Why Does My GPU Fan Not Spin and How to Fix It

Here is a detailed, quick, and simple guide to solving the GPU fan problems.

Do you often perform resource-intensive tasks, such as heavy gaming on your computer? If yes, you may experience overheating unless the GPU fans spin to cool off the processor. However, if the GPU fan does not spin even if the temperature continuously rises, you may bump into serious problems like a system crash.

Though it can be a modern graphic card fan’s feature to stop spinning when unnecessary (the temperature is not too high) to save resources, the issue deserves attention if the fans do not move even when the temperature is 80°C. Hence, we dived deeper into all the possible reasons your fan may not be spinning and how to fix the problem. Let us get started with why the GPU fan is not spinning at high temperatures.

Why GPU Fan Does Not Spin

The following may be the reasons your GPU fan has stopped spinning.

• The cables are not plugged in correctly
• Outdated graphics driver
• Dust in the GPU
• Corrupted GPU BIOS

After understanding the problem’s causes, let us learn how to fix it.

How to Fix GPU Fan Not Spinning (Quick and Easy)

You can apply the following solutions to fix the issues if your GPU fan does not spin even at high temperatures.

Fix 1: Check the cables

The first thing you should do is check your PCIe power cables to ensure they are correctly plugged in. Checking the cables requires reassembling the GPU, turning off the PC, and then opening the case. However, do not lose heart if the problem remains unsolved. We have more solutions.

Also Read: Best Free GPU Stress Test Software

Fix 2: Clean your GPU

Dust can be another reason your GPU fan does not spin. Hence, power off your computer, use your fingers to spin the fan, and then clean it using a cotton swab to solve the problem.

Fix 3: Update the graphics driver (Recommended)

Outdated drivers are almost always the culprit behind annoying problems like the one you are experiencing. Hence, updating drivers is among the sure-shot solutions. You can update drivers and optimize your PC performance automatically using Win Riser, a dedicated driver update and optimization software.

Win Riser boasts many helpful features to take your computer’s performance to another level. For example, this software spots and eliminates malware, deletes invalid registry entries, cleans junk, and allows you to backup and restore currently installed drivers if things go wrong in the future. You can download this software from the following link and then follow the quick series of steps given below to use it.

• After downloading the software package from the above link, double-click on the downloaded file and follow the instructions to install the software. The software installation takes only a few seconds.
• Wait patiently for two to three seconds until Win Riser completes a comprehensive scan to identify the problems with your computer.
• Review the results that appear on your screen.
• Click on the Fix Issues Now button to update drivers and fix all issues automatically.

Also Read: [Fixed] Desktop Window Manager High GPU in Windows 10, 11

Fix 4: Update your GPU’s BIOS

A corrupted GPU can be another reason you may experience GPU fan issues. Hence, updating the GPU BIOS can help solve the problem. Here are the directions to do it.

• Firstly, find your graphics card’s model.
• Secondly, download the latest BIOS version for your graphics card from the manufacturer.
• Now, get the AMD Flashing tool or Nvidia Flashing tool depending on whether you have an AMD or Nvidia graphics card.
• AMD users should put the BIOS file you downloaded previously into the same folder where you extracted the flashing tool. Then, right-click the ATIWinflash.exe file, choose to run it as an administrator, and flash the BIOS.
• Nvidia users should ensure the BIOS file and nvflash.exe (along with the related files) are in the same folder. Then, double-click nvflash.exe to run it. After running the file, input nvflash yourfilename.bios in the on-screen window (please replace yourfilename with your BIOS’s filename) and let the process complete.

Fix 5: Reset or customize fan curves

Modern GPUs support fan customization via built-in software tools. You can adjust your GPU fan speed depending on speed levels and temperature. It helps fix the fan not spinning issue, minimize the fan noise, and improve the fan’s performance. Though there are a plethora of fan customization programs available, MSI Afterburner is the most recommended software. You can use it by following the below steps.

• To begin with, download and install MSI Afterburner.
• Secondly, run the software and choose User Define from the available options. This option is present in the lower right pane of the interface (next to the Fan Sync option).
• Enable the options to Enable user defined software automatic fan control and Override zero fan speed with hardware curve.
• You can now customize the fan curve speed depending on your requirements. However, make sure no temperature corresponds to the 0% fan speed.
• Lastly, click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes.

Also Read: CPU & GPU Bottleneck: What is it and How to Fix it

GPU Fan Not Spinning Fixed

Hopefully, your GPU fan is working correctly after applying the above fixes. However, if you still experience problems with the fan, have any questions, or want to share your valuable feedback about this article, please write to us in the comments. We will be happy to get in touch with you. Also, be sure to bookmark this website, subscribe to our newsletter, and follow us on social media to stay updated with the latest technology.