aimless
Member
+166|6404|Texas
Are there any negative effects of running your video card/cpu fans at 100% all the time? Is it possible for the fans to eventually wear out and die?

Also, does any program exists that allows you to change fan speeds (of cpu/gpu/case) on the fly?
SenorToenails
Veritas et Scientia
+444|6409|North Tonawanda, NY
Fans can die, but by the time it does go, you'll probably have upgraded already.  Or you'll want to.
The_Sniper_NM
Official EVGA Fanboy
+94|6393|SC | USA |

aimless wrote:

Also, does any program exists that allows you to change fan speeds (of cpu/gpu/case) on the fly?
http://www.nvidia.com/object/ntune_5.05.54.00.html
If you have an Nvidia card

http://www.techpowerup.com/atitool/
ATi/Nvidia
CrazeD
Member
+368|6952|Maine
My case fans and CPU fan have been running 100% speed for like a year straight. No problems...
SpIk3y
Minister of Silly Walks
+67|6418|New Jersey
I know nTune and RivaTuner can adjust GPU fan speeds, but is there any way to change your CPU fan speed?  I have stock cooling and I'm pretty sure it runs at the same speed 24/7.
CrazeD
Member
+368|6952|Maine
Stock cooling is usually thermal controlled. It speeds up when it gets hot. You can usually define these variables in the BIOS.
xGj
Official lame Crysis fanboy.
+84|6651|Netherlands tbh

The_Sniper_NM wrote:

aimless wrote:

Also, does any program exists that allows you to change fan speeds (of cpu/gpu/case) on the fly?
http://www.nvidia.com/object/ntune_5.05.54.00.html
If you have an Nvidia card

http://www.techpowerup.com/atitool/
ATi/Nvidia
No! not nTune!! jesus that's a crappy program which won't even save your settings after a small reboot..
Get RivaTuner instead.. It's way better.
aimless
Member
+166|6404|Texas
Cool. Any programs for fan/case fan speed? Or is that in bios?
mtb0minime
minimember
+2,418|6934

I think speedfan might do case fans, whatever ones are connected to your motherboard... I think. Give it a shot.

If not you could always spend a couple bucks getting a fan with a manual switch. One of my case fans was pretty loud and I don't overclock so I don't need a supercool case, so I got a manual one and put it to low.
Brasso
member
+1,549|6909

So this is safe?  Sorry for the revive, but I just recently set my GPU fan to run at 80% constantly.
"people in ny have a general idea of how to drive. one of the pedals goes forward the other one prevents you from dying"
CrazeD
Member
+368|6952|Maine

haffeysucks wrote:

So this is safe?  Sorry for the revive, but I just recently set my GPU fan to run at 80% constantly.
Mine runs at 100% constantly. That's what it is made to run at, it will do no harm.
oStoneRo
Member
+9|6921
umm yeah my fans run slow so they are quiet, other than that, if you have space for more and/or bigger fans than just upgrade, their dirt cheap i just got a 120mm blue led fan with controller off newegg for 12 bucks, and a white led one just like it without a controller for like not even 5, i put a window in the side of my case with my old 80 mm control fan and now with those two control fans at like 1/3 power my underload temp dropped about twenty degrees, and its way quieter, plus glowing blue and white!
aimless
Member
+166|6404|Texas
Can someone help me with speedfan? I can't get it to change my case fan speeds.
Defiance
Member
+438|6950

CrazeD wrote:

haffeysucks wrote:

So this is safe?  Sorry for the revive, but I just recently set my GPU fan to run at 80% constantly.
Mine runs at 100% constantly. That's what it is made to run at, it will do no harm.
Think of it like an engine. If you gun the engine at full speed 24/7, what's going to happen in a short amount of time? Something will probably explode. Same of a fan or any other motor, or even the human body (sans explosion). Most people can't sprint for very long, and even those that can don't go forever. The motor will definitely wear out faster if you put it's speed to max all the time.
aimless
Member
+166|6404|Texas

Defiance wrote:

CrazeD wrote:

haffeysucks wrote:

So this is safe?  Sorry for the revive, but I just recently set my GPU fan to run at 80% constantly.
Mine runs at 100% constantly. That's what it is made to run at, it will do no harm.
Think of it like an engine. If you gun the engine at full speed 24/7, what's going to happen in a short amount of time? Something will probably explode. Same of a fan or any other motor, or even the human body (sans explosion). Most people can't sprint for very long, and even those that can don't go forever. The motor will definitely wear out faster if you put it's speed to max all the time.
But you have to keep in mind that the fans were made to spin at 100%.
Ryan
Member
+1,230|7122|Alberta, Canada

My GPU fan is idle when non-GPU intensive programs aren't being run. However when I run a game or 3d studio max, I have it set for them to work at 100%.
Defiance
Member
+438|6950

aimless wrote:

Defiance wrote:

CrazeD wrote:


Mine runs at 100% constantly. That's what it is made to run at, it will do no harm.
Think of it like an engine. If you gun the engine at full speed 24/7, what's going to happen in a short amount of time? Something will probably explode. Same of a fan or any other motor, or even the human body (sans explosion). Most people can't sprint for very long, and even those that can don't go forever. The motor will definitely wear out faster if you put it's speed to max all the time.
But you have to keep in mind that the fans were made to spin at 100%.
Starting around the second page, this may help the understanding.

http://www.analog.com/library/analogDia … _speed.pdf

Yes, the fan is "made to spin at 100%." It's capable. However, that's not ideal for lifespan and rarely needed for cooling.
CrazeD
Member
+368|6952|Maine
Every fan in my PC has been running at 100% for over a year (except a few which were purchased within the year, and except my video card fan just because it's obnoxiously loud and gets annoying sometimes) with absolutely zero problems.

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the faster a fan spins, the more air it moves. The more air you move, the more efficient your cooling is. Therefore, it is always needed for better cooling.

By the way, you can not compare a small 12v DC motor to an engine. There are soooooo many variables as to why an engine f**ks up at redline that do not apply to small 12v DC motors.

Running fans at 100% that are designed and tested to run at 100% for prolonged periods is not going to harm a thing.

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