Does the Aspire TC-886 motherboard have PWM for CPU fan?

24

Answers

  • chumbo
    chumbo Member Posts: 34 Troubleshooter
    Isn't it the number at the bottom of my screenshot? v2.20.1271?
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,138 Trailblazer
    Smart fan implies PWM, but PWM doesn't imply the wiring is the same. Here is the pinouts for the TC-886 fan headers:
    As long as the fan you buy has those pins in the right place it should work. Those BTW are really pretty standard, I don't know why anyone would find a third party fan that wouldn't match, unless they were trying to overdrive the rated power.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,873 Trailblazer
    >>>Isn't it the number at the bottom of my screenshot? v2.20.1271?>>>

    Sorry no it doesn't match the numbers I have for this model. It'd be in the BIOS MAIN tab.




    Jack E/NJ

  • chumbo
    chumbo Member Posts: 34 Troubleshooter
    Speccy says:
    Version R02-A2
    Date 28/10/2019
  • chumbo
    chumbo Member Posts: 34 Troubleshooter
    Thanks Billsey but I'm afraid it's not going to be too useful when shopping as very few manufacturers (and from what I've seen til now, none!), give out this info on the specs of the fans. In my case it's a cooler I'm after, so heatsink + fan.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,873 Trailblazer
    There's a newer BIOS firmware at this link that might reveal the PWM description. However, in my opinion, it's too risky to mess with BIOS firmware for a machine that's otherwise functional just to see if the words pulse width modulation appear.

    Even if all the specs and probes suggest a can't miss slam dunk, I still accept that there are no 100% guarantees for anything. So if it was mine, I'd just get what I think has a little better than halfway decent chance of working from a vendor with a good returns policy just in case it doesn't. If however I couldn't accept anything less than 100%, I wouldn't try to change it.

    Jack E/NJ

  • chumbo
    chumbo Member Posts: 34 Troubleshooter
    edited July 2022
    You make a good point JackE, so I'll be bold...I found a decent cooler (Arctic Cooling Alpine 12 LP) for under 10€ so I'll give that a try.
    Thanks to everything for your kindness & patience!  :)
    I'll be sure to report back so the info will at least be out there for others.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,873 Trailblazer
    >>>Arctic Cooling Alpine 12 LP>>>I'll be sure to report back so the info will at least be out there for others>>>

    This one? For that price, I'd try it even if it wasn't returnable!! :)





    Jack E/NJ

  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,668 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    Amazon has lots of reviews and tips on changing. It seems a matter of taking your time and not over torque any screws. Good Luck and keep us informed. 
  • chumbo
    chumbo Member Posts: 34 Troubleshooter
    JackE...yup, that's the one. My thought as well, at that price, what the hell...the benefits are worth the risk.  ;)

    Larryodie...thx, dully noted but I'm not too worried, it's not my first time replacing a heatsink.

    Cheerio! I'll report back around the last week of July which is when I'm getting it (on holiday before that).
  • chumbo
    chumbo Member Posts: 34 Troubleshooter
    Disappointing...I could not place the Arctic Cooling Alpine cooler because it wouldn't fit! 
    The Acer MB has some screw fittings coming through it to which the native fan is attached...and to which the Arctic cooler could not be attached because the push-pin system that the Arctic cooler uses is too wide to fit in the those Acer screw fittings (best word I could find to describe it). 

    I presume the Arctic cooler expects to be placed directly through the motherboard and from what I can tell, those Acer screw fittings that come through the MB cannot be removed! I tried turning them expecting they were maybe simply screwed in but to no avail.

    Another of those really non-standard annoyances you come across with ready-built PCs. Pretty much all my previous PCs were always built by myself, this was my first and last ready-made PC I'm getting! 
    First headache with the finding the proper RAM now I can't even place my own cooler!! 😠


  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,668 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    They do sell them with screws or a local hardware store or Ebay should have some. 
  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,668 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    Could you possibly use the screws from the old unit ?

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,873 Trailblazer
    Hmmmm? Pins look like they could be made to fit the Acer standoffs using my shop tools. 

    Jack E/NJ

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,138 Trailblazer
    I'd look at just removing the push pins and putting screws in instead, perhaps with washers if the fit isn't perfect.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,873 Trailblazer
    Screws & washers are so 'old school'. Everybody uses them. I think Velcro dots from the HomeDepot are where it's at. :)

    Jack E/NJ

  • ttttt
    ttttt Member Posts: 1,947 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    @JackE

    Really? I still cannot figure out how Velcor dots can be used to solve @chumbo's push-pin fitting problem.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,873 Trailblazer
    ttttt   Are you thinking inside the box again? :)

    Jack E/NJ

  • ttttt
    ttttt Member Posts: 1,947 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    @JackE


    ??????
  • chumbo
    chumbo Member Posts: 34 Troubleshooter
    Thanks but...none of that helps. I'm not going to start DIYing and trying to find screws that fit and then figure out how to attach them to the cooler or whatever other solution involving uncertain modifications.
    I'm done with Acer and any other ready-made PCs.
    Thanks for trying and chiming in.