How to install a fan on the Intel NUC, change CMOS battery

Well, it had to happen, I guess. My NUC fan needed to be swapped. The chassis fan in this Intel NUC - 7i7BNH finally got so loud that I knew it was about to die. I've ran this NUC as a home media server for 3+ years...24hrs a day...and only restarted it a few times.... Let's give this gal some love and put in a new fan. This video will also help you get to the CMOS battery and change that out.
This tutorial should be useful for these models:
NUC7i5BNH NUC7i5BNK NUC7i7BNH NUC7i3BNH NUC7i3BNK NUC5i3RYK NUC5i5RYH NUC5i5RYK NUC5i7RYH NUC6i3SYH NUC6i3SYK NUC6i5SYH NUC6i5SYK NUC5I5MYBE NUC5CPYH NUC5i3MYBE BSB05505H
This is the fan I got from Amazon (not an affiliate link):
www.amazon.com...
You can see in the reviews of this fan that it fits in MANY models of the NUC, not just mine.
Good luck, and I hope this video helps you.
#nuc #cmos #fan

[@gilean6179]

Thank you for this video. My NUC i3 from April 2016 is fine and working still in April 2024. I know the CMOS battery will die in the future so I was looking if I could DIY this. The 2 NUCs are important in our work. So we want to make them last as long as possible. Again thank you for this video

[@JohnoWells]

So glad it was helpful. Thanks for letting me know!

[@rubenmahrla9800]

Thanks for this great video. Despite a few differences between this model and our terra micro PC, we now have a working spare PC with silent fan for emergencies.

[@JohnoWells]

Ah--glad it helped despite the model differences!!

[@jephirey]

Just installed my new fan from your vid. Tremendous gratitude for the vid, it was very straightforward and easy to follow. What a relief that my beloved NUC was fixed for $13!

[@JohnoWells]

That's great. Exactly what I would wish.

[@Beati3]

Thank you. Installed a new fan today and sat watching my Nuc i7 not overheat. Glorious! Much appreciated.

[@JohnoWells]

So great. Congrats!

[@57Murphy]

Thank you for this video. I just used it to guide me successfully thru replacing my dead fan. I had a bunch of junk in mine too, guessing dust and candle smoke mixture.

[@JohnoWells]

Right on. Great to hear.

[@bmagwebu]

Thank you for your video, just fixed mine and it purring nicely, change the Fan setting in the Bios to Balanced for longevity

[@JohnoWells]

oh, great tip!! Thank you!

[@TheAhmedvienna]

Really great video. What I don’t understand is why intel decided to make those two cables in that way. It is a pain in the ass. I’m afraid to pull em out (and I am manage a data center)

[@JohnoWells]

Ah, you got this! You'll do great!

[@robpixde]

This also helps if you need to replace the CMOS-battery!

[@JohnoWells]

oh - that's smart. Just changed the title to include that. You just helped more people, my friend. Thank you.

[@jonathandawson3091]

This video is one of the best videos ever made.

[@JohnoWells]

HAHA Awesome. Did we break the internet and go viral? :)

[@wilsmith7173]

followed your instructions to remove the fan, gave it a good spray out with the air gun and a dose of WD-40, wiped it down and reinstalled. Working fine again for now. Same as this unit is 3 years old.

[@JohnoWells]

Haha, awesome 👍

[@underthatch]

Thank you for posting this. I had bought a new fan expecting it to be an easy swap but was stumped when I first opened it up. I would not have wanted to just pull parts off to find screws without knowing they were there. Also my motherboard seemed really firmly stuck and there is no way I would have continued to try to lift it out without seeing this. It took quite a bit of wiggling before the motherboard loosened and could be lifted out. Thank you. Posting this from my now peacefully quiet NUC :)

[@JohnoWells]

Ah, that's great to hear!! Well done. :)

[@kackley]

Thanks! I just used the video to change my fan... exactly what I needed.

[@JohnoWells]

That's awesome---thanks so much for letting me know!

[@transbot]

thanks for your vid, just installed a new fan from Taobao, RMB15.

[@JohnoWells]

Glad it helped

[@garyhilson7220]

You have just saved my Sanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!

[@JohnoWells]

Haha awesome!

[@0VRLNDR]

I didn't know this was a technology channel. 🥰

[@JohnoWells]

LOL. Well, I had to go through replacing this fan, and definitely learned a few things....so I said LET'S DO IT.

[@amojak]

Superb, sorted my barking growler of a fan here

[@JohnoWells]

Awesome. Great to hear.

[@RixtronixLAB]

Nice video, thanks for sharing it :)

[@JohnoWells]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad this video continues to help!

[@InsideTechMx]

Thanks just happend to me. After 3 years the fan complety stucked. Sorry about my english.

[@JohnoWells]

Glad we could help!

[@jackgalloway9661]

There appears to be more than 2 screws holding the motherboard down. It will not budge. This is a NUC 8i3BEH1

[@JohnoWells]

Hm...so it's a different model than the one I'm working on here, yes? Did you ever figure it out?

[@andrewford80]

There is only 2 screws on the 8i5 which I think is similar to the 8i3.

[@chrisphillips4761]

Did you find that the replacement fan was a better quality (quieter) than the stock fan or you only need to replace it if the fan is clearly beginning to fail?

[@JohnoWells]

Hey, Chris. Yeah, I'd say it was the same crappy, yet adequate fan I replaced--certainly not an upgrade, or any better at all. And calling it crappy maybe isn't fair because it cranked for years 24/7 - lol! I just replaced it because the old one was whining so bad.

[@jephirey]

I never replaced mine and eventually it died and after it dies your NUC will just start shutting down 30 secs after Windows starts up. So if your fan is going, don't wait, just replace it. Although I will say that my fan was LOUD for like a full year before it finally died altogether.

[@stevegrimes5105]

the fan blows air away from the board downward? Looking to install another fan

[@JohnoWells]

Ya, not sure. Sorry. This was the recommended fan, and it fit. Kinda at the top of my pay grade for this project. LOL.

[@kingraw2000]

thx for the vid, what was the background music?

[@JohnoWells]

Thanks 🙏 The music is just some stock royalty free stuff.

[@omgjbl]

What is the actual name of the fan conector? like mini 3 pin conector?

[@JohnoWells]

eeekk--sorry I don't know

[@marmon5409]

Hello, your video is very good. I can consult you, what was the fault that led you to change the fan. What happens is I have a nuc7i5bnh that suddenly turned off while I was working and I couldn't turn it on anymore, I tried the charger and it's fine, I took out the memories and hard drive, but it shows no signs of life. Could it be the fan or would it turn on with the bad fan? Thank you very much in advance if you can help me. regards, Marco

[@jephirey]

This is exactly what happened for me. It would just auto shut down over and over. Replacing the fan fixed it.

[@JohnoWells]

I replaced mine because it got so loud. I wasn't having the problems you're having, so I don't know if the fan would help.

[@vik-kov]

Hello Marco! Perhaps you can help me. My nuc7i5bnk also suddenly turned off and won't turn back on. I checked the power supply - it's ok. Please share information. What is the cause of the problem and how did you solve the problem. Sincerely, Victor

[@pbmaxsf]

Is the new fan more quiet? The stock fan is so noisy.

[@JohnoWells]

Yes! Good stuff!

[@thierrychambon8110]

Attention, il est Indispensable de changer la pâte thermique d'origine malgré la difficulté liée au démontage du NUC 8. Pâte d'origine sèche au bout d'un an. Des pointes à 100° C par coeur et un thermal throttle empéchant d'avoir des performances correctes. Sur ce type de machine le dépoussièrage est aussi nécessaire sous peine de flinguer sa machine au bout de 2 ans. C'est ce qui m'est arrivé un Sav au bout de 18 mois.

[@JohnoWells]

Des conseils fantastiques! Merci beaucoup. Je collerai la traduction pour les autres. Fantastic advice above from @thierrychambon8110. Here's an english translation so nobody misses it: "Attention, it is essential to change the original thermal paste despite the difficulty associated with disassembling the NUC 8. The original paste dries after one year. Peaks at 100° C per core and a thermal throttle preventing correct performance. On this type of machine dusting is also necessary under penalty of gunning down the machine after 2 years. This is what happened to me a Sav after 18 months."

[@seomi691]

I have nuc6cayh. Can I upgrade its processor?

[@dan7k7]

No, NUC processors are soldered and are one with the board

[@JohnoWells]

sorry--as @dan7k7 said--it's hard-wired on. :)

[@jtcber]

Is the fan compatible with a 2016 nuc nuc6i5syh? The issue with the current fan is that it starts up loud then it quiets down after ~20 seconds. Is the fan the issue or something else?

[@JohnoWells]

I'm so sorry, I don't know.

[@ronen658]

What is the recommended period for cleaning the fan?

[@57Murphy]

I'm not very comfortable opening the unit, despite having the tools plus an anti static work space. I'm just going to let mine go till I score an over temp then clean and replace the fan. I've bee n running well over a year with a desk fan lying on top of the NUC to keep it cool.

[@JohnoWells]

Good idea---definitely wait until it needs it. Like an old car---drive it until the wheels fall off. LOL

[@JohnoWells]

Yeah, I wouldn't know that. I just changed out mine when I heard it spinning loudly.

[@neilfpv]

Is it true it is faster than Odroid and Raspberry Pi 4?

[@JohnoWells]

I'm sorry I have no idea! :(

[@neilfpv]

@@JohnoWells It's ok. Thank you.