Take off a GPU fan?

One of my GPU (GTX 960) fans is loose, so as it spins it hits the heatsink and makes a ton of noise. I checked and it’s not damaging anything (yet) but I was wondering if it would be ok to just take it off or should I get a replacement?

only way to tell how the thermals without the fan will be is to disconnect it and watch them. If they get unsafe just stop the test and shut it down. replacing gpu fans isn’t particularly expensive or difficult, though, replacement models usually run about 10 bucks in the usual places.

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Try checking if it is due to a loose screw. Or if some of the plastic is cracked some cyanoacrylate may provide a cheap fix. Otherwise, I would recommend a replacement fan.

9/10 times, you’ll want to replace it. Most GPUs are on the edge of overheating as it is at full power.

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My current 290x (Peeps are not mine… they are @GigaBusterEXE)

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I tried doing something like that using a stock intel cooler’s fan, but I found that the thermals were worse than with the stock fan

You can buy replacement fans on eBay just search your GPU model exactly and make sure it’s the right fan
You need to have fans on your GPU even if your temps seem fine because you need to cool down your VRMs which don’t always have a temp sensor