Case Fan Problems

[blurryeverything]

My current PC was purchased as a gift for me around 6 months ago. The case has one rear exhaust fan that up until recently was working fine. I've been monitoring the PC with HWInfo since I got it and the fan has always run at 3k rpm. It has a 3 pin connector and no way for me to adjust the settings in the BIOS, which means the fan should always be running at full speed.

About a week ago I noticed loud vibrations coming from the computer so I pulled up HWInfo and saw the case fan rpms fluctuating heavily. Sporadic vibration continued and the fan speed jumped around between 2k rpm all the way down to 100 rpm. I turned the computer off for a few hours and upon start up it was running at its normal 3k rpm again for a few days until the same problem occurred again.

I've opened the case up and thoroughly cleaned the inside paying close attention to the fan, making sure to remove all the dust and double checking that it was connected properly. Still having the same issue however. Sometimes it will run days without issue, other times only a couple hours.

Has anyone ever encountered a similar issue?

 

[nostall]

Yep, probably the fan's bearing(s). It is dieing. Replace the fan or have a shop replace it. It's a very simply task.
Shut down, remove it from the case, and go to Best Buy and get another one (or on-line, I usually use Newegg, but there are etailers out there).

 

[blurryeverything]

Ok I'll start looking at new fans right away. Thank you!

 

[nostall]

Ok I'll start looking at new fans right away. Thank you!

Make sure you get the correct size. What PC is it? (Make Model).

 

[blurryeverything]

Ok I'll start looking at new fans right away. Thank you!

Make sure you get the correct size. What PC is it? (Make Model).

Took the fan out this morning and measured it. It's 120 x 120 x 25 mm. Looking at replacing it with this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026ZPFDE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 . Only concern I have is the fan I'm using now operates at 3k rpm, and the one I'm interested in runs at 2k rpm. Will this cause the PC temps to be higher on average using a lower rpm fan?

 

[nostall]

The two things to consider in replacing fans are, of course, RPM, and CFM or cubic feet per minute. Not knowing what your pc is, nor if that pc manufacture even specifies the CFM for that fan, it is difficult to compare the two: As a general rule the fans in pre-builts are not top-of-the-line equipment.
The new fan may very well move more air (CFM) at 1000 - 2000 rpm then the original moved at 3K.
Buy it, mount it, and see what happens: I don't think you will see any increase in temperature with the new one, may even a small drop.
Does your case have the ability to mount a fan on the bottom FRONT of the case as an intake fan?? If so, and if it will accommodate a 120mm fan, order two of these and mount one in the front as intake: then you would IMHO see a drop in temperatures.
If you can't determine if it will take a front fan, try calling tech support for the PC and they should be able to tell you. Post the model etc. and maybe myself or someone on forum can tell if a front fan will work.

 

[blurryeverything]

Just checked and I'm going to do what you suggested. Looks like there's room in the front for an intake fan and the mobo has another system fan header I could hook it up to. Ordered two of the fan that I linked earlier. Thanks a lot for all your help with everything!

 

[nostall]

Just checked and I'm going to do what you suggested. Looks like there's room in the front for an intake fan and the mobo has another system fan header I could hook it up to. Ordered two of the fan that I linked earlier. Thanks a lot for all your help with everything!

Cool - literally!! Those fans come with an adapter so you can plug into a Molex connector directly connected to the power supply. If the lead from the new front fan doesn't reach the mobo you can use the adapter and find an empty Molex and plug it in: On a Molex plug it will run full speed all the time.
Let me know how it goes and how quiet or noisy they are: looks like a nice fan especially for the price.

 

[blurryeverything]

Cool - literally!! Those fans come with an adapter so you can plug into a Molex connector directly connected to the power supply. If the lead from the new front fan doesn't reach the mobo you can use the adapter and find an empty Molex and plug it in: On a Molex plug it will run full speed all the time.
Let me know how it goes and how quiet or noisy they are: looks like a nice fan especially for the price.

Ok that's good to know. I'll make sure to come back and let you know how everything turned out.

 

[blurryeverything]

Cool - literally!! Those fans come with an adapter so you can plug into a Molex connector directly connected to the power supply. If the lead from the new front fan doesn't reach the mobo you can use the adapter and find an empty Molex and plug it in: On a Molex plug it will run full speed all the time.
Let me know how it goes and how quiet or noisy they are: looks like a nice fan especially for the price.

Have some disappointing news. Vibration started happening today as usual, but this time I had the case opened. Looked inside and noticed that it's actually the CPU fan that's having issues. Watched the fan as the RPM changed in HWInfo and I'm 100% certain it's the CPU fan and not the case fan.

I'm not sure why HWinfo is reading my CPU fan as my case fan and vice versa. Does this mean I need to replace the CPU fan now?

 

[nostall]

Cool - literally!! Those fans come with an adapter so you can plug into a Molex connector directly connected to the power supply. If the lead from the new front fan doesn't reach the mobo you can use the adapter and find an empty Molex and plug it in: On a Molex plug it will run full speed all the time.
Let me know how it goes and how quiet or noisy they are: looks like a nice fan especially for the price.

Have some disappointing news. Vibration started happening today as usual, but this time I had the case opened. Looked inside and noticed that it's actually the CPU fan that's having issues. Watched the fan as the RPM changed in HWInfo and I'm 100% certain it's the CPU fan and not the case fan.

I'm not sure why HWinfo is reading my CPU fan as my case fan and vice versa. Does this mean I need to replace the CPU fan now?

Probably, and HWInfo is probably reading as a case fan as it is probably attached to a Ch_fan header instead of the CPU_fan header. Check that out and try moving the wire if it is incorrectly attached.
That CPU and cooler have a warranty that is a lot longer then 6 months: contact the manufacture of the PC or the CPU and ask for a fan replacement: And be aware that on most computers that fan does change speeds depending upon the temperature of the processor. The speed is regulated by the motherboard.

 

[blurryeverything]

Probably, and HWInfo is probably reading as a case fan as it is probably attached to a Ch_fan header instead of the CPU_fan header. Check that out and try moving the wire if it is incorrectly attached.
That CPU and cooler have a warranty that is a lot longer then 6 months: contact the manufacture of the PC or the CPU and ask for a fan replacement: And be aware that on most computers that fan does change speeds depending upon the temperature of the processor. The speed is regulated by the motherboard.

Weird, they're both attached to the correct header on the mobo. The name on the computer is Avatar but I can't seem to find any information on the company. There's a website on the windows recovery disk http://www.avatar-usa.com but it seems like it's no longer running. The processor is an AMD FX-6300.

The smart fan control setting has always been disabled in the BIOS and up until I started having this issue the fan always ran at a constant 3000 rpm. Was a little noisy but it kept the CPU nice and cool. Hopefully the CPU has a warranty on it. I'm worried about doing anything that will put stress on it because the temp right now gets way too high under load.

 

[nostall]

I have that same cpu in two of my computers (wife's and grandson's). It uses an 80mm or 90mm fan; should be easy to find a generic replacement.
However, the cpu does come with a 3 year warranty so it will be a good idea to contact AMD support first and see if they will replace it. I had one fail awhile ago and they sent me a complete new heat sink and fan.
http://www.amd.com/en-us/who-we-are

If you can't find a phone # for tech support, you might have to call corporate office and ask to speak to tech support (think that's what I had to do).
http://www.amd.com/en-us/who-we-are/contact

I did a quick search for Avatar computers and got the same results as you. Their products are still out in the retail market, some at astronomical prices, but the web sight appears to be down and gone. If I find anything in the next few minutes before I go to work I will post it.

UPDATE, 1:28PM PDT It looks like Avatar Computers is out-of-business. I made contact with a seriously major etailer that still had Avatar computers listed for sale and they were unable to contact Avatar: The phone would answer, offer selections and then hang up. I tried a number for Avatar Computers (in Texas) and it was disconnected. The etailer will continue their investigation and said they would let me know what they discovered, but a supervisor at the company had heard they went under.
I think your best shot right now is to contact AMD and if they aren't helpful just buy another fan and mount it.
COOLING: Should help temporarily, but I wouldn't depend on it long term or play games this way - open the case and direct a regular table-top fan on the innards for some additional cooling. DO get the new case fans and install them.

 

[blurryeverything]

Ok I'll contact AMD and see what they say. I was able to find the exact heat sink + fan that's in my computer right now: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ICXAQS/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1JDVQBTNMED4K . Money's a bit tight right now so it might be a little while before I can order it. The case fans shipped today so I'll mount those when they arrive.

 

[nostall]

Ok I'll contact AMD and see what they say. I was able to find the exact heat sink + fan that's in my computer right now: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ICXAQS/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1JDVQBTNMED4K . Money's a bit tight right now so it might be a little while before I can order it. The case fans shipped today so I'll mount those when they arrive.

You don't need a new heatsink, and that one is only certified for 65Watt and below, FX6300 is a 95Watt cpu. Better off to just purchase a new fan:
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Bearing-Cooling-Computer/dp/B0009JZSKO/ref=pd_sim_147_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0Y46JHD0GXPK8HCKY47H
That is, if AMD doesn't help out.

 

[blurryeverything]

Only issue with the fan you linked is its 80mm and the heat sink that's in my computer right now only fits a 70mm fan. Instead of hunting down a 70mm fan I was just going to replace the whole thing.