Case fan sometimes doesn't turn on

[imported_stev]

My 120 mm case fan, a Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F rarely does not turn on when I turn on the computer. I'll find out about it because SpeedFan's temps are 10-20 C higher than they usually are. Anyway, I can spin the fan a little and it'll start up every time.

Now, I can try another fan and try another power connector (and I will), but the diagnosis is made difficult by the fact that the problem doesn't occur often. So, from your personal experience, what would be the most likely culprit, the fan, the motherboard (3-pin connector), or something related to the case? Anybody have similar issues with this particular fan?

 

[bob4432]

i do not have that fan, but i have had issues like that. possibly the draw is too much on the header, and you may need one of the 4pin molex connectors w/ the extra fan sensor plug to go on the m/b so you can read fan info??

how small is your case that a single fan will make a 10-20C difference?

 

[imported_stev]

Originally posted by: bob4432
i do not have that fan, but i have had issues like that. possibly the draw is too much on the header, and you may need one of the 4pin molex connectors w/ the extra fan sensor plug to go on the m/b so you can read fan info??

how small is your case that a single fan will make a 10-20C difference?

I have one of those adapters and I'll definitely try it out next time I'm in my case. My temps got up to mid-40s for the CPU, which is not a big deal, but the GPU got up to 75 C and I wasn't even gaming! That's not acceptable and would become even less so in the summer.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: stev

Originally posted by: bob4432
i do not have that fan, but i have had issues like that. possibly the draw is too much on the header, and you may need one of the 4pin molex connectors w/ the extra fan sensor plug to go on the m/b so you can read fan info??

how small is your case that a single fan will make a 10-20C difference?

I have one of those adapters and I'll definitely try it out next time I'm in my case. My temps got up to mid-40s for the CPU, which is not a big deal, but the GPU got up to 75 C and I wasn't even gaming! That's not acceptable and would become even less so in the summer.

is it clean from dust? i have an 1800xt and it will get to that when gaming, but otherwise it stays around 55C

 

[imported_stev]

Originally posted by: bob4432

Originally posted by: stev

Originally posted by: bob4432
i do not have that fan, but i have had issues like that. possibly the draw is too much on the header, and you may need one of the 4pin molex connectors w/ the extra fan sensor plug to go on the m/b so you can read fan info??

how small is your case that a single fan will make a 10-20C difference?

I have one of those adapters and I'll definitely try it out next time I'm in my case. My temps got up to mid-40s for the CPU, which is not a big deal, but the GPU got up to 75 C and I wasn't even gaming! That's not acceptable and would become even less so in the summer.

is it clean from dust? i have an 1800xt and it will get to that when gaming, but otherwise it stays around 55C

It probably has some dust in it, but when my case fan is working properly, the video card idles around 55-57 C.

 

[Jiggz]

Originally posted by: stev

Originally posted by: bob4432

Originally posted by: stev

Originally posted by: bob4432
i do not have that fan, but i have had issues like that. possibly the draw is too much on the header, and you may need one of the 4pin molex connectors w/ the extra fan sensor plug to go on the m/b so you can read fan info??

how small is your case that a single fan will make a 10-20C difference?

I have one of those adapters and I'll definitely try it out next time I'm in my case. My temps got up to mid-40s for the CPU, which is not a big deal, but the GPU got up to 75 C and I wasn't even gaming! That's not acceptable and would become even less so in the summer.

is it clean from dust? i have an 1800xt and it will get to that when gaming, but otherwise it stays around 55C

It probably has some dust in it, but when my case fan is working properly, the video card idles around 55-57 C.

How old is the fan? After awhile fans do degrade and losses bearing lubrication which makes it hard to self start. Usually, it starts intermittently and eventually will not even start unless you manually spin it. Try cleaning the fan and it you can peel off the back paper cover do not destroy it as it will worsen the lack of lubrication and drop a couple of oil drops. Replace the paper back cover using paste or rubber glue. If this does not fix it still, it's time to get a new one. Or maybe it's just the lack of starting current caused by the limited mobo header pins.

 

[imported_stev]

Originally posted by: Jiggz

Originally posted by: stev

Originally posted by: bob4432

Originally posted by: stev

Originally posted by: bob4432
i do not have that fan, but i have had issues like that. possibly the draw is too much on the header, and you may need one of the 4pin molex connectors w/ the extra fan sensor plug to go on the m/b so you can read fan info??

how small is your case that a single fan will make a 10-20C difference?

I have one of those adapters and I'll definitely try it out next time I'm in my case. My temps got up to mid-40s for the CPU, which is not a big deal, but the GPU got up to 75 C and I wasn't even gaming! That's not acceptable and would become even less so in the summer.

is it clean from dust? i have an 1800xt and it will get to that when gaming, but otherwise it stays around 55C

It probably has some dust in it, but when my case fan is working properly, the video card idles around 55-57 C.

How old is the fan? After awhile fans do degrade and losses bearing lubrication which makes it hard to self start. Usually, it starts intermittently and eventually will not even start unless you manually spin it. Try cleaning the fan and it you can peel off the back paper cover do not destroy it as it will worsen the lack of lubrication and drop a couple of oil drops. Replace the paper back cover using paste or rubber glue. If this does not fix it still, it's time to get a new one. Or maybe it's just the lack of starting current caused by the limited mobo header pins.

The fan is a year and a half old. It has "fluid dynamic bearings" that supposedly make the fan last a long time, but maybe not. I think I'll plug it in to the molex connector and if I go a couple months without a fan startup problem, I'm golden. If not, then I'll try lubricating it. If that works, I'm golden. If not, time to get a new fan. It's a fan after all, it's barely worth the trouble. I'm leaning toward it being a fan problem, though because I used another similar speed fan in the case connected to the same 3-pin plug with no problems for about a year before putting this one in.

Anyway, I've probably beaten this releatively unimportant topic to death so I'll let it rest here. Thanks everyone!