north bridge fansink (?)

[felixnine]

is fansink the proper term that's used to describe the fan/heatsink combo type thing that's commonly used on a mobo chipset?

that's not really my question. so, i have an abit ai7 mainboard. the north bridge fansink (you know what i mean) is making severe whining noises. i've ordered a replacement, but i probably won't be able to get it for 2-3 weeks. if this thing fails, am i in serious trouble? to be honest, i don't have any idea if the chipset generates enough heat that it needs to be dissipated by its own sink. any ideas? it's the same question, but can i just disconnect it for now? it's annoying as hell.

thanks,
andrew

[hardcore]

Yes, you'll need it. If you turn off the fan, you'll run into major stability problems. I would get a passive North Bridge cooler, that way you don't have to worry about the fan breaking.
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