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PC Building

cpurpe91
Volunteer Moderator

I Made a Mistake

So I ordered a GPU anti-sag bracket. When I installed it, I didn't realize it was holding one of my GPU fans in place, and I ran my PC for about 20 minutes. I realized it wasn't spinning when I checked Adrenaline, and I moved the bracket so it was nolonger holding my fan at 0RPM. The fan seems to work fine, and I adjusted my fan curve to max just to see if it still hits 3800RPM like it should. It did hit its max RPM and it idles normally. I just want to make sure that 20 minutes didn't ruin my fan motor. Any input would be appreciated.

Ryzen 7 7700X, MSI MAG X670E Tomahawk Wifi, Corsair DOMINATOR® TITANIUM RGB 2x16GB DDR5 DRAM 6000MT/s CL30, AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, Corsair HX Series™ HX1000, Corsair MP600 PRO NH 4TB
9 Replies

Having power to the fan while it is jammed would cause the Fan motor to overheat and burn out eventually but it is low voltage.

In a regular Room Fan if you jam the blades you will hear the motor start to hum due to power being applied and the motor trying to rotate when it can't. Eventually the motor will burn out as an example only.

But it seems like it didn't overheat to the point of being damaged otherwise your fan motor wouldn't be working normally.

I would  physically check the fan to see if you see any lubricant that might have leaked out when it was jammed. Also physically move the fan blades. It should move without any resistance or very little resistance similar to the second fan if the GPU has one.

If the Fan blades has some resistance to it compared to the second fan then that can indicate that the motor might have some damage to it or the bearings were slightly damaged when it got hot.

Also a damage fan motor or bearing will be noisy and not silent.

Otherwise if it is working normally I wouldn't worry too much unlessl you see the GPU start to overheat due to one fan not working correctly in the future.

Either way I would check for a replacement as a future reference unless the fan can be replaced under Warranty if it hasn't expired by that time.

cpurpe91
Volunteer Moderator

I have until August of 2023 to contact Gigabyte for an RMA. It spins freely with no resistance and doesn't hum or make any noise, and I don't think it lost any lubricant. I will look into buying a replacement just in case it fails after it's out of warranty. Thank you so much. I was panicking. 

Ryzen 7 7700X, MSI MAG X670E Tomahawk Wifi, Corsair DOMINATOR® TITANIUM RGB 2x16GB DDR5 DRAM 6000MT/s CL30, AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, Corsair HX Series™ HX1000, Corsair MP600 PRO NH 4TB

That is good news then your fan probably is fine.

I wouldn't purchase an replacement fan until after Warranty expires and if either fan becomes defective afterwards.

cpurpe91
Volunteer Moderator

I have definitely learned my lesson. Make sure all fans are able to spin freely without booting up your PC. In hindsight I probably don't even need the bracket but it's already in there and I don't feel like removing it. XD 

Ryzen 7 7700X, MSI MAG X670E Tomahawk Wifi, Corsair DOMINATOR® TITANIUM RGB 2x16GB DDR5 DRAM 6000MT/s CL30, AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, Corsair HX Series™ HX1000, Corsair MP600 PRO NH 4TB
0 Likes
BigAl01
Volunteer Moderator

Personally, I would not worry about it after determining it still functions normally and without any additional mechanical noise.  Check that the fan is still operational a few times during the next month and call it a day.

As Albert Einstein said, "I could have done so much more with a Big Al's Computer!".
cpurpe91
Volunteer Moderator

Thank you all so much. I am still relatively new to building PCs as I have only built four since I started in April of 2020. Before that I just upgraded a few components but never really built my own rig. 

Ryzen 7 7700X, MSI MAG X670E Tomahawk Wifi, Corsair DOMINATOR® TITANIUM RGB 2x16GB DDR5 DRAM 6000MT/s CL30, AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, Corsair HX Series™ HX1000, Corsair MP600 PRO NH 4TB
BigAl01
Volunteer Moderator

There will be many lessons to be learned in the future.  Everyone will make a mistake when buying components with regard to having them fit within the case.  An example might be a video card that is too long for the case.  Solutions are out there though, if you are willing to mod the case when necessary.  My lesson learned that I repeat to others is to assemble the components outside the case and power it on to ensure everything works and the computer boots at least to the BIOS.  Then you can place the components into the case and install the operating system and remaining software.  

As Albert Einstein said, "I could have done so much more with a Big Al's Computer!".
johnnyenglish
Grandmaster

If the card has zero rpm, chances are.. it spent most of its time standing still and not forcing it to spin at all.

So if that is the case, 0% damage done. Health bar is complete.

😁

The Englishman

Good point, forgot about Zero RPM feature.

Unless the OP was playing games at the time than only one fan would be working.