R9 280x fans not working

[MattTheDentist]

Hello so I recently bought the MSI r9 280x graphics card and when I power up the graphics card itself has an output but neither of the fans rotate regularly.
Once or twice they have spun really slowly.
I assume it's pro a power issue but with my limited knowledge I wanted to check.
I'm running it with a 550 W psu but it has no 8 pin PCI 16 input so I've been using molex adapters...could that also be an issue?

Any help would be great!

 

[maddogfargo]

Check with MSI. Some current GPUs actually slow down or even stop their cooling fans altogether to reduce noise. This is done by the manufacturer in BIOS settings based on temperature and load.

 

[jordy231]

I also have this same card.

I had an issue of one of my fans not rotating, i found that opening the side of my case and giving it a nudge whilst powered up allowed it to spin up again, it failed on me since.

This graphics card however does consume ~300W in itself so that may be your problem.

If you try launching a 3D application i.e. a game and your display dims or your PC turns off then you definitely need more power.

 

[MattTheDentist]

I also have this same card.

I had an issue of one of my fans not rotating, i found that opening the side of my case and giving it a nudge whilst powered up allowed it to spin up again, it failed on me since.

This graphics card however does consume ~300W in itself so that may be your problem.

If you try launching a 3D application i.e. a game and your display dims or your PC turns off then you definitely need more power.

Well I've ran one or two games since and it didn't seem to make much difference. When I gave it a nudge it did spin for about 2/3 minutes but then stopped.
When monitoring the card using afterburner I adjusted the speed and it altered the one rotating fan and managed to steady the temp a little.
Is there anyway to see if it is a power issue other than just buying a higher watt psu?

 

[jordy231]

Could try disconnecting a few non-vital parts such as extra HDDs, optical drives and fans however these don't consume that much power so may only be a slight difference

 

[MattTheDentist]

Could try disconnecting a few non-vital parts such as extra HDDs, optical drives and fans however these don't consume that much power so may only be a slight difference

yeah I've done that and its made no difference what-so-ever.
it might be my imagination but the fan that doesn't spin doesn't seem to rotate all that freely when the system is off as the other. could it be that the motor or something is being hindered? probably unlikely right?

 

[jordy231]

it's possible, fans tend to not have much torque so if something is in the way it won't push past. You may need to remove you gpus cooler but the four main screws on the back to see if there is anything underneat blocking it

 

[MattTheDentist]

Well I've not removed them but I have made some head-way.
So it's not a power issue.
I took the card out and removed some of the dust, then updated the drivers and installed the new version of afterburner. Now when the fan starts on boot but does make a clicking noise as it rotates.
I can alter afterburners speed and that makes it better but not solved.
Should I just removed it and clean it a little? Also when I do is it worth replacing the heatsink paste whilst I'm at it?

 

[jordy231]

If it's making a clicking noise then there is probably something that it is catching on. Personally I replaced the stock thermal paste with some artic mx4 and found ~9 degrees difference at load (65C->56C).

I personally tried mine with molex adapters on a cheap (£20) 600W PSU before. My PC was dimming (LEDs on fans and display) and then shutting down when I launched games with that PSU so unless you are getting a similar things then the PSU is probably ok.

On the other hand of you have a friend with a bigger PSU you could see if the fan problem is fixed if you put your GPU into their machine

 

[MattTheDentist]

If it's making a clicking noise then there is probably something that it is catching on. Personally I replaced the stock thermal paste with some artic mx4 and found ~9 degrees difference at load (65C->56C).

I personally tried mine with molex adapters on a cheap (£20) 600W PSU before. My PC was dimming (LEDs on fans and display) and then shutting down when I launched games with that PSU so unless you are getting a similar things then the PSU is probably ok.

On the other hand of you have a friend with a bigger PSU you could see if the fan problem is fixed if you put your GPU into their machine

Okay so I've taken the card out, removed the casing and made sure nothing was catching.
Replaced it and basically...that changed nothing. Did a bit of read and the grindy/clicking noise is apparently the fan beginning to pack in.
As I bought it off my friend I hardly want to go back and pull him up for it.
So I have two options right?
Replace the fan (if I can get one) or add a new cooling system entirely like this:

http://www.arctic.ac/eu_en/accelero-xtreme-9925.html

What do you guys suggest?

 

[jordy231]

If it's making a clicking noise then there is probably something that it is catching on. Personally I replaced the stock thermal paste with some artic mx4 and found ~9 degrees difference at load (65C->56C).

I personally tried mine with molex adapters on a cheap (£20) 600W PSU before. My PC was dimming (LEDs on fans and display) and then shutting down when I launched games with that PSU so unless you are getting a similar things then the PSU is probably ok.

On the other hand of you have a friend with a bigger PSU you could see if the fan problem is fixed if you put your GPU into their machine

Okay so I've taken the card out, removed the casing and made sure nothing was catching.
Replaced it and basically...that changed nothing. Did a bit of read and the grindy/clicking noise is apparently the fan beginning to pack in.
As I bought it off my friend I hardly want to go back and pull him up for it.
So I have two options right?
Replace the fan (if I can get one) or add a new cooling system entirely like this:

http://www.arctic.ac/eu_en/accelero-xtreme-9925.html

What do you guys suggest?

Sorry for late reply,

I would suggest definitely going for an aftermarket cooler, I would just make sure first that the cooler you are going for specifically mentions the 290X to ensure that it fits.

In this case the cooler that you have suggested does mention the 280X however there have since been newer designs that may be better for a only a little bit extra

http://www.arctic.ac/eu_en/accelero-xtreme-iv-280-x.html