PC fans begin operating late, leading to shutdowns when the system boots.
PC fans begin operating late, leading to shutdowns when the system boots.
The issue begins when I power on my PC each morning; everything functions smoothly right away. The fans begin to spin promptly, and the system boots without any issues. But if I need to restart or shut down after a while, or if I wait a bit longer before trying to start it again, the fans connected to the motherboard start up 5 to 8 seconds behind schedule. This delay leads me to think the CPU might be overheating, which causes the PC to power off after roughly 10 to 15 seconds.
Occasionally, after waiting a while, the PC will start even though the fans haven’t begun immediately. I suspect this happens because it has cooled enough to boot without triggering the shutdown. I checked for loose cables but found none. I also adjusted the BIOS settings to set the fans to maximum speed, yet the problem continued.
I removed the RAM and tried installing some older modules. The PC still wouldn’t boot properly—either it didn’t power on at all or emitted a beep, but the fans spun up instantly. After reinstalling the new RAM, it worked again, but the same delay occurred with the fans and shutdown.
I replaced the CMOS battery, which was over five years old, and reset the BIOS settings, but the issue persisted. I’m unsure if the fans are the main cause, though overheating seems likely since the PC operates after being off for a while.
Additionally, I unplugged the power cord to fully discharge the PSU, yet the problem remained. The crashes started suddenly, with the first sign being a failure at the Windows login screen. Since then, the PC has only shut down during booting and never while in use. Once inside Windows, it works fine.
I’m unsure what else to try and prefer not to buy new parts impulsively. Thank you for any advice! Feel free to ask if you have more questions. I’m ready to share further details if needed.
The CPU cooler is an ARCTIC Freezer 33 eSports ONE equipped with an extra fan on the opposite side, built using wire. The fans didn't start initially, and the case fan linked to the motherboard also took time to activate. It has functioned properly since 2018. The fans are managed via the BIOS, probably through a temperature sensor, though even at maximum speed they still lag by 5-10 seconds. However, during the first boot of the day it works fine!
10s would not suffice to prevent the CPU cooler from overheating, provided it is installed correctly.
Consider changing the thermal paste.
What is the BIOS version of your board?
You might want to upgrade the BIOS to the most recent release (excluding BETA).
Check the BIOS update instructions.
Updating BIOS could involve several steps based on your existing BIOS version.
Recently, I changed the thermal paste because it had degraded. There might still be some left if CPU overheating is the real issue. This could account for why the PC needs to cool down before it can start up again, though it doesn’t explain why the fans only work properly on the first boot of the day.
I would go back to the most recent non-beta release, if that's achievable.
Sorry for the delayed reply. I wasn’t really able to think about this because I had to work. I’m not sure if downgrading my BIOS is an option. Also, I’m uncertain whether it would actually make a difference, since I’ve been using the previous Beta version for about a year without any issues.
Additionally, I’d like to mention that while playing Escape from Tarkov, I’ve encountered blue screens after more than two hours of playtime. After those, my PC wouldn’t function properly until the next day. I’m not sure how to interpret the error messages, but if this could help, I’d be happy to investigate further and share my findings here.