CPU Fan not spinning

[vw-Jeff]

I just finished putting my system together. I booted it up and my Zalman Heat sink fan isn't spinning. Both of the case fans are but not the CPU fan. It acts like it wants to but just kind of jiggles a little. Could it be because the core just isn't hot enough to kick on yet? I don't want to run this for whatever time it takes to install windows if I'm going to overheat....

On second thought, this might be the wrong forum for this... but if anyone can help fast I could really use it.

 

[PC eye]

Are you sure it's plugged in on the correct pins and down fully? A loose plug arching is one thought besides a fan loaded up with dust and debris from the lack of cleaning. If the fan itself is binding and on the way out you will want to replace it immediately or your cpu will be next. You don't want a bake sale on hardwares! I have some here already from a cheapy brand where the fan quit.

 

[vw-Jeff]

Everything is brand new. The cpu is cool to the touch still so could there be a chance that it just isn't kicking on due to being cool? All it is doing right now is formating the HD. Maybe I'll try plugging it into another fan slot on the mobo instead of the CPU FAN one.

Edit: I just shut down the system and moved my fan plug onto the "System fan" socket. Fan is spinning now so I know the fan isn't bad. . .

 

[PohTayToez]

The plug on the mobo is bad... the fan should always be spinning, even when the CPU isn't under a heavy load.

 

[vw-Jeff]

The plug on the mobo is bad... the fan should always be spinning, even when the CPU isn't under a heavy load.

Well crap... is that worth returning it? Or is there a simple fix to this.
and while on the subject, can you buy extension wires for those little 3/4pin connectors? My case comes with a speed knob but the connector for it is forcing me to run a wire over the northbridge? heatsink and it is getting pretty warm... also not very clean looking.

Edit: I just tried plugging a normal case fan into the cpu fan socket and it works just fine. It is only a 3 pin plug and the cpu fan is 4 pin. Any ideas?

Edit2: Should I post this over in the case/psu/cooling forum? Or if that is crossposting can a mod move it if you think that appropriate?

 

[PC eye]

On most boards the requirement is to have a fan plugged into the cpu fan pins in order to monitor the fan's speed as well as regulate it. The patch to the chipset fan is drawing too much from that location causing that to heatup. Sometimes you can get a 3 to 4pin adapter. But that sounds more like a board that needs to be returned since the fan is ok.

 

[StrangleHold]

Edit: I just tried plugging a normal case fan into the cpu fan socket and it works just fine. It is only a 3 pin plug and the cpu fan is 4 pin. Any ideas?

My guess would be since the case fan works pluged into the CPU header that the CPU fan it dead!!

 

[Kornowski]

The CPU fan worked fine when he put it in another header.

I think it may just be the pins on the fan's connector might not be touching the contacts properly, but the other fan is.

 

[StrangleHold]

Thats really odd, the CPU fan works in another header and a case fan works in the CPU header . I dont know, you could try hooking everything up right and just reset the cmos just to see what happens.

 

[Kornowski]

It's all higdly pigudly

 

[thealmightyone]

It's down to BIOS settings.

On my board, you can change the temp that the CPU/NB fans goes from 0% to 50%, and the temp the CPU/NB fans go from 50% to 100%.

You just need to lower the 'activation' temperature. Before I lowered it, my CPU fan would stay off when I'm in the BIOS, overclocking, due to low temps.

 

[vw-Jeff]

It's down to BIOS settings.

On my board, you can change the temp that the CPU/NB fans goes from 0% to 50%, and the temp the CPU/NB fans go from 50% to 100%.

You just need to lower the 'activation' temperature. Before I lowered it, my CPU fan would stay off when I'm in the BIOS, overclocking, due to low temps.

Thanks. I'll try that. The case fans is only a 3 pin connector while the cpu fan is 4. When i plug it into a 4 pin spot it doesnt work. but when i plug the cpu can into a 3 pin connector it works fine. I'm guessing that that 4th wire is an activation one or something?

Edit: This worked. I'm now spinning like 2800rpm and cpu temp is at 22*c YAY. On my other quick question, do places sell extensions for the 3 wire fan plugs? I've got one resting on the northbridge and don't want to have to worry about it melting.

 

[thealmightyone]

The 4th wire is just to measure fan speed more accurately, using a different method to that the 3rd wire uses. So, 2 wires for current and 2 wires for speed measuring.