GPU fan stalling (M17X - new)

Just as the title says. I have a single 260 M. The CARD works fine, but the fan is seemingly faulty and stops running, (It didn't come back this time). Just web browsing or staring at the desktop brings the GPU temp up to 60 C without the fan. Is there an easy way to make the fan operate normally? Or am I going to have to go through DELL's warranty?

 

You are the third person I'm aware of that has had their M17x arrrive with a possibly faulty fan. Moo tried everything and couldn't get his running, he had to have AW ship him a new fan. Luckily his was the secondary fan though, so he was able to run/play games on the primary GPU. Also, his just wouldn't spin at all, it sounds like yours at least fires up.

I'm not sure what the fan speed settings are in the BIOS other then they hit max speed at 80C. What are the max temps you've gotten to? It doesn't necessarily seem to me that its faulty though, unless you reach about 100C.

 

Well remember, that even without a fan, it still has a huge copper heatsink strapped to it. But mine isnt firing up any more, its just not moving. As for temps, Ive seen it rise over 70 C without Playing anything. While it was working, I played a series of games for 7 hours and the temp peaked at 68 C

Highest Ive ever seen it before the fan died is 72 C.

I noticed the fan was dead when, after some simple you-tubing, it was at 77 C

About the 100 C thought, I havent been brave enough to start a game without the fan, so in that light, it very well could reach those temps.

 

You could open it up and reseat the fan connector. If you don't want to mess with it, just call Dell Support. If it were me, I'd call them and get the Service Dispatch moving - let them deal with it.

If you do decide to open it up, reference the service manual on instructions to get at the fans.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/M17x/en/M17x_Service_Manual_EN.zip

 

I already removed the fan once and played with it. Afterward it worked again for about 12 hours and died.

(remember I have an after market CPU so Ive been inside this thing)

Thats still a good link though... was wondering where that was.

 

Just curious.. (your story is indeed true, except Didn't Moo only have one 260m card?) Does it still have a secondary GPU fan?

 

From what I saw in his GPU/CPU swap vids, he had single GPU, most likely 260, since I know at least in the US, single 280 isnt an option. (It should be, I would have gotten that option myself.) Im pretty sure my fix will just be a new fan.

Shouldn't really matter if there were one or 2 GPUs in his rig, its still a faulty fan.

 

Ahh...well then he was using his integrated while waiting for the fan then.

If you order with one GPU, you only get the one fat/Heat sink. If you upgrade later, you'll have to get the GPU, Fan, Heatsink, and SLI Cable.

 

Thats very possible. The integrated chip is very good by itself (among laptop standards.) Always riding in style with this machine, huh?

That is a good thought actually...the main game I play is from 2004, so even a 9400 would breeze through it. Ill go switch those two now. ( I usually leave the 9400 disabled)

 

You have the warranty coverage, just call them up and request that a replacement fan be sent out. They shouldn't have an issue with sending it out and it should arrive the next day as long as you call in the morning. Don't put it off.

 

Oh my god.... I feel so immensely stupid now.
Went to BIOS and saw this:

Hybrid : off
Integrated : ON

Discrete : ON

The 260 went to sleep. All my readings were from the 9400. My fan is spinning happily now that I disabled the integrated (like it should be)

Sorry bout the hassle y'all, and thanks anyway for the help. (In a strange way, mentioning that Moo switched to integrated while waiting for a fan ended up solving my problem!)

Apparently I thought the fan went for twelve hours due to a running 260 because I checked it out AS the machine booted (before the OS cut off the 260)

I feel kinda like the Alienware just pulled a nasty prank on me. ("LOL"! Stupid human thought his fan broke! HA! HAHAHA!")

 

Sounds like M17x can be pretty tricky to deal with sometimes.....

 

A little... but not enough to call it a drawback in my opinion. The settings that make it tricky (if that) are nearly always part of a set of useful options that another laptop wouldn't give you in the first place.

BTW dont give up on it (I see the "dead unit" in the sig) This machine is completely worth it.

>loving that avatar of yours.

 

lolz I'm no Spartan , but that's exactly my pose right now.... pulling my hair over the defective unit.

The "new" M15x announced today (through the teaser) doesn't exactly make me feel any better. My only issue with M17x is the size.... and if the new M15x proves to be as awesome as the M17x.... sighz..... refund refund

 

That link points to the older version, which could never stand up to the M17X. Is there a different, new M15X? Id like to read about that.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=392987

 

Sounds cool... I actually wanted 17" though, so I've no problem

 

I was another with a DOA fan on arrival, support walked me through disassembly to confirm that the fan was propperly plugged in (a job greatly simplified by Moo's staep by step video, I actually had to correct the tech on a couple points, evidently Moo's video was more explicit than their service manual...). Once they determined the fan was indeed DOA, they ordered me up another... it arrived within a few days, and I eventually installed it myself.

All has been trouble free ever since. I do like the machine far more than my previous early model M15x that was nothing more than an oven (I resorted to undervolting to survive the GPU / CPU cooking ...). The M17x just feels so much more solid than any other notebook I have used (including MacBook Pro's), fast and good looking ... my 12yr old daughter was even amused playing around with the Alienware FX with the multizone keyboard lighting.. she came up with a stunning, and oddly pleasing color combo....

All in all, the most satisfying notebook purchase I have ever made (.. and I have likely owned more than 25 laptops in the past 20 years...everything from an 8086 IBM PC convertible, to macbook 150's, Duo230's, all the way through current gen MacBook Pro's and my current M17x and Sony Vaio 691z).

The M17x seems a keeper . . .

 

AN 8086!!!! I bet if you still had it, some collector would pay through the teeth for it.

But I agree. Though my laptop ownership is only 3, and Ive only experience with maybe 10, (including a VIAO with a similar price tag) this machine is somethin' else!

 

:O
If so, I think my fan is dead!
I tried testin my single GTX260M's stability with FurMark. And I actually reached 102C within 3-5 minutes!

But what makes me wonder. It doesn't get louder like it when I first bought it. It used to get soo noisy when it reaches 60C and stays on that temp. Now, it doesn't even get any louder. I think its from the driver or Windows 7. Cause IT DOES get louder and works fine when I flashed to A02.

 

yea your fan isn't working

look under the bottom and see if its spinning

 

Yeah. It is spinning. And I can hear it spinning with a weird sound too. It had dust on it. Cleaned it. And still.

 

mine did it as well

a reinstall and / or a BIOS flash fixed it

 

If so. I'mma try to uninstall it. Do a proper clean for it. Install back. And reflash BIOS to A02.

If didn't work. Movin back to Vista and try stock 179 drivers.

 

I msyelf have both fans replaced because the secondary fan started to produce alarming mechanical noise during gameplay. I suspect that Alienware did something important in BIOS A02, as the problem started with A01 and the fan just going in kanda like 'overspeed'. After replacement, the new fan of the secondary GPU wouldn't spin up, even with the power connector correctly fit. A quick test with the secondary fan on the primary GPU and back to the secondary miraculously resolved the issue. We started the computer with the belly open and sometimes the fans actually shut down for a short period of time. I don't suspect the video drivers to be the issue, as my problems started with 179.x drivers adn BIOS A01. After flash A02, the problem was even less noticeable. Let the fan be replaced. If you want to start opening the laptop yourself. A tip, remove the little panel with the alien head and touch strip by starting at the hinges (iso to the right like in Moo's video). The tech guy did it this way and seemed easier than in Moo's video. Hope it get's solved quickly

 

my 9400M is also running at 60C....

Here are my readings:

TZ00 - 43c
core 0 - 35c
core 1 -32c


Is this bad?

Thanks

 

Its fairly normal for the integrated chip to run a bit hotter. Mine always does and its fine.

Just realized something..... Wheres the option for a single 280 M GPU?

 

Is there a way i can change the bios so that my fans turn on when my 9400 goes over say 50C?

 

No the fan activity is totally locked up in there and no one has figured out away to change it .

The fans though with the A02 bios are so agressive now its not even funny . My M17x sounds like a Vacum cleaner when all 3 fans are spinning and boy is it loud lol . i can hear it through my headphones when they ramp up
.

 

I read that entire manual. that is intense. I kinda liked the m1730's dual gpu's being a single object rather than having a flimsy sli cable running between the computer... but it's nice to have them divided up so there isn't a huge amount of hotness in one part of the laptop.

 

Cant say its A02's fault. I have A02 bios and my machine is dam near silent. Stock GPU drivers, too. (though I admittedly have 1 discrete GPU not 2.

 

I had basicly the same issue JeffAW. But one gpu was hitting 108 and the other 90+. I switch them Now they are around 102c and 96c. But have the older m17x With the 9800gt and did not notice the error untel a Month ago with drivers. Getting both heatsink fan replaced.

 

Really...except on start-up, I don't hear my fans at all. But then again I haven't done much gaming.

 

Well wait till you fire up some games that demand the GPU power and it gets a tad noisy .