Alienware R10 Front Fan Replacement Not Working

Question

Hello everyone,

I recently had an issue with my Alienware R10's front fan, which broke. One of the fins had broken. After researching recommendations on this forum, Reddit, and some YouTube channels, I ordered a replacement fan. However, after installing it, the new fan doesn't seem to turn on.

Original Fan Specifications:

Brand/Model: Dell's original fan (AVC Model DATA1225B2G)
Connection Type: 4 PIN
RPM: I don't know the RPM, it wasn't specified anywhere unfortunately, but some websites say the range is from 600-4300 RPM

Replacement Fan Specifications:

Brand/Model: Noctua NF-F12 PWN 120mm Premium Fan
Connection Type: 4 pin
RPM (if known): 1500 RPM

Steps I've Taken:

Double-checked the fan connections to ensure they're secure.
The old fan spins when connected and the CPU fan also spins on the same port, but the new fan doesn't spin.

The rest of the PC seems to be working fine; it's just the front fan that isn't turning on.

Has anyone faced a similar issue? Could there be compatibility issues with this particular fan and the R10, or might I be missing a step in the installation process? Any guidance or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

JOcean · Answer

It is possible that the new fan is defective. If you have a 9V battery you can connect it to the + and - terminals on the fan to make sure it starts. It is also possible that the wiring to the new fan plug is not the same as the old one. Are you seeing any error indicating a fan problem? Also run diagnostics, F12 immediately at boot, and watch for any fan errors. Of course it could also be a compatibility problem with the R10 system.

(edited)

Vanadiel · Answer

Recommended replacement fan for R10 is NF-A12x25. The NF-F12 might not work properly. Does it throw an error code when turning on the PC?

ProfessorW00d · Answer

Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM is indeed the fan of choice for the R10, but even the NF-F12 should at least spin on power up . . . may throw the startup diagnostic error. Test the fan on another 4-pin motherboard header and if no go, send it back for an NF-A12x25 PWM replacement.

DarkPhoenix2862 · Answer

@JOcean​ I have not tried to check the fan error codes. I will check the F12 diagnostic option and check the error codes. Thank you so much for the recommendation.

DarkPhoenix2862 · Answer

@Vanadiel​, thank you so much for your response. NF-F12 is the one that I have at the moment, after I run the fan and check for errors, I will try the NF-A12x25 one. Also, let you guys you know what the error is. Thank you again for your help and suggestions.

DarkPhoenix2862 · Answer

@ProfessorW00d​ It doesn't start or has any lights on or spin. But, the same pin if I use the CPU fan does work. Is the pin configuration for the Noctua fans the same as the pin for the standard AVC fans that the R10 uses?

JOcean · Answer

@DarkPhoenix2862​ I am starting to believe it is a defective fan. I had a new one a few months ago and did not work right out of the box. I tried the 9V battery test and sure enough nothing which confirmed my suspicions.

DarkPhoenix2862 · Answer

So, I see you have suggested NF-A12x25 one, the RPM is 2000 for that one. There is another Noctua fan that has a considerably higher RPM which is 3000. Will it fair better/worse to the NF-A12x25?

Here is the link for the new fan

https://noctua.at/en/nf-f12-industrialppc-3000-pwm

and this is for the NF-A12x25

https://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-a12x25-pwm/specification

If anyone has experience with both fans, it would be great if you can share your insights.

Vanadiel · Answer

NF-A12x25 PWM is known to work without throwing start-up error codes. Others might work, or not.

ProfessorW00d · Answer

The Noctua Industrial 3000 rpm fan is indeed 'industrial' and comes screaming in @ 43.5 dBA . . . which is LOUD compared to the 22.6 dBA for the NF-A12x25 PWM. Remember the Decibel is a log scale, so the 43.5 dBA is 123 times as loud as 22.6 dBA.   10^4.35  vs.  10^2.26

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Alienware R10 Front Fan Replacement Not Working

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