Intel® Arc™ Graphics GPU Fan Intermittently Drops to 0% RPM or Ramps Up and Down

Users with Intel® Arc™ Graphics cards may experience one or more of the following:

• GPU fans briefly drop to 0% RPM intermittently while the system is under load or idle
• Fan speed oscillates or ramps up and down repeatedly in a cyclical pattern
• Fan behavior persists even after setting a custom fan curve in Intel® Graphics Software
• Fan noise is louder or more erratic than expected
• The issue may occur at rest or during gaming, and across multiple driver versions

These symptoms have been reported on Intel® Arc™ A310, A750, A770, and B580 Graphics across Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Understanding the Behavior — Expected by Design

Intel engineers have confirmed that intermittent brief fan speed drops when using a custom fan curve are expected behavior on Intel® Arc™ Graphics cards.

When a custom fan curve is configured with the first one or two control points set to a low value (e.g., 30%), the fan controller may briefly interpolate between curve points and dip to 0% RPM before ramping back up to the target speed. This is part of how the fan curve interpolation logic works and does not indicate a hardware defect or driver issue.

If your card's fans are briefly dropping to 0% RPM and then recovering, and your GPU temperatures remain within normal operating range, no action is required — this is working as intended.

Step 1 — Verify GPU Temperatures Are Normal

Before troubleshooting fan behavior, confirm your GPU is not overheating:

1. Open Intel® Graphics Software.
2. Go to the Performance tab → Telemetry.
3. Monitor GPU Temperature during idle and under load.

Normal operating ranges:

• Idle: 30–50°C
• Under load: up to 85°C

If temperatures are within these ranges and the fan briefly drops to 0% RPM before recovering, the behavior is expected. If temperatures exceed 90°C consistently, proceed with the steps below.

Step 2 — Adjust Your Custom Fan Curve (Recommended Workaround)

If the brief fan drops are audibly disruptive or you prefer more consistent fan behavior, adjusting the fan curve can reduce or eliminate the oscillation:

1. Open Intel® Graphics Software.
2. Go to the Performance tab → Fan.
3. In your custom fan curve, raise the first two control points from 0% or low values to a minimum of 30–40%.
4. Ensure there are no large gaps between adjacent control points — smooth, gradual curves reduce oscillation.
5. Click Apply and monitor fan behavior.

Setting a higher minimum fan speed prevents the controller from interpolating down to 0% RPM between curve points.

Step 3 — Acer Predator Bifrost Cards Only

If you own an Acer Predator Bifrost Intel® Arc™ card (e.g., Predator BiFrost A770 OC), fan oscillation may be caused by conflicting fan speed settings between the Bifrost app and Intel® Graphics Software.

When the Bifrost app is set to one value (e.g., 20%) and Intel® Graphics Software is set to a different value (e.g., 30%), the two applications compete for fan control, causing the fan to oscillate between the two targets.

To resolve:

1. Decide which application you want to use for fan control — either the Bifrost app or Intel® Graphics Software — and use only one.
2. If using Intel® Graphics Software, close or disable fan control in the Bifrost app.
3. If using the Bifrost app, set Intel® Graphics Software fan control to Auto or Default.
4. Alternatively, if using both apps, match the fan speed values exactly in both applications to eliminate the conflict.

After making changes, restart your system and monitor fan behavior.

Step 4 — Sparkle Intel® Arc™ Cards Only

If you own a Sparkle Intel® Arc™ card (e.g., Sparkle Arc A310 ECO, Sparkle ORC OC A750, Sparkle Titan Arc), persistent fan noise, unstable RPM, or fan oscillation that does not improve after adjusting the fan curve in Intel® Graphics Software is likely related to Sparkle's custom fan hardware and firmware implementation, which operates independently of Intel's driver fan control stack.

Intel® Graphics Software fan curve settings may have limited effect on Sparkle cards due to their proprietary fan controller design.

To resolve:

• Contact Sparkle Technology directly for firmware updates or hardware-specific fan control support:
  • 🌐 https://www.sparkle.com.tw/en/contact
• Check Sparkle's support page for any available firmware updates for your specific card model that address fan behavior.

Step 5 — Update Your Intel® Graphics Driver

Ensure you are running the latest Intel® Arc™ & Iris® Xe Graphics driver, as fan control improvements are periodically included in driver updates:

1. Open Intel® Graphics Software and check for updates under Settings → Driver & Software.
2. Alternatively, download the latest driver directly from the Intel® Download Center.
3. Install using the Custom Installation option and select "Perform a clean install."

Step 6 — If the Issue Persists

If fan behavior remains abnormal after all steps above — particularly if fans are completely stopped while GPU temperatures are high, or if the card is making grinding or unusual mechanical noises — the issue may be hardware-related.

• Contact Intel Customer Support to open a case: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/contact-support.html
• If your card is an OEM/AIB design (Acer, Sparkle, ASRock, etc.), also contact the card manufacturer directly, as fan hardware warranty and replacement is handled by the AIB partner.