It’s always a sad day when a part of my computer dies, but today was especially difficult for I was left with no other option but to pull the plug on you, my once trustworthy CPU fan.

I remember the day we first met. I was an eager, young computer geek and you were a shiny gold piece of cooling wizardry. When I saw your ultra-cool heatsinks soaking up my CPU’s excess heat, I knew we would get along famously.

Even though any objective measurement of your perfomance would likely find you wanting, I have already forgotten your many failings. Though you started making strange whirring noise after only a year of use, I will instead choose to recall your eye-catching design. Nevermind that the computer store guy suggested that you didn’t really offer much of an improvement over my CPU’s factory fan. You looked so much more attractive than those other cooling units and, for the longest time, that was the only extra feature I expected from you.

But alas, the toll of long-term exposure to heat and dust has brought our association to a close. I could tolerate your growing tendancy to emit hair-raising stacatto cries while I worked, but when my CPU temperature spiked to 78°C in mid-Summer, I knew that you couldn’t have long left to go. Ultimately, when your late night death screeches continuosly woke up my wife, you too had to know that your end was near.

Goodbye, my dutiful cooling fan. Yours was a short and troubled life, but I will always remember your sense of style.

Rest in Pieces.