The fan and part of the plastic housing on my single-fan GeForce GTX 1660 Super have come loose from the card. The GPU still powers on and the fan starts spinning, but it immediately drops out of position and stops. I suspect the fan or its mounting bracket needs to be secured back onto the plastic, but I'm not sure what failed or what adhesive would be safe. I can't replace the fan or graphics card right now, so I'm looking for a temporary repair that won't damage the card or interfere with the spinning fan.
3 Answers
Clear photos of the front and back of the cooler would make this much easier to diagnose. If only a stationary plastic shroud has separated, a small amount of a heat-resistant two-part epoxy may work on the plastic, but keep it completely away from the blades, motor, bearing, and circuit board. Let it cure fully before testing, and check that the fan spins freely by hand. A matching replacement fan or cooler is usually safer than repairing a damaged mount, so searching by the exact fan model and connector may be worth trying.
Avoid putting glue on the fan hub, shaft, bearings, or anywhere that moves. Adhesive can get into the bearing, throw the fan off balance, or loosen when the GPU heats up. First identify what actually broke: the fan mount, the surrounding shroud, or the screws that hold the fan in place. If the original mounting points are intact, use the correct small screws or replace the broken bracket rather than gluing the rotating assembly. Don’t run the card under load until the fan is secure, since it could stop cooling the GPU.
Those fans normally stay attached with screws or a molded mounting frame, so simply sticking the fan back onto the card may not hold. Make sure no broken plastic, loose screws, or missing spacer is allowing the fan to fall. If the fan cannot be firmly supported without touching the blades, it’s better not to use the GPU until the mounting hardware is replaced.
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