CPU Cooler Fan

I opened up my computer and found out that the cpu cooler fan wasn't working! Now all my other fans work and my cpu temp stays around 50C to 55C. I have a Athlon 1G Thunderbird. So should I worry about the fan or not?

 

is this the Slot A or Socket A version?

the Slot A had a max temp of 70 degrees C where the Socket A had a max temp of between 70-90 degrees C... or so says AMD.

passive cooling used to work sufficiently back in the less powerful processors, so If you can monitor that your CPU stays in the 50's then I'd say you'll be fine.

 

How does someone know if your cpu gets damaged by overheating? How will your computer react?

 

Yes, it will get damaged from overheating, if its overheating over a prolonged period of time, you reduce the lifespan of the chip. That CPU will probably start smouldering if it overheats enough. They can get to over 300C without any cooling at all (no heatsink, nothing). Older athlons don't heat up as much as the newer ones, and so although its bad not to have a fan runing, its not the end of the world. I would suggest getting a new fan asap

 

I think the dude @ www.1coolpc.com does 80mm fans for $3 ......... Worth a shot