Noctua nf-p14 not starting

[stuplarosa]

I have a Noctua nf-p14 case fan. My motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3P. The fan is connected to the SYS_FAN1 header.

Sometimes when I power up the machine, the fan doesn't start. If I give it a little bump, it goes.

Any idea what the problem could be?

Thanks,
mike.

[zburns]

If your description of how the problem shows itself is always the case, this would indicate something mechanical inside the fan causing it not to rotate. The "bump" you refer to jars the fan enough to overcome the resistance to starting.

If your computer is relatively new, I would try replacing the fan under your warranty. If the fan runs, then stops on its own, and a "bump" restarts it, then there is a poor electrical connection at the fan. The fan header elec connection does not enter into the problem, unless you can also "wiggle" that connection and cause it to start.

[zburns]

If this is a fan that you added to your case, there is the possibility that in the mounting process, you allowed "a slight stress" to the fan structure to occur as the mounting screws were tightened down. Loosen the mounting up and retighten the mounting screws slowly. Try to test or check the fan frame to see that it has some "looseness" just before you tighten it up.

Also, the surface the fan mounts to must be a "flat plane". If the mounting surface has even a slight warp to it, the fan housing will "assume" the same warp, and this could definitely be your problem.

Hopefully, you can sight over the flat plane surface to which the fan attaches. If you can sight over the flat mounting plane on your case, you can tell if it is flat or not.

Another trick, take the fan and lay it on a surface or different surfaces you think or know are flat. If the fan "lays" flat and there is no wobble with the fan on a flat surface, then you know the fan mounting surface is not warped.

Gently, lay the fan against the case mounting surface. If the case mounting surface is flat, and the fan mounting surface is flat, you should be able to actually see this as well as "feel" it as you hold the fan against the case mounting surface.

When the fan is designed and manufactured, there is a basic assumption that the fan frame will mount against a flat surface.

[zburns]

Another suggestion along the same lines mentioned above. Just loosen the mounting screws slightly, so that when you grip the fan housing while it is still on the case, you can feel that the fan housing has some "looseness" to it.

Now use it that way for a period of time and see if the problem disappears. If this works with fan loose, a "warp" of some kind is the problem. If it does not work, probably a defect in the fan or loose elec connection as already discussed.