These fans remain active continuously without ever reducing speed.
These fans remain active continuously without ever reducing speed.
Hello, I own an Asus Strix GTX 1080 and the issue occurs whenever any load is applied to the card. The fans instantly switch from zero RPM to full speed in one second and maintain that speed even when the card is idle or the temperature reaches 30°C. Restarting the PC doesn’t stop them; only turning it off resolves the problem. I’ve confirmed the issue is isolated to the card itself and has happened on three different models. I removed the fans from the equation (a friend with a GTX 1070ti had similar problems, but his fans worked fine), and even swapped in 120mm PWM fans in the card slots—they function properly. It seems the fans aren’t receiving proper PWM signals, either fully on or completely off. I’ve searched online and found many reports about this, but most suggest the fans aren’t connected correctly or the PSU connection isn’t fully engaged. Since I’ve changed the GPU three times and checked fans on another board, this isn’t a software or driver issue. The behavior persists even after a fresh Windows installation.
It seems you have two choices. One involves removing the GPU and installing bigger fans, a method commonly used in the past. The other is to install new fans for the card and replace those that seem stuck in off or full-speed settings. MSI Afterburner offers manual fan control, so you might have tried that to see if it helps. If those fans responded similarly on three PCs, they might be nearing the end of their lifespan.
I mentioned the fans function perfectly well, so I tested them on an 1070ti. The fans from that model still operate at 100% capacity in the 1080 setting. As I previously noted, it’s likely a hardware problem—not software—since none of the programs, including MSI Afterburner, simply show zero RPM even when fans are running at full speed. I re-applied thermal paste twice and also replaced the thermal pads. The temperatures remain excellent thanks to the 100% fans; after running a full Unigine Superposition at 8k, the GPU stays at 55°C and the hotspot is around 67°C.
it likely stems from the fan control built into the card itself. you can disconnect the fans from the card, modify the wiring to a standard connector, and then connect it directly to the motherboard. use PWM signals and a fan curve for speed control. alternatively, you could use a de shroud with two larger fans connected to the motherboard. people are generally trying to assist. regarding the MSI issue, i was talking about their settings—specifically, they allow overriding the GPU fan curve if everything functions correctly, letting you define your own curve. it was just a suggestion to test for any control possibilities.
The idea of adjusting the three fans and connecting them to the standard four-pin PWM connector seems feasible. I'll check it out. The wire count is different, but the colors might make it easier. However, this would mean trimming the fan ends and revealing the wires... The alternative looks more practical, removing the RGB and plastic casing to just place a few Noctua fans on top. The GPU isn't heating much after applying the new paste, which should be fine. The MSI Afterburner custom curve doesn't help at all—it was the first thing I tried. No software seems to change fan speed once it reaches 100%.
My GTX 1080ti has fans connected in a daisy chain, and only the final connector is plugged into the board. I’m not sure if the colors were visible, but I think they were. The logo LED uses a separate two-pin connector. It’s been a while since I soldered it, and now the card is on my wife’s PC. It might be doable to detach the fan connector from the card and create a bridge to a standard fan cable extension without cutting anything. I could trim the connector from the extension cable and add a bit of solder so it functions like pins that fit into the GPU fan connector. The fan connector is female, while the card has a male socket. The fan cable should have a sleeve so you could possibly remove it and reveal the pins on the GPU side.