T300 Cooling problem

[Mr_D]

So I got a T300 and noticed the FFB fading sometimes. A little experimenting and research later and I found out it's overheating and I'm hardly the only one having this problem.

I have a couple of questions about fixing it though.
1. I found a fan that seems like an upgrade to the original fan: https://noctua.at/en/nf-a6x25-flx/service

Problem is it has a 3 pin connector and the original fan has a 2 pin. Is this easily fixed and if so, how?

2. Do you guys reckon this will be enough to prevent any FFB fading? My room temperature usually around 20-25C so nothing excessive.

When I look at the case I feel like a big problem is that the heat is probably circulating around it rather than being transported out of the case. Maybe I should cut a piece out so the air can flow out easily? Does anyone have experience with this?

(Btw I allready upgraded the firmware and have the fan in allways on mode)

 

[SGETI]

Here are some ideas and solutions. Good luck.

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/internal-differences-of-t300rs-vs-t300rs-gt.379787/

 

[asteroulis]

For a room temperature of 20-25 celsius with stock fan always on you shouldn't have overheating problems.
I have tried many fans during all these years.
Stock fan is a cheap chinese fan with a strong airflow (21.4 cfm).
The Noctua fan was initially suggested because its the most known fan brand as a solution, and they stayed floating around as an ideal replacement since then. But what I found out is that its only 17cfm so not a better cooling solution. It is for sure going to last longer and be quieter, but not provide better cooling.
During that batch of testing I also tested some other aftermarket fans with same as Noctua specs but much cheapet. Same thing. Better quality than stock, much cheaper than Noctua.

Having said that, even 17cfm should be enough for forced cooling mode in those temperatures. If you want a stronger fan, you'll have to search for more than 21.4 cfm. I recetly used some Chinese fans with 29cfm ~ 7 euros that were really strong, but noisy as well. Only suited for gaming conditions were noise is not an issue.

Some games though are harder on the ffb than others. So you might want to turn your ffb lower. Also another reason is to avoid clipping. In my experience through assetto corsa, 80% is where I avoid clipping.

 

[Mr_D]

Thank you both for your replies.
@SGETI I'm looking for the most 'elegant' solution first, which is hopefully to just replace the stock fan with a better one. As a last resort I can always cut out a part of the case. But reading @asteroulis reply I'm afraid that won't be enough. Bummer to hear to the stock fan already has a decent CFM output (despite being unreliable). I was hoping for a quick fix.

This is already my 2nd model. The fan on the first one was a lot noisier, but after a short time it made a grinding noise so I turned it in. I'm now thinking maybe this fan isn't working properly either, as it's less noisy but the overheating problem kicks in much faster..I allready run my FFB at around 80% (PC2) and I'm not willing to lower it even more.

After looking at A LOT of different 60mm fans I found two fans that are rather noisy but have decent CFM output.

Sunon EE60201S1: 22.5 CFM, 4700 RPM and 32dbA. 2 pin connector. Price is 4,95 euro
StarTech FAN6X25TX3H: 26.63CFM, 5000RPM and 30dbA. 3 pin connector. Price ~20 euro

Price isn't really an issue, the StarTech is four times as expensive as the Sunon but it's still just 20euro..
DbA isn't a big problem either, I can understand if you put a fan in your pc you want it to run quiet because your pc is often just idling. When I use the T300 I'm actively gaming, usually even with a headset on.

I also found a 3 pin to 2 pin adapter cable for 1,99 so I suppose that problem is solved as well.

I think I'm going to order the Startech and see how it goes from there. At the very least I'll have a more durable fan


Btw here's a specification overview of the original fan. Look for the Chiefly CC 6015S12M. It's output is indeed 21.39 CFM
http://www.chiefly-choice.com/fans/uploads/122939245975j0n.pdf
Thank you for your advice Asteroulis as I nearly downgraded the fan in terms of cooling

Edit: I was bored so I kept researching, found this site (farnell.com) where you can find a near infinite number of fans and filter on any spec imaginable. When you look for 12v 60x60x25 axial fans the highest CFM is 49,4 at 53dbA, going for 104 euro's I guess I do have a limit for noise and price..
Edit 2: according to the above site the following seems a decent choice: Multicomp MC002699 30.4 CFM at 36dB. I'm unsure how loud that exactly is but it does seem like a significant step above the 21.4CFM of the stock fan and hopefully this change alone will do the trick. It's only around 10euros but a heavy shipping fee outside the US unfortunately.

 

[asteroulis]

https://www.newegg.com/sunsky-60mm-3-pin-case-fan/p/1YF-00CR-00009?&quicklink=true

Too good to be true? BTW , shooping directly from the source is cheaper but takes more time...

THis is the one I got in Greece lately.

 

[Mr_D]

Yeah probably too good to be true. When I went through the huge list at farnell it was clear that above 20cfm, every 1 cfm increase roughly equals 1dba, so there is no way 30cfm can do 20db unfortunately. Also the power draw for that much cfm should be higher, especially with a cheaper bearing type. I call BS

My Greek is a little rusty, can you translate the manufacter name for me? That one seems more plausible.

 

[asteroulis]

It seems to be this fan ! I had to search it with the picture....

So I found it in Aliexpress , but not in an American site (in the 2 first pages of google).

 

[Azerach]

Easiest, most elegant solution is to turn down the FFB.

 

[Mr_D]

Great idea. How about to prevent dying I kill myself.

 

[Daz555]

Easiest, most elegant solution is to turn down the FFB.

If still under warranty I'd generally agree. For those outside warranty though I'd say it is worth improving the cooling to both extend the life of your wheel and get a better experience from it. My wheel has been modified and as a result it maintains never suffers from fading FFB.

 

[DoctorNuu]

If you don't mind cutting the cover, do that.
Another idea is just driving without the cover. At least to figure out if and how much it helps with the heat problem.
I'm not sure if the problem will go away if you use high ffb settings.
The cooling of motors is problematic in general, because the heat is inside the motor.
The heatsink is not directly attachable to the heat source as for a CPU.

 

[Mr_D]

If still under warranty I'd generally agree. For those outside warranty though I'd say it is worth improving the cooling to both extend the life of your wheel and get a better experience from it. My wheel has been modified and as a result it maintains never suffers from fading FFB.

What modifications were necessary to ahieve this? I upgraded the fan from 21cfm to a 29cfm and cut two 2.9cm holes in both sides of the case for increased air flow. The performance is better but I can still notice fading with a room temp of around 25C.

Did you add multiple fans?

 

[Mr_D]

If you don't mind cutting the cover, do that.
Another idea is just driving without the cover. At least to figure out if and how much it helps with the heat problem.
I'm not sure if the problem will go away if you use high ffb settings.
The cooling of motors is problematic in general, because the heat is inside the motor.
The heatsink is not directly attachable to the heat source as for a CPU.

Yeah Im going to test this next. If it fades even without the cover the cutting more holes isnt going to do the trick. The motor doesnt even feel that hot by the way, maybe its more to do with the thermostat engaging to soon?

 

[Daz555]

What modifications were necessary to ahieve this? I upgraded the fan from 21cfm to a 29cfm and cut two 2.9cm holes in both sides of the case for increased air flow. The performance is better but I can still notice fading with a room temp of around 25C.

Did you add multiple fans?

Upgraded fan and external vents - so similar to you really. I live in the UK so it is rarely 25c in my gaming room during the late evening when I play.

The difference between our experience might be down to game FFB settings (but I do like a heavy wheel) or down to Thrustmaster build quality/differences.

 

[Mr_D]

Upgraded fan and external vents - so similar to you really. I live in the UK so it is rarely 25c in my gaming room during the late evening when I play.

The difference between our experience might be down to game FFB settings (but I do like a heavy wheel) or down to Thrustmaster build quality/differences.

Yeah I think your last point may be true. I play PC2 with gain on 65-70% depending on the car. I'm going to try with the case removed and see if that helps.

 

[Daz555]

Yeah I think your last point may be true. I play PC2 with gain on 65-70% depending on the car. I'm going to try with the case removed and see if that helps.

My current settings in PC2:

Flavour: Immersive
Gain: 65
Volume: 50
Tone: 60
FX: 50