How to fix a rattling PC fan

My GPU fan has been rattling something shocking. I knew it was the GPU fan because if I put my finger on it and momentarily stopped the fan, the rattle went away. Even a good going over with the air-duster didn’t help. So what to do?

  • Replace the GPU? This box is old, would struggle to find a new one I think.
    Replace the fan? Not sure how easy that is.
    Replace the bearing? See above.
    Lubricate? Using something silicon safe could work, if I can gain access.
    Blu-Tack? Yeah…

For this fix you need:

  1. lump Blu-Tack (or some other, non-conducting, sticky goop)
  2. probe (thin, sturdy pen will work fine)

Take your probe and whilst the fan is running, touch every part of the case which isn’t the problem component and that won’t give you a shock. When the rattling stops, congratulations; you’ve found the piece vibrating in harmony. Now take Blu-Tack and ram it into place, using the probe to pack it in good and proper.

The rattle should be gone and if not, keep going to identify more parts vibrating in harmony.

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