Possible to remove/replace/disable the GPU in V6J to get fan to turn off?

Hi--

I don't know much about hardware installs, so please excuse if this is a stupid question.

I'd love to figure out some way to get the fan to turn off on my V6J when the computer is mostly idle. From reading around in these forums, it sounds like many people feel the main reason why it kicks on so often is because of the dedicated graphics card in the unit (nvidia geoforce 7400). For my needs, the graphics card is not important.

Not sure if the bit about the fan's zealousness being connected to the GPU is actually true. But if it is, I'm wondering if there's some way of taking the card out or "turning it off" somehow. Again, sorry if this sounds dumb, but I'm not sure whether there is the Intel-integrated graphics 950 sitting there on board as well, as part of the Centrino package? If so could I activate it and deactivate the nvidia card somehow?

I've tried disabling the card's driver in Windows, which did cause the graphics performance to degrade massively, but that didn't affect the fan at all. Which makes me think that this whole line of reasoning is probably just a dead end, unless the GPU was still running and getting power and all (?).

I know the fan comes on early for a reason (to protect the computer), but I really feel that it could run a bit hotter without damaging anything. There are lots of similarly-equipped machines that run way hotter without causing harm. I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of the computer's longevity to get a machine that is mostly silent.

Another question: Is it possible to get a souped-up fan somewhere, perhaps one that either is quieter or somehow does a better job of cooling at a given power level? Maybe I could put that into the machine so that the fan wasn't as intrusive.

Basically the deal is that I love my V6J, but the fan drives me crazy. I don't mind voiding my warranty if there is a solution out there. I know that many people think the fan is fine on this machine. It's a subjective thing, I know, and it depends on where you use it--quiet rooms, etc.

Thanks. Sorry for the long post.

 

You could try underclocking the graphics card then I'm sure there is some software out there where you could disable the fan on your graphics card. If you can't find software then you might have to underclock then open the notebook up and disconnect the fan.

 

You cannot disable the gpu...you need that to run the screen! And if anything you would be better off upgrading to the latest gpu drivers, these should have better powersaving protocols. I'm not that familiar with Nvidia gpus, been using ati for awhile, but perhaps you should try using a different power4gear setting. If you have that set to max performance then both your cpu and gpu will be running full tilt. I would suggest the game profile or less, this will enable scaling of both cpu and gpu to your needs, with little effect on overall performance.
If this doesnt work then try underclocking your gpu.
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Disconnect the fan and burn your graphics! niiiiice

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try the Game profile for a while. I've always used Quiet Office, never High or Super performance, but I'll try Game to see if it helps at all.

I am using the latest nVidia drivers, and I have them set to their lowest performance settings.

It seems that this thing is hard-coded at the BIOS level to turn on the fan on at (what seems to me) a relatively low temp. This is probably a good thing on many levels, and it wouldn't bother me so much if the fan wasn't a bit loud and placed in a spot where your ears pick it up easily. Seems like a lot of notebooks have the fan in the back, which I think would be better in terms of noise... but that's not possible in this notebook due to the cool screen hinge design. Oh well!

 

Game is probably not the setting you want. I find that Quiet Office is best when I want my V6j to run cool. There is an option in the nVidia driver that will allow you to throttle the card down, its under their powermizer settings. That should help it run a little cooler. Otherwise, if I remember correctly, the fan is probably running because of other parts. You hvae to consider how thin this computer is, and that the RAM, Wireless, Graphics, and Processor are all in one small area, that produces a decent amount of heat. I find it hard to believe the fan is that loud. I will admit that I am uaually listening to music when I have my computer around, but even when I am at work in a quiet office, I can't hear the fan, or if I am in a lecture at school, I can't hear it. Maybe I am deaf, but it just never has been a problem on my V6j.

 

Yeap Game mode was just the highest performance setting that allows dynamic switching. I would stick to office settings for quieter/cooler running....then do as caleb said and throttle the gpu card down...the only other options are to try out different bios releases....in general most bios updates change the fan behaviour of the laptop, there is no way currently to modify this directly thru the bios in ASUS notebooks.
So you could try a few different bios releases to find one that you like.
a

 

Double post by a mod?! What is this... j/k

 

I had to write that one down on my calendar. Quite a rare event, especially when there is no edit to explain what happened. Wow.

 

Underclock and undervolt your CPU. but honestly the V6J isnt loud i found the v6va quiet under normal loud. Theres really not much you can do.

 

Re double post....
oops, well thats what happens when you use safari !
Got frustrated with clicks not taking...must have clicked twice
and thanks for the kind words..lol
a

 

The v6j is silent in my book and as far as i recal it has one fan in it. Why o why would you even want to do this?

 

I'm a new owner of the V6J. The fan on the V6J is NOT quiet. I'm at it right now and it is loud, Loud, LOUD and NEVER turns off. I guess if you are a "Gamer" and use a PC with Headphones/Speakers and only play games the fan is not an issue. If you bought the V6J for Business use - the fan is an irritant worth thinking about before you buy this laptop.

 

Thats just nutty. I had to open one of them up just to make sure i am not nuts. I had to lock my self in the bathroom in the back where you can hear a roach crawling just so i can even hear the fan becuase all ambient noise drowns it out. Pretty weird!!!

Sorry this is the first time i heard of this. First time on this forum anyways. May want to check if the laptop is idle like you say.

 

I wish I received your V6J in my box! I have tried several power settings to no avail. The fan in my machine WILL NOT STOP! It is very irritating and had I known prior to purchase.I most likely would not have bought this laptop.

I'd really like to know how your V6J is running quietly...to me that is just nutty!

 

I had a v6va which is pretty much the same and it was quiet.. I would suggest not using Power4gear as it likes to run the machine at full speed when plugged in.use NHC and ust dynamic switching. because That laptop really is not loud.

 

To be perfectly honest i think you are just extremely sensetive. If you think the v6j is loud you may have hell of a hard time finding a better solution in the same class. My v6j is the same v6j we ship to customers. They are all the same. I ve played with a few and they are all the same. Not sure what the problem is with yours but i doubt there is any

 

"I had to open one of them up just to make sure i am not nuts. I had to lock my self in the bathroom in the back where you can hear a roach crawling just so i can even hear the fan becuase all ambient noise drowns it out. Pretty weird!!!"

I'm not so extremely sensitive to go as far as locking myself in the bathroom and comparing the fan to cockroaches crawling. Now you go from as silent as a crawling cockroach to hard time finding a better solution in the same class. I don't want to get into a p'ing contest, but don't want potential buyers to read these posts and assume they are buying a quiet laptop. The fan makes noise, noise that is noticeable and noise that requires tweaking settings to help reduce.

 

SRD - I installed NHC and enabled dynamic switching but the fan wants to keep running. I will restart and see if there is a difference. Thanks for the advice, I hope to at least get the fan to stop running constantly - I'm only using Office Apps and the Internet?

 

I disagree, all feedback states exactly what i said. I dont go out on a limb and say the fans are silent when they are not. The v6j has comparable noise of s96j. Silent can only be a fanless system. Some fans can be marketed as silent if they fall below a certain decibel reading. This notebook for its class can definitely be marketed as that. Hopefully they will continue to reuse the current fans and not switch up. I see nothing wrong with them. If you cant deal with it then i am sorry but i have to say you are very sensetive. Sorry.

 

You will notice when you unplug from ac the fan should turn off or get really low. but if you are only using office apps. You might want to lock the speed to 800mhz whatever the lowest setting of a core duo is. You wont notice the speed difference with office or internet, And the fan should drop to a lower setting. All these laptops need to be tweaked. Most people wouldnt notice the fan noise. These are powerful systems. and you bought one of the thinnest out. there.

 

I was talking about an untweaked v6j out the box....

 

Eddie did you have it running on battery in the bathroom? because the fan only really kicks in when plugged in.

 

all i know is i have owned the v6va w2v and z63a and z70v. and used many other asus. the fan kicks in when plugged in but when umplugged and on dynamic switching the fan is either off or super quiet. You arent like running the thing on a bed or something are you. when unplugged it def should be quieter.
also NHC isnt ready for the core duo it missreports the speed. so even if it says 997 it may in fact be running at full speed. There was a whole thread yesterday about NHC and other programs saying they are only runnint at 997 no matter what and it turns out to be those programs arent reporting properly. so it may still be running fast which would cause the fan to stay on reguardless.

 

Tried both obviously ion the bathroom its on battery power but i couldnt hear anything at all in the office. Its not loud here some ambient noise. We have a few pcs running all low decibles water cooling and thermaltake orb for cpu heatsinks. I am particular to ambient noise my self but not this bad. Coudnt hear the v6j at all on my desk which has a very silent server under it cooled by water.

 

Eddie i dont know i think you could be missing something. I have an idea send me your water cooled servers and pcs. Then you can check if you hear the fans. Its the only way to be sure.

 

Ok on the way. No worries i still got your addy

 

Your comments are typical of the attitudes I have experienced with ASUS support and ASUS resellers. ASUS buyers don't expect much from either.

 

Truth hurts apparantly.. But your comments are typical of someone who hasnt got a clue to be quite honest. Your first post here was flamming about a previously never heard of issue. You are the first person i ve heard complain about this. There may have been others but this laptop has been out almost 2 years (v6v, v6va, and v6j). I may be missing something but i doubt it.

 

I can understand your frustration. But honestly ive always liked asus support they are really helpful. I mean what can your really expect them to do? Its not a design flaw the PC isnt broken it is functioning fine. You are talking about a personal preference.

I am not putting you down what so ever. But you had a certain expectation i thought it was quiet but you dont. Some people are just pickier than others. Which is fine because it does cost alot. but me being as picky as i am i either return the laptop and suck up the restocking fee or sell it and lose more money and move on. i dont expect my pickyness to be shared by everyone.

. But getting a very powerful laptop and concidering its one of the thinnest on the market short of a IBM T series or Mac. You have to expect the fans to kick on and hear them alittle. Now since i thought mine was quiet. i have been around these forums for a while rarely maybe once have i heard this complaint and people are really picky around here. so either you are overly sensitive to this or there is an issue with your machine and the fans are running faster than they should. Are your CPU and HD temps above normal? if you think the fan really is running loud i say send it to asus have them take a look it cant hurt.

maybe something is wrong with your temp sensors and your laptop thinks its hotter than it is? anything is possible.e

 

Thanks the lord i was starting to think i was the only person on the forum planet with any rationality left. But to correct you....It can hurt because they wont fix it. Not that its not possible that the fan may be malfunctioning i just dont think newv6jowner is very rational. I just cant give any credit to his complaint. If he was copmplaining about the z70va fans then thats different. Not that they were very loud but that laptop had a small % of people complaining about the issue.

 

I don't know about the v6j but can confirm my v6va is the quietest notebook I have ever owned!! The v6j uses the same chasis and maybe the same fan as well. It also uses a less powerful gpu but slightly hotter cpu so I would expect it to be about equal. In the last 2 years I have used Sony Vaio s2xp, IBM T41, Toshiba Tecra M3 and v6va and tons of other laptops in the past. I can tell you this thing is very quiet...

Please note I have undervolted my cpu so it runs cooler. I'm not sure if there is something actually wrong with model you received? Could it possibly be faulty? I can't imagine anyone calling a similar v6j loud because I use to build only silent pc's with info from www.silentpcreview.com and those people are very sensitive to noise including myself. I was never been able to sleep with my other laptops on, but with this one I can.

 

Its a lost cause. The people that complain about loud fans dont belong in a sound deprived room. Its a simple solution. Every fan when it turns makes noise especially ones made to push air through a vent. Some are louder then others on the v6 they are low noise fans. In a sound deprived room they can seem loud to some people especially of you are coming from a dell bahemuth. Why is this so hard to understand smaller means less conductive meaning more hot on the outside which means the fans must be on otherwise other picky people complain of heat. If the notebook were allowed to heat up to 70C idle before the fan kicks in (just an example) a 100% increase of heat complains will be the result. I think its a smart idea to prevent that. Get over it or return it and try your luck with the next one.

 

I also have a v6j...using NHC (SRD: I didn't know it wasn't fully compatible with the duo core...where's the thread where they were discussing this?). I've never once noticed the fan - under any circumstances - plugged/unplugged/high graphics/low graphics/etc.

Maybe you could post where you are located...and if someone else with a v6j lives near you you could hook up and compare fans...that would help to identify if your specific machine was different than what g2p and srd and others have as a reference point.

If there's anything you want me to do to help you figure out if you've got a problem or not...comparison-wise with my computer...just let me know.

 

Esayter here is the thread http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=55226
I dont think if its so much of a compatibility prob as some users have it where NHC just reports the wrong CPU speed. the last page someone figured it out.

 

Perhaps NVO (newv6jowner) isn't being overly sensitive, and I wouldn't read too much into the fact that he registered here simply to reply in this thread. Remember we've also had one or two people complaining about poor sound out of the V6Js line out socket... many people said "no way" but in one case it turned out to be a manufacturing fault. Yes, it happens with Asus too, albeit not very often.

While the vast majority of V6J owners are extremely happy with their purchase (I'm considering one too!) and have no complaints regarding fan noise, this doesn't mean that NVO's machine isn't playing up.

Ez2remember may have a point, we could simply be looking at a faulty/poorly calibrated temperature sensor. I had a similar problem with a dual G5 Powermac at work, thing ran poorly and the fans were noisy(er )... turns out it was a faulty temp sensor on the northbridge cooler.

In short, let's not be too quick to dismiss NVO's complaint, although I'll admit that without an objective way to measure the fan noise it'll be hard to separate a noisy fan from a guy with bat's ears...

Anyone happen to have a sound level meter by any chance?

 

I just bought an Asus V6J as well and feel that I perhaps should comment a little
Let me just say that overall I am happy with my purchase. But there are some areas like those mentioned by TedJ that annoy me slightly. First of all the fan does make noise yes, I did expect that, and I'll admit that I perhaps am a little sensitive to that kind of noise. When running on batteries the fan on my notebook seem to step in with a reported CPU temperature of about 36 degrees (celsius) and GPU temperature of about 40, and then start and stop for a while until it remains on at 3200rpm. I have not yet tried NHC, but I will do that shortly.

As to the issue of "poor" sound on the headphones jack, I would like to confirm that I also have that problem, the low end is weak to non-existant. I was planning on getting an external soundcard anyway as I would like to have more "advanced" features, so I don't think I'll ship it in to have it fixed, but it is slightly annoying.

I don't know whether I got a notebook from an early batch (it's been available here in Europe for a while), and some of these characteristics may have changed with later revisions.

But as I said, I am happy with the notebook, and none of these issues are showstopping for me.

(I am btw running latest drivers and bios etc )

 

Well it seems to me that if the fan on "newv6jowner" is running very loudly, that it is an outcast to the rest of society and should be shot...maybe followed my a burning at the stake.
We cant have a loud v6 running around.
In all seriousness, newv6jowner if you are really concerned then it is quite possible that you have a faulty fan....take it back to the shop/ASUS and get it checked out....no one is going to be able to fix it here on the forums...an unfortunate thing about distance and the internet I guess.
Good luck
I hope it works out for you
a

 

My idle temperature is about 52-54c. The fan only kicks in above 50c and my fan is about 2000rpm (according to Asus probe), which is very quiet... Perhaps the v6j maybe different and the threshold of when the fan kicks in and at what speed is a lot lower than the v6va. I don't know, just maybe... My fan only reaches over 3000 when gaming/max load.

 

I personaly suggest as quiet at the v6 series does run yes it does make some noise its not fanless. but newv6jowner could have a hardware problem. If i were him and it bothered me i would send it into asus. But there are lots of oversensitive people on this forum that complain about nothing. Not saying this person is one but they do exist. So to say some people arent that picky is not true. But again thats why you return machines or sell if you arent happy with them.

 

You should get a M audio usb sound dongle. It sounds great with headphones and is only like 30 bucks. it also has a toslink out. Great little gadget.

 

It may not be something that occurs on all V6Js, and it sounds like it generally does not occur in V6 models before the J, but the fan certainly does stay on all the time with some V6Js. It stays on all the time on mine, on battery power and off, when the CPU has been at 0% or 1% for extended periods of time, with or without each Power4Gear setting, with or without NHC/RMClock, and with or without setting the PowerMizer settings of the nVidia card all the way to power-saving. The noise is noticeably louder than other current laptops that I have tried.

The fan on newv6jowner's machine is apparently similar. The fan's policy is specifically mentioned in a whole paragraph in this site's own review of the V6J. There are a couple of threads about it on the Asus support forums, here's one. There are other threads about it on this forum, like here and here.

I know from comparing laptops of friends that several comparably sized and equipped laptops (not necessarily Asus models), such as the Thinkpad T60 and the Sony SZ, do not have constantly-running fans, and are almost always referred to in their forums as running cool and quiet.

Whether the fan is a problem for the owner is up to the owner to decide, just as it is up to the owner to decide whether they like a glossy-vs-matte screen, or how much the weight of the machine matters, and so on. It depends on where they are going to use the computer, whether they will be bringing the computer to meet with prospective clients, and so on. In my opinion there is no point in implying that the owner is unreasonable or being unfriendly to them just because they expect the fan to turn off on occasion.

My opinion is that the V6J is an excellent notebook. It looks great, works great, is very portable for the screen size, and has an astonishing build quality. But it definitely doesn't sound great, and depending on what your needs are, that may be a deal-breaker.

I would recommend this computer to anyone, except a person who will be using it in quiet rooms such as libraries, or a person who often works alone and wants a quiet computer. For that person I would say don't buy it. For anyone else, go for it, you won't be sorry. Unfortunately I am in the former group, and will probably have to ditch the machine unless I can find a solution. Maybe I will try contacting Asus, to see if there is a way to determine whether the fan is indeed acting properly. If so I will post my findings here for anyone who cares to read them.

Speaking of which, does anyone know if it would be easy to replace the fan with a quieter fan, if there is such a thing? I've heard that here is a fan called the Sunon Maglev that is supposed to be very quiet. I know that I would void my warranty by doing so, and I am willing to take whatever risk there would be of melting my computer or something if I screwed it up.

Thanks!

 

Guys if a notebook has a fan it makes noise. Get over it. How quiet does machine have to be? now if it was excessive i understand the problem. But we are talking about reg fan noise which every pc and laptop has. If you dont want to hear a fan then buy a laptop with a a Ultra low voltage CPU. I mean do people complain they can hear the desktop no. So as long as its not super load just suck it up. Its not like a screen flaw of something. Its a low whisper. I mean these new laptops are more powerful than most desktop out there. and you are talking about one in a 1in chasis. so what do you want a frying hot laptop or a low whisper? But of course everyone feels different. I Have heard annoying fans and this laptop is not one of them.

 

Thats not what i meant. What i am saying is that i dont feel there is anything wrong with his hardware. I think its him. I cant prove it but if he feels he wants and honest comparison he is welcome to send it to us for service. No charge for shipping or labor. I ve seen this time and time again. Some people are just extremely difficult and picky. If you have a v6 and dont hear the fan noise, lock your self in a sound deprived room like a bathroom and listen to it for a bit. You will hear it. If you think this means your notebook is noisy good luck finding one that is not. That is simply what i was saying.

 

Interestingly, a new review was just posted where the reviewer says that the fan is generally always on, but is apparently whisper quiet on the reviewer's machine. Perhaps there is some variance between the V6J's out there, like maybe they used a different fan for a while which is either louder or quieter than the rest, not sure. Maybe I'll open it up and see if the fan might possibly be something that's easily replacable.

Anyway, like I said before it wouldn't bother me if there weren't other notebooks out there that are similarly thin and similarly equipped with similar processors that didn't generate as much white noise (SZ, T60, etc). I'm not sure how those machines pull it off--perhaps they just let the machine get a little hotter before using active cooling, or perhaps they have different passive cooling systems inside, not sure. I sit next to plenty of other folks' laptops throughout the day, and nobody else that I happen to know has a machine that sounds like a "machine" all the time (and on mine it's quite noticeable without having to go into the bathroom or something, ha). So I don't think it has to be accepted as a "given" with this class of notebooks.

 

If you look at every single one of those noptebooks closely you will find the same complaints. i never did but i am pretty sure people complained about the fan. Its "natural" for every popular notebook among picky people and most of us are picky here. Nobody disagrees with you the fan is on all the time in low rpm's which get higher with higher load. The only thing i disagree with is the statement thats its loud. Its whisper quite in my opinion and most everyone else who owns one. But you will never see most everyone else on here because most everyone who bought one will not be back to these forums. Its really not a bothersome fan at all. I dont know why there is a whole thread devoted to it. I guess 1 out of 100 people will thank and agree with newv6j owner. Wait till his heatsink gets clogged then he will really be complaining.

 

I dont think so. Everything i have seen points to a variance between extremely picku and sensetive people to somewhat picky and "normal". I am somewhat. Take the z70va. I would say a few % of all the buyers (and this was very popular) complained about the fans. Vast majority did not. This notebook was hck of alot louder then the v6j. Just the vga fan was 3 times louder. The only explanation here is very extremely sensetive people. I would bet on it.

 

I know you think I'm just being overly picky. I honestly think that if you were here in this room with me and heard my particular unit you would become overly picky too!

 

I wonder if you guys are getting a different bios revision or something,.