You’ve got a fan running on full speed all day long, but no sign of cooling? You have a CPU fan not spinning? You may be dealing with one of the most common power issues around! Learn why this happens, what to do about it, and find out if the problem might be something else, too. This post will show you the basics on getting started, and then we’ll dig into a few common problems, like voltage problems, faulty sensors, or poor power supply.
No matter what the problem is, this guide will show you how to fix it.
Table of Contents
What’s a Fan?
A fan is a fan, right? Well, sort of. It’s a device that uses the wind to move air around. If you’re not sure what this means, it means that a fan spins a wheel or blade that creates a flow of air. Fans are used in many places, but we’re going to focus on the ones that are used in computers.
The problem with a fan is that it’s not always great at keeping the air cool. This can cause a number of problems, but we’ll focus on one that’s common: overheating. A fan isn’t designed to cool the CPU, it’s designed to move the air around the system. If the fan isn’t working properly, you may be getting less air flow, which means that the air isn’t moving fast enough to cool the system.
Why Do Fans Fail?
There are a number of reasons that fans fail. The most common is that the fan has gone bad, so it won’t spin at all. This is usually due to a mechanical failure in the fan.
Then there’s electrical problems. A fan that’s working fine one day may fail to work the next. This can be due to a loose connection, or it can be due to a faulty sensor. Finally, there’s a problem with the power supply, which we’ll cover in more detail later.
What Should I Look For?
To figure out what’s wrong with your fan, you’ll need to first identify which fan it is. This is easy, but you’ll need to look at the back of the computer to find the fan. It should be labeled, but you can also find the fan by looking at the power supply. The fan will be connected to the power supply, and will have a power connection labeled with the letters P, U, or V. This is usually on the side of the fan, or near the fan.
Lastly, you’ll need to find the power switch. It should be labeled PWR or PS.
You’ll also need to know which direction the fan is spinning. You’ll find this on the fan itself, and you’ll find it on the side of the computer. The fan will have a direction on the fan, and a direction on the side of the computer.
Let’s take a look at a few of the most common problems with fans.
Noise
If you’ve got a fan that’s not spinning, you may not be able to hear it. That’s because it’s not creating enough noise to be heard. If you have a fan that’s not working, but you can still hear it, it’s likely that it’s not creating enough noise. If you can’t hear it, there’s a good chance that the fan isn’t working.
First, make sure that the fan is connected to the power supply. If it is, and it’s still not working, you’ll need to figure out why.
If you can hear the fan, but it’s not spinning, it’s likely that the fan is bad. A bad fan is one that’s not working properly. You’ll need to take a look at the power switch to see if it’s on. If it’s not on, you’ll need to figure out why it’s not on.
Fan RPM
If you’ve got a fan that’s spinning, but it’s not working, you may need to look at the fan’s RPM. A fan’s RPM is the number of times it spins per minute. You’ll need to look at the power supply to see what the RPM is. You’ll find the RPM on the power supply. If the RPM is too high, it’s possible that the fan is bad. If the RPM is too low, it’s possible that the fan is working properly, but you’re not hearing it.
If the RPM is too high, you’ll need to figure out why it’s too high. If it’s too low, you’ll need to figure out why it’s too low.
How to Diagnose a Fan
Once you’ve identified the fan, you’ll need to figure out what’s wrong with it. You’ll need to start with the most common problem: a fan that’s not spinning. This is usually due to a loose connection, but it could also be due to a faulty sensor.
Loose Connections
The most common problem with a fan is a loose connection. If the fan is spinning, but it’s not moving air, it could be due to a loose connection. The easiest way to check this is to disconnect the power.
How Power Gets to Your Computer
You can’t do anything without electricity, but that doesn’t mean that you need to have a huge amount of it to run a modern computer. Most computers have power supplies that take care of the job of converting the power from the wall socket into the voltage and current that your components need. If you look at a power supply, you’ll see that it looks something like this:
This power supply is rated at 12V at 2A. It takes a 12V source, converts it to 12V, and then sends that voltage and current to the motherboard and other components.
