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I am having issue with a graphics card that uses silent (passive) cooling until it hits a certain temperature. I can manipulate the card fan usage in windows but I primarily use linux and I as of yet have found a program that will allow me to manipulate the settings or even post temperature data in a way a program like lm_sensors could detect.

I say all this to stage for my question. Looking at a secondary hardware option to this solutiom in the form of a expansion slot fan.

If I install a fan of the type could this possibly damage my graphics card built in fans somehow?

Like could a steady stream of air blowing from one set of fans onto another set of integrated fans possibly damage th e integrates fans by turning them without the motor running via the airflow going towards the card like if you spray a fan with compressed air to clean it?

I have 3 expansion slots available before the card and I was thinking about putting the expansion slot fan at the second slot from the gpu. E.g. Empty, expansion card fan, empty. Gpu with fans..

Would this solution cause issues on a mechanical physical level?

Zeno of Elea
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  • it would depend on your expansion slot fan (force, design, direction) but usually it shouldn't. – Seth Jan 19 '17 at 06:53

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I'd expect that there is no problem with that arrangement. I have an nVidia GeForce 8500 GT with an inbuilt fan and have been running a slot fan on it since 2006 without any complications. In fact, that's the only part of my dinosaur that's not having problems. I don't know if my GPU fan is temp controlled or not, but I'd think that any problem from excess air flow would be when both are running, but trying to create different flow rates, rather than when one was able to freewheel.

Chindraba
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  • The idea I had behind it was get a slot fan with two 70mm or 80mm depending on which product I go with that would draw air from the front and push it out its back with the hope the air would wash over the graphics card when the fans were off helping cool it and having no damaging effects on the built in fan. Most slot fans I have found seem to have a max out speed of 2000 rpm while the built in fans have a gradient from 0 to 4000 rpm. – Zeno of Elea Jan 19 '17 at 19:42
  • If you're very worried about it, get an exhaust model instead. Just as easy to find, should be comparable prices, and then no concerns about the mismatched airflow, and it's helping to cool the whole case by exhausting heat, the GPU being closest gets the most benefit, of course. I don't think any fan designed to be in a computer case should be sensitive to airflow in the range that other PC fans operate. How can you be certain that ALL the fans in the case have the same airflow - especially when some are variable speed! And what about turbulence around components affecting airflow? – Chindraba Jan 19 '17 at 20:21