Hello all, I just purchased a Dell Studio XPS (i7 940, 8Gb DDR3 tri-channel, ATI Radeon 4850 512 MB, 2x640Mb 7200 rpm HD) and I'm just finding out about the fan noise by reading some posts (I did not get the PC delivered yet). So, thinking ahead, I may change the heat sink fan (the forums I've read seem to indicate the problem may be the really loud fan). Thus, would anyone please recommend a good performing fan that is very quiet (I do not know the dimensions and I understand the box may be a little tight in space for the Studio XPS). Also, I would appreciate it if you could explain what is Artic Silver and how it is applied, just in case... (we get hot summers where I live) Thank you

If it's brand new, it's not your problem. If you touch it you'll void your warranty. First wait and see if there is a problem. Keep Smiling It makes them think you're up to something...

I suggest you wait until the PC arrives & then see if the fan needs replacing or not. There's no point ripping into a brand new PC (& possibly voiding the warranty) if it's not necessary. If you feel it's too loud, then you can decide whether to just change the fan, or the entire HSF. Arctic Silver is the brand name of thermal transfer material that is applied between the the CPU & heatsink. Only a tiny amount is required. Application depends on the CPU. Find the instructions here: http://www.arcticsilver.com/ins_rou...

jam & grashshopper, Thanks. I will definitely wait and see, and wouln't dare doing anything to void the warranty unless the noise is really, really unbearable, which apparently is to some people. I guess that depends on how much noise you are willing to live with and where those people placed the computer (poorly ventilated corner of the desk?). I have the computer (the one being replaced) in the bedroom and normally leave it on overnight downloading while I listen to the radio online. The noise level on my current machine (dell dimension 8200 on XP, 2Ghz P4, 64MB card, 1Gb RAM) is low enough that I can listen to radio at low volume while I go to sleep... I fear this may be out of the question with the Studio XPS... comments on this?