Have an issue

Post Reply New Topic

When my PC has to process something it over heats easily and crashes and turns off I think it's b/c the fan is broken what do I do?

Check to see if fan is rotating. Fans these days can be in the front of a desktop tower, so you may need to look in there with a flashlight to see if there is any movement or put your hand by the vent to see if any air is coming out. If there is no rotation or air coming out from the fan, then you will need to replace it. You can get fans online, from a site like NewEgg.com. You plug the fan right into your motherboard or power supply, depending on how powerful it is.

The fan you already have in your computer might be rotating fine but still not providing enough air to the system board and other internal components. In that case, adding some fans to the computer anyway would solve that problem.

If you've been overclocking your CPU or adding PCI cards that produce a lot of heat, you might look into a better heatsink or a water cooling system. If your computer is very, very hot, those might even be your only options.

if your case is crammed or small, it might not be getting enough air flow... I once bought a case which had plastic covering the fan holes...

Quick and dirty: Take the side panel, or both, off.

Cheap: Add more/better/replace fans.

Costs more: Take it to a smaller shop *i recommend smaller cause they can do it in 20 mins, big cains take weeks* and tell them, they can find the problem.

Costs even more: Buy a better case and move everything over. The manufacturers case often don't cool worth a crap. If you're kinda scared of breaking somthing, again with the small shop, they ought only charge 20 or 30 to do this.

Free if you live in Las Vegas: PM me *i'm an actual computer tech, btw, not just a random idiot *

When and if you do take the cover off, clean it. Computers can get really dirty with extended use and the dirt/dust can really build up and insulate what needs to be clean. I don't use canned air any more but probably the better and easier for you to get and use. What kip said about a smaller shop is very good advice and often can solve such problems very fast, if you're not comfortable messing around with such things. But, cleaning is something you should learn and there are things you shouldn't do when doing such a thing. Static electricity is a bad thing. Most systems come with ok wiring, but, sometimes it can be improved. Most shops sell plastic ties to get wires bundled and out of the air flow. Adding more fans is always good, if you have the spots to add them. Even if you don't have more room, there are some really good, more powerful and quieter fans you can get to replace most stock fans. If push comes to shove, remove the side panel and use a floor fan. This is not a real good thing for the long run, but can work in a pinch.

Take the dust off the vents regularly and clean inside as postpaleo says. Its amazing what a difference it can make

Just one minor thought... if the fan indeed is NOT rotating, conceivably the wire has just dropped off (or the contacts in the plug/socket have just become corroded).

PS. In a well-designed case, with working fans, taking the sides off will NOT improve airflow.

I was a computer tech years and years ago. Now I am just a random idiot.

Yes, but well designed is often not the OEM specialty Now, if this is a NICE clone, then obviously you've got something more than a little problem.

Another thing to think about. Whats the average air temprature of the room the computer is in? Computers are happiest when rooms are around 50 or 60 degrees, although most people caint tolerate that. If your room is often in the 80 or 90 range, then the computer is going to be even hotter. Try keeping it about 70 or 72 if it must be warm.

Use a vacuum to suck most of the dust bunnies out of the computer. If you need to, remove the heatsink and fan and rinse them under some water, but MAKE SURE it's dry before you put it back. You'd need to get some thermal compound to do this, but dirt and crap around the fins of the heatsink will really kill the cooling abilities.

Another tip: DON'T SMOKE AROUND THE COMPUTER!! ! I'm not saying you do, but, if you do, that tar stays tacky and gets into everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. I've found the tar has eaten away AS5 and made chips overheat. It eats fans too, badly.

Well I know the fan doesn't work b/c I put on my box fan beside it to keep it cool and it didn't turn off (now box fan is broken) and the fan just doesn't work anymore it's a really old computer in computer years anyway and needs lots of improvements like video,sound,keyboard,mouse,disk drives, motherboard probably needs a new one, and all sorts of stuff it's just the fan thing is annoying b/c everytime I try to upload or download something from a CD or DVD it just crashes and makes a *click* noise when it turns off then won't turn back on for a long time depending on the air flow.

It's on the second floor in a poorly vented room so the temp is just luck sometimes.

I can't clean it and won't open it unless I must.

Need new one jsut can't afford it my laptop works fine and all it's actually a lot better just the dang touch pad is so annoying so I bring my laser mouse everywhere with it lol.

I have a mouse, an external, and of course a power cord. My lappy is just a lightweight desktop. Better than the roomies, his has no screen, so he has to plug it in to a moniter

Wow mines better than my roomates too but only b/c it's newer and better sound from what I can tell. And yeah it's a every computer kinda mouse that I plug into one of the many USB slots.