_Frankenstein]

Let us know how you get on.

Looks like I have a 3 suitable fans, but I can't find the splitter anywhere so I have ordered one..

 

[CesarHinde]

Hello...for your situation, I'd go with a Noiseblocker M8-S2, which uses rubber noise-dampening corners for the attachment. That allows you to use regular fan mounting screws rather than the Noctua soft-mount rubber-finger things. Which allows you to put a grille/filter assembly on the *outside* of the panel. So you get a much quieter fan without his no-grille approach.

 

[Dr_Frankenstein]

I completely forgot about this, the splitter I ordered never arrived from China

 

[Dr_Frankenstein]

I ordered another new fan splitter from AliExpress, it arrived last week so I finally got around to modifying my DS1815+. I had an old AMD CPU cooler in the garage (70mm*70mm*15mm), I may order a new one though as the bearing sounds like its on its way out.

To install the fan you need to remove the top of the case and back fans, the fan slides down snugly in the gap once the PSU and another cable are unplugged.

I tested the temperatures with the fans set to quiet mode and used Folding at Home to load up the CPU.

Temperature wise

Idle no fan = 50c
Load no fan = 58c

Idle with fan = 44c
Load with fan = 48c

So idle not a massive difference but 10c off my load temps, not that they were hot to begin with!

 

[jeyare]

well done!
To be sure:
58C is still in healthy range for this CPU, far away from 85+ what is dangerous just for passive cooling (97C is deadly)

 

[Dr_Frankenstein]

Yeah they were never in the dangerous range, I ordered a brand new fan as the one I used is ancient and I don't think the time in the garage has helped it much, the noise is annoying!

 

[jeyare]

yes, time in garage has positive impact to many things

 

[Capgun]

Hello...for your situation, I'd go with a Noiseblocker M8-S2, which uses rubber noise-dampening corners for the attachment. That allows you to use regular fan mounting screws rather than the Noctua soft-mount rubber-finger things. Which allows you to put a grille/filter assembly on the *outside* of the panel. So you get a much quieter fan without his no-grille approach.

CesarHinde You are talking about the case fans correct? How are you mounting the 120MM fans them to the case? The Syno fan holders, with screws on the top and bottom, are only for 80MM fans..