Brand new GPU fan makes clicking/rattling noise

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fd9_

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Dec 19, 2012
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Hello,

I've recently purchased a Gigabyte GTX 660 that came with 2 large (100mm) fans attached to the card. The right fan is making a clicking noise. I was able to stop the fan manually with my finger while it was running, and the noise stopped. The left fan doesn't have this problem. Here is a link to the product page: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125443&cm_mmc=SNC-YouTube-_-NETV-_-na-_-14-125-443

I think most people at this point would suggest for me to just RMA the card (I purchased from Newegg), however I've already cut out part of the box for a mail-in-rebate, and I don't feel like going through the trouble of dealing with Gigabyte, at least not right now. The noise is also not *that* loud. I can only hear it when I put my head under my desk (where the PC is). Would there be any problems down the road if I just ignored it?

There is also something interesting about this: If I apply a small amount of pressure to the fan enclosure near the right fan, the noise stops. I'm not touching the blades. I'm talking about a very, very slight amount of pressure to the outer plastic fan casing. It's basically a light touch. I can hold my finger there indefinitely and the problem is gone. Of course that's not very practical. 😉 Is there any idea as to why this happens? I also don't see any wires or cables that could be hitting the blades.
 
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As I mentioned in my first post, I already cut out the bar code for a mail-in-rebate...I can no longer RMA with Newegg.
 
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Since it stops when you apply pressure, could you use some tape or glue to hold it in place so it doesn't make the noise. Hot glue is good for that kind of thing and can be removed quite easily if you do decide to RMA the card.
 
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alvine and danny are right try to get an RMA, but you could try to get a can of air and using the straw try and get up into the bearing area and blow it out. If that doesn't work I've had customers tell me they have used contact cleaner with success. Just be very careful if you use the contact cleaner. Some types may make it worse. Yes it will get worse with time and it will get louder. Never touch the blades while its running. If you can't get an RMA you could try buying an after market cooler like a ARCTIC Accelero TWIN TURBO II. You need to be sure the size and the cooling match your needs.

 
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It sounds like part of the fan shroud is loose. Doesn't sound like it will cause any issues, but is annoying. I can't tell by the picture, but how is the shroud attached. If it just clips in place you might be able to make a shim with folded over paper to create a little additional tension to stop the noise. I am sure Gigabyte would RMA it if you asked. They might also be able to provide a replacement fan shroud if they thought it would help.
 
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At this point I don't feel it is worth the risk/trouble to return the product to Gigabyte. I'd rather see if I can fix the problem myself, or just ignore it. I tried using tape to hold the fan shroud in place but nothing so far has worked. To be honest I don't really know how the fans are attached, or if it's even possible to remove them and replace them with an after-market cooler.
 
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Here's something interesting...when I lay the computer on its side, the noise disappears. Actually, while the computer is running, the noise disappears anytime I tilt the PC past 45 degrees or so.
 
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Not really. However, I was able to take an unconnected cable and rest it on the part of the fan enclosure to create a slight amount of tension. It took a while to create the right amount of pressure.

I can still hear the noise when I first boot up the PC, but now after a few minutes it goes away.
 
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Hi

I had the same clicking/rattling...the simple solution is to give the 2 screws holding the fans/shroud only a 3/4 turn anti-clockwise. This sorted it, and yes, the quality of the fans and shroud should be better.

Hope this helps. Card runs silent now and never gets hotter than 50 deg celc. under full load.
 
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which two screws? I have the exact same card and its doing the same thing.
 
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I've had the same problem , in my case i noticed that the noise was occuring only below 1800 rpm for some reason. putting the case sideways removed the noise but it's stupid. the problem was that the fan was not touching the radiator, you can test this by tapping on the fan with the pc off, if it makes a clicking noise that means it's off the radiator by a few milimiters. the solution is simple, put something (like a small piece of paper folded twice) between the fan and radiator to lock it in place until you no longer hear the clicking sound when tapping the fan.
 
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I have the same problem as you guys. Did any of you RMA the product?

I used the method of placing some electrical tape between the fan's plastic piece and the heatsink/radiator, and that helped decrease the rattling by about 80%, but it's still rattling so it isn't a perfect solution. I mean, I paid a few hundred bucks for this product, I'd appreciate if it didn't rattle at all; that wasn't in the production description.

I'm thinking of RMAing the product to Gigabyte. So, has anyone else done it, and what was their response? Did they fix the problem, or not?
 
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I have Sapphire's dual-x version of the R9 280x. On idle its fine. On load its fine. When the fan speeds increase in rpm as I start the game and continue to play its fine. However, sometimes, and only sometimes, after I quit the game and the fans gradually decrease in rpm to match the drop in temps, it rattles for 5 - 10 seconds. Then it goes away. Thought about RMA myself but here's the thing. I tested it, several times. Once I painstakingly tested the fan speeds by manually shifting it from 20% to 100% then back down again. 1% at a time, each time trying to hear exactly when it rattles. Nothing. No clicks no rattle. Sometimes when I stop playing there isn't any sound at all. But sometimes there is. I assume then the rattle is a result of the gradual decrease in rpm from one of the 2 fans. I've avoided the rattle then by doing the following. After I play I get into trixx and increase the fan speed a bit. The temps then decrease faster than normal. Once I achieve idle temps (usually under a minute) I put the fans back on auto and everything is fine for idle desktop use. I'm sure I can figure out a custom fan profile which will avoid all that trouble. Why not RMA? Lets just say that despite the minor issue. I'm really happy with this card. The performance vs temps are fantastic. it never rattles on load or idle. and after 3 hours of battlefield 4 on 1080p ultra settings the card never reaches over 65 degrees. I hav'nt checked the exact frame rates. But if my naked eye is anything to go by then why bother. RMA for this is just not worth the trouble. There's a good chance Sapphire might not find any fault in the card as a result of testing (as I did) then what? or worse they send me another card which has the same and/possibly more severe problem. I've looked it up and a few customers had this issue on previous models (most issues worse than mine) I think several circumstances regarding ones setup attribute to whether you'll have the problem or not, or if you do how severe it will be. I don't think for its entirely a case of bad workmanship. Like so many people in these forums had said before. Once the case is tilted the sound disappears. These gpu's are quite heavy. 2 screws and a port a third of its size leaving the rest of it just hanging like that to fight the effects of gravity seems a little optimistic for one to expect that it would work like that perfectly for everyone all the time. If my issue resurfaces and gets worse I have a warranty I can bank on. At which point I'll probably pull my head out my ass and RMA like any good soldier would.
 
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To anyone who has this problem in the future:

Do NOT RMA the card. (Or at least not until you've tried this 5-second fix.)

On the fan(s) where the rattling occurs, loosen one or two of the screws holding the fan motor in place. The rattling happens when there is a gap between the back of the fan and the heatsink. The idea is to separate the fan motor (essentially making the fan thicker) just enough so that the back makes contact with the heatsink. You can check this by tapping the center of the fan. If there is a gap, you will hear an extra "clink" as the fan hits the heatsink. No clink = no rattle.

Hope this helps.
 
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I had this problem with my gtx660 windforce and eventually I found out that 3 of the 6 screws underneath the fan blades had come loose and just needed tightening,immedeately the sound disappeared,see if thats your problem too but dont overtighten them
 
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I have a Windforce cooler too and the vibration, in my case, was caused by a slight gap between the heat sink and the fan seating. What I did was undo the screws that mounted the offending fan (3 screws in my case) and then carefully lift it out off it's seating. Then I made a small shim out of a thin piece of card and slid it behind the seating so that it was jammed in place up against the heat sink. Then I carefully put the fan back in position and screwed it down again. Worked a treat for me - no more vibes!
 
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Fixed my graphics card by snipping off a part of plastic that was holding the cables in place. It was bent up in to the fan, causing it to click incredibly loudly! Anyone having similar issues, don't RMA the card until you've checked for this as well... Not saying it works for every card, just another thing it could be! My graphics card is a powercolor radeon r9 280x, so if you have this card doublecheck for this before RMA-ing it...
 
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