Hey everyone, I built my PC about two years ago and it was running perfectly until recently. Just a few hours ago while gaming, everything was smooth until I noticed my CPU fan started sputtering. It wouldn't spin consistently and eventually cut out completely. The PC is mostly clean with no spills and all drivers are up-to-date, except for the BIOS which I've been procrastinating on. Right now, the fan is completely still. My CPU temperature is only 30°C since my room is quite cold, but the CPU usage is fluctuating heavily from 8% to as high as 60% with just Steam and Discord open. I'm wondering if there's more to this than just the fan? For reference, my setup includes an Intel i5-13600K, Noctua cooling, and all the usual components. Any thoughts?
2 Answers
It sounds like you're dealing with a CPU cooler fan issue rather than the CPU itself. If the cooler isn’t operating, it’s pretty hard for that CPU temp to be accurate—definitely worth checking out! I'd recommend getting that fan replaced as a first step.
Fans do fail, it’s pretty common. Replacing it is usually the easiest route if you’re not comfortable doing it yourself. Keep an eye on the CPU usage as it could be related if the fan isn’t cooling it properly.
I appreciate the advice! I’ll definitely monitor the CPU performance after the fan replacement. Hoping it solves the problems.
Thanks for the insight! It seems like a straightforward fix, and I’m already planning on taking it to a shop tomorrow.