[Stughead]

Hello all-

Wondering if any of you have put an LED fan in the top of your FP iMac?

I have heard that people have done this, but I haven't been able to find anything on the web about it.

My 17" 1GHz iMac is 2 months out of warrany, and naturally the Superdrive has died. (First symptom was kernel panics while booting from Disk Warrior disc, and original Restore disc. Second symptom was inability to verify early sectors around the 3xx mark when burning DVDs. Now, I can't even get an iTunes CD to burn.) I decided to try exploratory surgery and resuscitate it by cleaning the lens with pure alcohol. This necessitated pulling the motherboard. Since I was in there, I upgraded the factory RAM to 512MB, so I'm running a full Gig now (yay!)

No love with the cleaning.

So now, I'm looking at more surgery, to replace the drive. Since I have to replace it, I might as well upgrade from the DVR-105 to a Pioneer DVR-107 (8 speed yay!), and a bigger 7200 RPM HD. (Oh, woe is me and my bank account right now.) And I'm thinkin'.... If I gotta go in there again, maybe I should consider having a cool, blue glow come out of the top dome. (Not that I ever would see it because the display's in the way.....)

Seeing as my bank account won't allow for the drive updates for another few weeks, I have time to check with you all. (I'm loath to go in there more than I have to. Remind me to tell you my horror stories about getting in and out of my old SE/30...) Unless I hear from some of you, I guess the first step will be to do some searches for specs and dimensions on the existing fan. Durn it, I know I wrote down the make and model of that fan 1st time I was in there....

Thanks,
Stuggy

[Komisar]

A blue light would be awesome

[Lateralus]

Can't help you on the make/model/size of the existing fan, but I'd sure like to see pictures if you go through with the mod.

[bartman00]

Pix when you get it done

[Stughead]

Ok, well, I have more information in my quest, but you guys haven't helped at all!

No, seriously, I'm glad I've had some replies, and you all are excited about "the project."

I found my piece of paper with numbers copied from the fan (it's the backside of Epson Glossy Photo Paper, rejected iTunes album cover print...)

The fan appears to be a Panasonic Panaflo Model FBL09A fan, with some specs and dimensions. 92mm square by 25.5mm thick. And it blows air in some funnel shape. Or something.

Now I have to find some time when I'm not working, and can start perusing fan manufacturer's websites....

Thanks, more replies welcome....

Stuggy.

[Peter]

92mm fans are a standard size, you should have no problems finding a blue 92mm fan.

[Link]

Here's a little more info about that fan:

http://www.panasonic.com/industrial/...09a_update.pdf

The detail is, that LCD imacs have their own temperature sensor. While many of the machines up until that time (and even around that time) had fans with temp sensors, the imac one does not rely on that.. as I remember running an imac in OS 9, for example, displays exactly why it's an onboard sensor NOT a fan sensor... (fan would go full blast)..

The question is, whether your fan is a FBL09A12L, M, or H.. While I don't think it will be a problem, most fans of the like are 1.8 watts/150mA, so um yeah..

I'm pretty sure it's a 12M though. In that case, this would work:

http://store.yahoo.com/svcompucycle/...anblueled.html
^ Use without temp sensor

This though, could work if your fan happens to be one where there's only brackets on one side (provided you remove the grilles)-- it looks pretty cool too:

http://www.3dcool.com/?module=product&sku=A2218###

[rag on a muffin]

get a tri-color fan.

[Komisar]

They are both sweeet which every you perfer... if just never actually found interest in led modding... cause a its an eye sore if everything is not perfect and b... its just to much to handle while working on a computer in my opinion.... but i have enever seen one fan mod in a imac... this shall be quiet exciting so carry on .... pick which ever you feel will suite your style better

[selfabduction68]

I thought about this as I just replaced the superdrive in my mom's FP imac... I myself have a 17" version...but here's the thing: LED fans are NOISY for some reason. I don't understand why, but they will be nowhere NEAR as quiet as the stock fan.

- Rob

[Link]

It mostly depends on the quality of fan. Remember that you're replacing a (probably) medium or low panaflo.. which are said to be quiet. LED fans, unless you go for a high end TT/Coolermaster/antec tend to be noisier, and even then are based on standard fan motors/blades.

There's a few more factors to it as well.. but these are just a few

[Komisar]

Links right... the more expensive the better in my opinion!

[Peter]

Originally posted by Link:
It mostly depends on the quality of fan. Remember that you're replacing a (probably) medium or low panaflo.. which are said to be quiet. LED fans, unless you go for a high end TT/Coolermaster/antec tend to be noisier, and even then are based on standard fan motors/blades.

There's a few more factors to it as well.. but these are just a few

do you even use fans? Coolermaster LED fans are very noisy unless spun right down.
Papst make the best fans on the market, but no leds...

[Link]

Originally posted by Peter:
do you even use fans? Coolermaster LED fans are very noisy unless spun right down.
Papst make the best fans on the market, but no leds...

Really? didn't know that.. In that case I retract my comment there

They do make nice stuff though

[SplijinX]

Antec makes some pretty good fans and they carry some light fans as well:

http://www.antec.com/us/pro_details_...p?ProdID=77042

[macgyvr64]

The blue LED fan here would be great..
http://www.xoxide.com/92mmfans.html

[galarneau]

I've heard good things about SilenX fans.

Papst and Panaflo fans are supposed to be great too.

Check out http://www.silentpcreview.com if you want some help picking out a fan.