CPU Fan stop spinning after using the computer for a while.

Feb 16, 2018
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Hello,

I had an old CPU fan that gathered dust, and died on me during the summer ( it just stopped spinning because it was old ). I had the interior of my case cleaned out with air while my components were still inside, so everything got cleaned up. I oiled up the old CPU fan, and it restarted working normally for a while, but would eventually stop again and would start causing the same issue I'm about to discuss. So I decided to buy a new CPU fan. I went out and bought a cheap CPU fan.
It starts up well, and does its job for the most part. However, at some random point, it just stops spinning, and I don't understand why. After the fan stops spinning, the cpu heats up enough to the point where my PC turns off. If I immediately retry to open my computer, the fan starts as usual, but quickly turns off (can't even get to my home page), and I decide to close my computer before it overheats again. I need to wait for it to cool off before I can reopen my PC and hope that it doesn't stop spinning. My question is: why does my CPU fan stop spinning? I tried for the past few weeks to find a similar story, but I can't arrive to a specific conclusion. How can I know whether it's the CPU fan at fault, or my motherboard or even the CPU?

What's weird here is also that I need to wait for the computer to cool off before it restarts spinning for a longer period of time. So is it possible for the CPU fan to just give up when CPU is under a big load?

I have had this PC since 2011 or 2012, I can't say that it's too outdated.. Oh, and I also tried plugging the CPU fan to Channel 1 and 3 instead of channel 2 designed for cpu fan on the motherboard, but they won't even start on those channels. All other fans keep spinning.
What would you suggest?
Thank you so much!
 
Solution
Yeah I saw the manual option in your manual later and it wasn't terrible amount of help.
While your bios could stand updating, that can be tricky and I can't see in descriptions of newer bios anything about this issue. Leave it for now.

Focusing on issues with installing AI suite here are a few answers that might help:
https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?4037-CAN-T-INSTALL-AI-SUITE-II-PLEASE-HELP!!#post93542
https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?19322-cant-open-AsIO-sys-!!-(2)

Another option is to write to their support directly which is what's suggested most often in support threads for this issue as each version of the suite seems to have its host of install issues, and probably specific to version of windows as well.
Feb 16, 2018
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The motherboard is an ASUS M5A97 R2.0 while the cpu fan that I bought in a local shop is an NMB 12V 0.35A DC brushless fan motor. It says the model number is 4715KL-04W-B16, if that helps. It's not one of the mainstream companies, I just wanted a quick replacement 4 pin fan. Thank you!
 

Sedivy

Estimable
I typed in your fan model, and while it says 4 pin, on multiple pages it also says DC fan and nowehere does it mention pwm. In fact, data sheets showing differing input voltages make me think it might not be a true pwm fan and this is worrying because it won't properly respond to a cpu header which is set for a pwm fan by default.
In other words, I don't think that's the right fan to troubleshoot this with. Is there any way you can return it and get another fan that for sure is pwm? You don't have to break the bank. This would do:
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterFan-Balance-Radiators/dp/B01K0F9H8A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1518876899&sr=8-5&keywords=cooler+master+masterfan+pro+120+air+pressure


For your mobo, I don't know what's wrong with their manual http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/SocketAM3+/M5A97_R2.0/E7438_M5A97_R20_Manual_web_hi-res.pdf
but I can't see high resolution of it. Anyway, I wanted to see if their chassis fan headers are true 4 pin headers or just look like 4 pin but don't have the sensor wire. You see this sometimes on lower end mobos, which would explain why plugging into another fan header isn't working. Though I can't tell from the picture, usually when that's the case, they'll mention something in this section (1.2.9 in your case) but since they call them 4 pin and say nothing, I'm going to assume they're true 4 pin headers.
In the manual they also mention fan XPert software. I think this has since been rolled into AI Suite II for asus, so look here:
https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/M5A97_R20/HelpDesk_Download/
and download and install it. Then once you load into windows, start it up and try and see if you can adjust the rpm of your cpu fan. There should be some sort of rpm/temp curve for it (this is after you're sure you have pwm fan).
If it's unresponsive, try plugging the fan into one of the chassis headers, like you did before, but first in bios, make sure that chassis fans are set to follow cpu temperature and that they are set to a 4 pin pwm fan (chassis fans are usually set to DC by default, and not pwm).
 
Feb 16, 2018
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Thank you so much for your answer! A lot of insight.
I have ordered the new fan that you have posted. I will certainly let you know if it fixed the issue. I had bought the CPU fan for a mere 5$, and I think purchase was final. But no biggie. If the new fan also causes me the same problems, would I conclude that the motherboard has the issue?

As for the software link you have suggested, I don't see anything about AI Suite II on the download page. If I try to install the BIOS, it comes with a CAP file, and I don't really know what to do with it/ how to install it.
So I looked for another link for the ai suite 2, and I came up with
https://downloads.tomsguide.com/AI-Suite-II,0305-55295.html
But the title of the download is win7, so I'm not sure if I should try to install it.
Again, thank you so much for your answer, it is greatly appreciated!

 

Sedivy

Estimable
Well if the new fan gives you the same issue with the cpu header, then what you'd do is plug it into chassis header while making sure in bios that it's set to pwm and responds to cpu temperatures and see if it works.
Install only AISuite II from the download site I gave you as you need it for correct os and latest version is preferable. But you don't need everything off of that page. You don't need a bios update. It shows BIOS, then Audio, LAN and Utilities. Under Utilities click Show All, and second link will be AI suite, says Version 2.04.01 2015/08/11 213.48 MBytes
You download that and install and only that.
Then after you reboot into bios and set your new fan in bios to pwm and responding to cpu temp, and then you boot into windows and try to control the fan from within AI suite and it doesn't respond in any of the fan headers of the board, then I would conclude that there's something wrong with the mobo. But if it's just a single header burnt out, then switching it to a chassis header should technically work, provided the header is set up correctly.
You know what I'm talking about when I say boot into bios and check the configuration of the fan header?
In bios it should look something like this:
https://images.anandtech.com/doci/8696/ASUS%20Z97MS%20BIOS%2042%20-%20Fan%20Control.jpg
and so select pwm and under source, select cpu. If you have advanced view with qfan, should look something like this:
http://hexus.net/media/uploaded/2016/12/f8489643-a644-4108-a6eb-fc2dd1ee9dac.png
where it allows you to set mode, source and temp curve for each fan.
 
Feb 16, 2018
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Again, thank you so much for the answer.

While I wait for the new fan to arrive, I have tried to download AI Suite 2. After I extract the files, I tried opening both "AsusSetup" and "Setup" in the main folder, along with FanXpert's setup in its own folder. However, it would seem none of them work. When I try to open the first two setups, they give me the same sequence of 4 alert errors: "No Driver File", followed by "Load Aslo Error" twice, and finishes off with "The model does not support this application". So I tried looking up these errors online, but I can't seem to find any fixes for that either.
As for the BIOS, mine looks like the following. I can't seem to be able to decide DC or PWM? Maybe I should update my BIOS?
https://imgur.com/a/TLQVS
https://imgur.com/a/aDzxn
Again, thank you so much for all your help, I really appreciate it!


 

Sedivy

Estimable
DC mode is for 3 pin fans (http://i.ebayimg.com/t/3-Pin-Mini-Fan-Connector-w-Bare-Leads-FREE-S-H-/00/s/NTAwWDUwMA==/$%28KGrHqJHJFcFDS6gw0DqBQ1-IZ8uI%21%7E%7E60_12.JPG) that are regulated by the amount of voltage pumped into them which then corresponds to their speed. Their mechanism of work is different from pwm 4 pin (https://sgcdn.startech.com/005329/media/products/gallery_large/FAN4EXT12.c.jpg) fans which are constantly at 12V but have intermittent signal used within the motor, with the help of the sensor wire, to control their speed.
Which one you pick depends on what fan you get. If you are getting the one I linked, that's a pwm fan.
Current cpu temps you have seem ok and the fan does seems a little high for idle temps, at 1490 rpm but it seems to work fine. I would say if it's the fan you linked to me already, it's likely a dc fan plugged into a pwm header (cpu header are by default set to pwm), and so because it's at 12V, it's running at full speed, with its max being 1500rpm (which is pretty common on dc fans).
Thanks for the screenies of BIOS. What's under the advanced tab? Cause what q-fan's giving you there is pretty basic and I'm not sure if that's cause there's somewhere additional options, or it's an older bios version. When you're on initial bios screen, can you read off what your bios version is? Edit: Nm I see different tabs from your manual and advanced doesn't help you.
I'm guessing because you don't see more advanced options in bios, ai suite can't give you the same options in windows. Or not if reading about the errors you've been getting is right. Apparently this is a common issue with asus suite and it ranges from conflicts with asus's epu-6 engine to conflicts with AV programs or even windows itself (https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1035296).
So from reading your manual you do indeed need ai suite/fan xpert to give you a more advanced range of options on your fans but installing them will be a trial. Be back in a bit, will read more about this later on tonight but it looks like a software issue with ai suite.
 
Feb 16, 2018
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Hey! Thanks for the quick reply!
It's good to know it's not a issue on my part that I can't instal AI Suite haha.
This first screenshot shows the advanced tab like you asked, too many hardware terms for me to get my way around...
https://imgur.com/a/m1Iqi
The second shows you the what happens when I decide to go manual on the cpu fan.
https://imgur.com/a/NGHg8

Finally, the BIOS version on the main page say that it's version: 2006.
Thank you so much for your help!
 

Sedivy

Estimable
Yeah I saw the manual option in your manual later and it wasn't terrible amount of help.
While your bios could stand updating, that can be tricky and I can't see in descriptions of newer bios anything about this issue. Leave it for now.

Focusing on issues with installing AI suite here are a few answers that might help:
https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?4037-CAN-T-INSTALL-AI-SUITE-II-PLEASE-HELP!!#post93542
https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?19322-cant-open-AsIO-sys-!!-(2)

Another option is to write to their support directly which is what's suggested most often in support threads for this issue as each version of the suite seems to have its host of install issues, and probably specific to version of windows as well.
 
Solution
Feb 16, 2018
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Hello again! I have put in the new fan, and I have no issues as of yet. I haven't considered the fan to being a problem as, I had just bought it and it looked new. I hope this issue is now permanently fixed. Thank you so much for all the help, I truly appreciate it!
 
Feb 16, 2018
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I just set it to standard, though I can't tell you about the speed, because I can't get fan xPert to work :/
Unless if you know of any other method to see the speed of the fan of course?
 

Sedivy

Estimable
Ok let me check the manual, to see which setting it was. Yes standard will adjust automatically to temperature based on a pre-loaded set of parameters.
To see the fan speed, lots of utilities will work. You can use hwmonitor or hwinfo.
If you wanted to try controlling it without xpert, you could try installing SpeedFan which is kinda like xpert but by a third party. Problem is speedfan might not recognize your board and sensors at all but I suppose it's worth a try. You can always unintall it if not. That is if you want to muck around with it at all beyond just confirming your temps are good and the fan is spinning, which you can do with hwmonitor, and don't need speedfan for that.
 
Feb 16, 2018
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Well the fan is running at 950RPM, so I'm guessing that it is spinning based on temperatures in contrast to the old fan which constantly ran at 1500RPM. Again, thank you so much, you've helped me so much!
 

Sedivy

Estimable
Yup sure sounds like it's responding to temps properly now. Glad it worked out :)
Oh and check what the max rpm for the fan is and that you're not limiting it in bios to 1500 rpm when realistically the fan can go higher (if you set the switch on the front of the fan to P for performance it can go all the way up to 2500rpm. On Q it'll go up to 2000 and on S only to 1300). So if you've set to switch on P or Q, check in hwmonitor it'll go that high when pushed, and that bios doesn't also need settings adjustment to stop the limiting. That just occured to me right now, that once you load something intensive like a game, you're sure that the fan does go to at least 2000 when needed by the temps.