Top 10 Ways to Fix GPU Fan is not Spinning
A high performing graphic card is need of the hour, it is mandatory especially when you are busy with a serious game or loaded with video editing, a slight lag is enough to make you lose your sanity. Most of the graphics card users face a common issue and that is GPU fan is not spinning. GPU fan is used to cool down the graphics cards heatsink and also it protects the graphics card from overheating. Almost, every graphics card will come with the HSF (Heatsink and Fan) for cooling and you need additional water coolers or water cooled GPU if none of this works.
GPU fans not spinning can be frustrating for you and to your system. The intake fans bring the cool air in, and the outtake fans expel the hot air that has been producing by your system. If the fan is not spinning it will lead to a lot of problems. Here are the top 10 ways to fix the problem (GPU fan is not spinning). If you find that your GPU fans not spinning, stop panicking and start to follow the steps given below.
Before starting have a read at our genuine list of top low profile graphics cards for 2020 and best video editing graphics card
Top 10 Ways to Fix GPU Fan is not Spinning
-
Restart your system
The simplest solution will be always best, and restarting your is system is one of the simplest solutions. So, restart your system if the graphics card fan not spinning. When your system restarted and refreshed it may realign the settings for proper functions (including GPU fans) so try it and it might work.
-
Check the PCle power connectors
In case if your graphics card requires supplementary power through PCle connectors, then make sure that they are connected to your graphics card. In some situations, a loose or bad PCle power connector will be a reason for this issue. So before getting into another step make sure that your PCle power connector is working properly.
If possible, also check the PCle connector’s output by using a digital multimeter, and it should read ~12v. If not change the connector, if everything is ok then you should look for another cause. This is one of the best fix for the issue graphics card fan not spinning.
-
Install the latest drivers
Before you taking the GPU out of your system, first ensure that the latest drivers have installed on your PC. If you do not have the latest drivers in your system first install it then try again. Even if you already have them installed just reinstall and try again. This helps everything to run smoothly including the case when fans on graphics card not spinning.
-
Clean the fan
Dust will be one of the common reasons for these kinds of issues and removing those dust will be the solution for the issue. When the fan takes the air in for cooling your system some dust particles may enter, and the torque of the fan will be low so it will not work properly if there are many obstacles on the fan. So invest on a canister of compressed air, then open your pc, and locate the GPU, then clear off the dust particles in your fan.
You can also detach your fan from the GPU so that you can remove any dust on any side of the blades with the compressed air. Actually compressed air will work amazing on most of the parts of the computer. Like if you have dust on your keyboard you can remove it by the compressed air, the same way it works on the GPU fan also. If the problem is because of the dust particles this will definitely work. The problem of graphics card fans not running will get solve when you clean the fan properly.
-
Oil the bearings
Like any mechanical elements, especially like the normal fan bearings, GPU bearings will also lose the spinning capabilities, as they become older. Instead of fully replacing them you can oil them. Add two drops of any standard machine oil on the bearings that may make a massive difference. For oiling the fan’s bearing you have to remove the GPU from the system, then remove the fan, and then peel off the sticker on the back of the fan. Once you have done this, oil the bearings and then peel up the sticker again, then fix it.
-
Windows update
A recent windows update may also be a reason for this issue, so if you have recently installed an update and after the update, if you are facing this problem (my graphics card fans aren’t spinning), then you can revert to the older version, and see whether the problem has solved or not. If the problem has solved after reverting to the previous version, then send the feedback to the windows about the problem that you faced. They may fix this issue and then you can update it later.
Also read, how to fix graphics card not detected problem
-
Corrupted VGA BIOS
A corrupted VGA BIOS or GPU can also cause make the GPU fan not to run. And remember that it is very rare for a GPU BIOS to get corrupted, but sometimes(rarely) it may happen. In this case, you can only one thing and that reflashes the GPU BIOS to the original one or else you can update the GPU BIOS to the more recent one.
-
Only one fan is not spinning or GPU fan is not spinning at the startup
If one of your GPU fans is spinning properly and the other one is not spinning them mostly it will be because of the damaged or faulty fan. In this case, you have to replace the faulty fan. And also if your GPU fan is not spinning at the startup, this is also because of the faulty or damaged fan, in this case, also you need to change the fan.
-
Test the GPU fan on the other PC
If you have tried all the above topics and nothing has helped you, then your system could have the faulty component. So, in this case, yank your GPU fan and try it on other PC, if your GPU fan is working properly on the other PC then it means that your computer may have a faulty motherboard and that should be replaced. In this case, you have to check out the best gaming motherboard available on the market. And if your GPU fan is not working in another PC also then go for the next step.
-
Replace the fan
If none of the steps above have helped you, then the chances are you have got a mechanical failure on your hands. Failure of fans may happen especially with the older models and also due to churning away over a thousand hours of use. If your graphics card is outdated, then your fans may likely be failed.
And if you have already tested your GPU fans by playing a GPU heavy game and still they do not spin, then you can use some software and applications to control the fans. Un fortunately in these conditions you have to manually open up the fan and fix it or else consider in the replacement of the fan.
You might be interested in reading low power graphics card 2020
GPU fans are not spinning can be a serious issue, in most cases, most of the hardware beginners will immediately think that their whole gaming setup is dying, but in reality, the issue could be less severe. In fact, in 98% of the cases, you can fix the GPU fan not spinning by the above-mentioned steps. And very rarely for the remaining 2%, these steps may not work so you may need to change the faulty component. But GPU fan not spinning is not a very big problem and you do not need to get panicking, so stop panicking and instead of panicking try these steps and fix the issue.