Intel stock CPU cooler very lound grinding sound on bootup, also fan stops / starts spinning

[trevonn45]

Issue has been on and off for a few months now, however recently gotten a lot more frequent. Whenever I try boot my computer up the cpu cooler fan will make a very loud grinding sound, and if left long enough the fan will stop and start spinning. I have ensured the fans and heatsink are cleaned and no wires are in the way. Issue is very inconsistent as sometimes my pc will boot up no problem and run games fine for hours without the cpu cooler having any issues. I have looked up solutions but no one else seems to have these problems.I have had this cpu cooler on my i5-6600k for around 3 years at this point. Open to any solutions, thanks in advance.

Edit: my case is a Thermaltake H15 versa

 

[Bill_Bright]

Fans have bearings and all bearings will fail - eventually. You just were unfortunate and yours failed sooner than average. You can replace the fan or the entire cooler. Your choice.

You say "around 3 years". Verify the date. It might still be under warranty which is typically 3 years. I hope you didn't let it expire while this problem has been going on for a few months.

At this point there is no way to tell if one of the bearings had a factory defect, or the channels the bearings roll in were defective, or the lubricant was incorrectly applied at the factory, or the seal was flawed letting lubricant leak our, or letting contaminates in. It does not really matter. Once bearings wear out, they cannot be repaired.

Should you decide to replace the entire cooler, you need to look at your case to make sure it will support the cooler. Some slim cases will not support tall coolers, like the excellent and affordable CM 212 Evo.

And remember, if you pull the cooler, you MUST thoroughly clean the old TIM (thermal interface material) off the CPU and then apply a fresh new layer when mounting the new cooler. Do NOT remove the CPU from the socket. And make sure you unplug the power supply from the wall and touch bare metal of the case interior to discharge any static in your body BEFORE reaching in.

 

[trevonn45]

Thank you very much for the reply, unfortunately my case is rather small and so I probably won't be able to fit a tall cooler, I am thinking of instead replacing with an "ARCTIC alpine 12", my stock cooler did the job nicely so rest assure this should be good enough for the job. I also really appreciate the advice, will definitely ensure I follow it when replacing my cooler at some point. Once again, thank you very much for the amazing reply

 

[EarthDog]

Solution... get another CPU cooler. It is likely the fan is going bad. Be sure to clean the paste off the CPU and reapply new. Though CPUs have protections built in, I wouldn't run it on that bad heatsink.

As far as suggestions for coolers.. tough to tell you since we have no idea your case size or budget. But yeah, trash it and get another cooler.

 

[trevonn45]

Thanks for the reply, will be sure to purchase a new CPU cooler. As for my case, I have a Thermaltake H15 versa, my bad for not stating before, it is definitely not the biggest but I think I will settle for an ARCTIC alpine 12 cooler, not the greatest but my stock cooler held up well so surely this should be good enough.

 

[John Naylor]

Very hard to make recommendations w/o knowing the spcs. Wgat cooler you buy very much depends on what CPU you have. Aside from getting the right hardware to match your socet, the ability yo overclock w/ an aftermarket cooler allows for perfpormance increases. If it's just games, then it might not be that much compared to applications where it can be very significant.

Your PC case has a CPU cooler height limitation 155mm .... As most folks don't use the stock cooler, a poll of your friends and family should come up with a few witha replacement laying in a draw .... alternately .... you could just take the fan off theirs and put on your, saving you a fair amount of time and effort. Here's one for a buck amd a complete cooler for $2 ... make sure you get for correct socket.

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However, provided you have a CPU that makes it worthwhile, if you are going to invest the T & E in ordering, unboxing, taking old cooler off, cleaning the CPU, installing new CPU .... and considering the differences in performnce and noise ... a $35 Hyper 212 or a even an extra $15 or $20 is not that significant.

With a decent CPU, my 1st option would be the Scuthe Fuma usually goes for about $55.

a) Its cools your CPU 11C better than the Hyper 212
b) and it is 3 dbA quieter

In short .....

a) Your easiest and most cost effective option is a rep'acement fan costing you between nothing and a dollar.
b) Your best option from a performance and noise option would be a Fuma 2 ... if you had a CPU that would make a difference.

My guess is though, if the CPU could benefit, you'd have put it in the OP ... therefore Option a) I would think is your best bet