[sixx jpN]

Recently I've noticed my rear case fan is running unusually slow (I have one rear and one side fan). Then a few days ago I noticed it stopped working. I opened up my case and there was a little bit of dust on the fan and on the wires connecting it to the power supply, I wiped it off and turned my computer back on. It was working after that but it's been going on and off repeatedly. I have absolutely no freakin' clue as to what's going on, and this is starting to bug me as I'm wondering if it's just going to shut off completely when I'm not looking. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not a computer expert either, so like I said I have no idea as to what's going on.

Edit: I'm using nMonitor to look at my fan speeds (probably not the most reliable source) and is this right?

CPU: 188 RPM
nForce: 196 RPM
AUX2: 30586 RPM

and my temps are...

GPU: 45-70 (with fan at 95%, 45 being the lowest at idle and 70 at the highest I've seen so far at load with the fan at 95. With it at 30% or stock the temp is around 80-90C at load)
CPU (According to Everest): 21C
Motherboard (According to Everest): 21C
Aux (According to Everest): 21C

On Everest it says my CPU fan is at 5533RPM which makes more sense.

Edited by sixx jpN, 14 March 2009 - 07:21 PM.

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Yah, the readings given by nMonitor look absolutely incorrect. Fan speeds should at least be in the 1000's for CPU and vid card.

If the rear case fan is running visibly slow, and the side case fan is running normally, then I would replace the rear fan as soon as you can. If you don't, then the fan may cease, and draw excessive current and blow the PSU. I've seen it happen many times and in fact, I just replaced a PSU on a clients machine because of a frozen fan. Case fans run anywhere between $5 - $15, so they're not too expensive. If you can't replace the fan right away, I recommend you shut down your machine, pull the AC plug, then disconnect the fan. If need be, just run open case until you can replace the fan.

[makai]

Yah, the readings given by nMonitor look absolutely incorrect. Fan speeds should at least be in the 1000's for CPU and vid card.

If the rear case fan is running visibly slow, and the side case fan is running normally, then I would replace the rear fan as soon as you can. If you don't, then the fan may cease, and draw excessive current and blow the PSU. I've seen it happen many times and in fact, I just replaced a PSU on a clients machine because of a frozen fan. Case fans run anywhere between $5 - $15, so they're not too expensive. If you can't replace the fan right away, I recommend you shut down your machine, pull the AC plug, then disconnect the fan. If need be, just run open case until you can replace the fan.

[sixx jpN]

Thanks for the quick response!

Another thing I noticed is while my PC was running the fan stopped. I was curious and opened up the case (turned off and unplugged of course), and pushed on the fan a little bit. Turned it back on and it was running fine. Could this be something else? I'm reluctant to replace the fan due to the funky wiring on my rig (bought it from CyberPower). Also I've never replaced a fan before, but I'm assuming it's relatively easy.

My side fan is still working. Should I still be using the PC with an open case?

Also, could you link me to a reliable fan?

[makai]

Personally, I wouldn't trust a fan that has stopped on its own. It could bring more trouble later. As far as running open case, I haven't had side covers on my computers for years! My computers run cool in the winter, cool in the summer!

Are you planning to buy the fan on-line? Do you have a computer store near you where you just could buy one? They aren't expensive, and if you look at the fan, you'll see its only held on in four places with some screws or hardware. You just unplug the fan, remove the hardware, remove the fan... then install the new one in reverse order... really simple.

Fans come in several sizes. The most common is 80mm, then theres 120mm, etc. I can't recommend a fan unless I know what size it is. Can you measure it? In any case, any online computer retailer will carry case fans... even Amazon.com carries them. Just look for Zalman, Coolermaster, Thermaltake... these should be fine.

[makai]

Edited out. Sometimes this website just gets stuck and I never know if it is posting or not!

Edited by makai, 15 March 2009 - 01:07 AM.