Is my CPU fan dying?

I was wondering if someone could help me figure out what is causing my CPU fan to not spin up correctly? When I turn my computer on the fan will do like 1/4 spin and then stop. it repeats this for almost a minute before the fan starts up and stays at full RPM. Could this be a bad fan? If so could someone recommend a replacement? I am using an A64 3000 *EDIT* with stock fan*. I just noticed this problem started this yesterday. Thanks in advance.

My Rig:
A64 3000
DFI NF4 Ultra-D
1GB Patriot 3200LLK
Radeon X850XT
Lite-on SOHW-832s
Fortron Blue Storm 500 PSU.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by robc1880 on 05/29/05 11:00 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

Do you have Cool and Quiet enabled in your BIOS?

______________
Welcome to my Shed of Pleasure

Cool and Quiet is turned off and the machine has very minimal dust in it. I blow the dust out every other week. I haven't had a chance to get the 3 pin-molex cable yet to test the fan the way Wusy suggested. I do agree that my fan is too new though, I only have had the new machine for 4 months.

Pin trick? Bah. Just grab a spool of speaker wire, a knife, some electrical tape, and get funky with making your own temporary connector. It doesn't have to be any great permanent solution just to test the fan. Any bad hack job will do, no destruction of existing plugs required.

And if you don't have speaker wire, chopping up an old phone cable works just fine. Just as any old clear plastic tape can replace electrical tape for this. Heck, I've even used fingernail clippers instead of a knife.

<pre><font color=orange><i>Jesters do oft prove prophets.</i> -Regan in
King Lear (Act V, Scene iii) by William Shakespear</font color=orange></pre><p>@ 189K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

Doesn't that get fiddly trying to hold them in place and all? I'd rather just use a short piece of speaker wire myself. It's easier to connect to a 9V without juggling IMHO. And you can just as easily connect the open ends to a molex as a 9V battery.

But then again, I am a mad splicer, so maybe I just like playing with wires.

<pre><font color=orange><i>Jesters do oft prove prophets.</i> -Regan in
King Lear (Act V, Scene iii) by William Shakespear</font color=orange></pre><p>@ 189K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

Be very carefull with the pin trick, easy to get a prick.

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

Just push the pin through the centre of each wire. Space the two connections out, to avoid shorts. The holes are mostly self mending.