XPS fan issue: Solved?!

Hi all.

Like many of you, I saw the XPS 15 as an excellent choice of laptop. The only hesitation I ever had was reading comments about a loud blast of the fan when it seemed completely unnecessary. But I went ahead and bought it. Within the first moments of turning it on, however, I noticed the fan ramping up and down during the install. My heart sank just a bit.

I’ve read a lot of suggestions of reasons for why the fan kicks up a fuss when the system is performing rather simple tasks or even idling: it’s the Nvidia drivers, it’s the BIOS, it’s Optimus, it’s the active cooling setting… etc… etc.

My suggestion is Turbo Boost. Now, many of you will say that you’ve already thought of that and you simply have to set your Maximum Processor State to 99% to disable Turbo Boost. I contend to you that this is INCORRECT. For me, I had to set it to 70% to eliminate unnecessary blasts of the fan.

Why 70%? Simple mathematics. I have the i7-2670QM processor which runs at 2.20 GHz and Turbo Boost to 3.10 GHz.

2.2 / 3.1 = 0.7096 (to 4 dp).

Round it down to 70% and this is my sweet spot. Any setting above 70% effectively allows Turbo Boost to kick in, even if not the full blown 3.10 GHz. Many of you won’t have the same processor as me so find out your own CPU specs and do your own calculations.

I have the A06 BIOS, the latest Nvidia drivers, I set my system cooling policy to active and I have Optimus turned on (i.e. on Nvidia Control Panel, under Manage 3D settings my Global Settings is Auto-select). None of these factors cause the fan to ramp up and down unnecessarily. (***See Edit***)

Now, some of you will be critical that I’m effectively capping the speed of my computer, and I understand that. Simply put, I don’t need Turbo Boost for everyday use of my laptop. An i7 quad core running at 2.20 GHz suit me just fine. I do, however, like to play games from time to time (e.g. GTA IV, BFBC2). So I have a work-around for that.

I like to use Game Booster, but switching from the Balanced battery plan (which is what I run my system on most of the time) to a maxed-out configuration of High Performance will do the same job. I EXPECT my fan to run loud and consistently when gaming. This is what the fan must do when the system is under heavy load (unless you want a burnt out CPU or GPU). If you can find an affordably priced laptop PC with a fan that doesn’t make a lot of noise when under heavy load then I’ll eat my hat. If the fan noise is too loud for you while gaming then turn up those speakers or put on some headphones. Enjoy the game and remember that your system is running as it should.

If, however, you are the type of person who needs this laptop for work on highly CPU intensive applications and you dislike the ramping up and down of the fans, then, sorry, the XPS line of laptops might not be for you.

Hope this helps.



TL;DR: To eliminate unnecessary blasts of your fan, set your Maximum Processor State of your preferred battery plan settings to correspond to the ratio of your base CPU GHz to it's Turbo Boost maximum (e.g. 2.20 GHz / 3.10 GHz = 70%). All other settings do not influence the fan.



EDIT: Okay, might have jumped the gun a little bit. Perhaps for added insurance you should set your Optimus settings to Integrated Graphics (but remember to make all the exceptions you want for games, etc.) and the Passive setting on the System Cooling Policy (under Processor Power Management in the Advanced settings of your preferred battery plan).

 

I use 99% and this cuts turbo boost off (i7 2630qm), maybe with the 'new' processors it doesn't work anymore with 99%?

 

What does CPU-Z say your CPU's frequency is after you changed the maximum processor state?

I want to say my fan problems were fixed after I did a repaste, but I didn't do enough testing beforehand to know.

 

What fan problem?

I never had an issue with the fan except the first day I received the system.

Reinstall a clean Windows 7 with all updated drivers, no junk. It's been perfect ever since with fan spinning up when cpu/gpu is loaded. Other than that it's whisper quiet.

 

^ It's not so much a fan problem as it is a fan profile problem. The fan is programmed to stay off until the CPU hits ~60C, which it will hit very often unless you throttle it. I have the 2630QM and selecting Power Saver will throttle it to 800MHz, ensuring the fan never turns on and my laptop is slow as crud. What pisses me off the most is that it negates the speed benefit of an SSD. If you want that snappiness you have to unthrottle the CPU, but if you do that then you have a loud laptop.

This is a good tip though. 70% gives an occasional speed boost to 1.4GHz, which still makes an SSDs useless if you want both speed and silence, but it's an improvement nonetheless. I can tell you one thing though, I'm never buying Dell again. Next time I'll try Asus or Sager

 

Hey, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us
I´ve tested your percentage thing yesterday and for me it isn´t working. I have myself an 2630QM and there 100% is Turbo ON and everything beneath is Turbo OFF. When i go steadily from 99% downwards to 50% or something i can see that certain percentage gives me a multiplier from 8(idle) to 20 (2GHZ).
Maybe its just the way to go with the newer Intel CPU Models as you have?!

MFG Jubeltrubel

 

To the OP- sorry to be rude but this doesn't exactly "solve" anything- it's more of a workaround. The problem still exists.

I could suggest to always use your computer in a room with an ambient temperature of 45F (7C), and doing so would mask the fan problem extremely well, but both "solutions" have their problems.

 

i am also a new dell xps 15 owner facing the same problem. i have tried lowering max processor state to 99%, fan still blasting every other second. tried setting cooling to passive while at 99%, still blasting. even tried max processor stat at 20% and passive cooling, fan blasting. tried using a different power plant - used power saver - no change.

one more thing, when i set processor to 99% and monitoring turbo boost it doesnt oc at all. stays at 2.0 at all times so i suppose that disables turbo boost. Processor is 2630QM (2.0-2.9).

any other ideas?

 

What is Dell's response?

 

out of interest, are the machines with fan issues all i7s? or are some of them i5s?

 

I have an i7 2630qm, 9 cell, 8gb, SSD, 320gb 7200RPM, 525 and never did I have to bother with throttling or setting a certain profile.

However, I did notice the "fan spin up issue" initially. These are the steps I took to fix it:
1) Reformatted with Dell CD (didn't bother with the uninstaller)
2) no unnecessary junk software, widgets, etc...
3) updated drivers (including bios)
4) set profile for Nvidia

The fan is always on but spinning at a very low RPM. When CPU/GPU intensive apps require, fan kicks in at audible high RPM.

Watching youtubes, HD movies, hulu, office work, etc...fan is whisper quiet at a low RPM.

 

i7 here. dells response was that they will investigate the matter and let me know in the next few days

 

i7 here. dells response was that they will investigate the matter and let me know in the next few days

 

Very interested in what Dell's reponse will be. When I started this thread,

http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/570946-xps-15-l502x-constant-fan-off.html

I was told they had never heard of the issue before by customer service. When I called several months later to complain, they also told me they had never heard of this issue before. I'm thinking of writing Michael Dell an e-mail if they continue to deny the existence of this very real problem.

As customers of their high performance laptop line, why must we look for ways to hamper performance just to get normal fan operation? For Dell, it's a simple as reworking the fan profiles. I'd love to hear they're actually working on a solution.

 

I have the same issue. The fan is cycling on and off frequently. I called tech support ( call center in India) and the said fan was bad. Had parts sent to tech and he replaced them yesterday. He installed a new fan (same model and type as the older one) and a heat sink. From what I can tell not much has changed. His comments... they have a poorly engineered design and they should do a bios upgrade to fix it.

That's all I have on this. It is a week old and I may send it back soon.

 

The fix is as simple as changing the fan profile but I don't think they'll do it... It would require the fan to always be on and I guess Dell's more concerned with having a silent laptop (assuming we're all on power saver plan). Your only real hope is Speedfan, but it doesn't support the XPS properly. Other than that you could return or sell your XPS. I'm looking into the G53 myself

 

Hiya Guys

Just recently found and joined this forum because my XPS i7 fan is on and off all the time as described by other users here. Have read all the posts of this and similar XPS forums (hours of reading). Thank you for your efforts to find a solution. Am not as tech savvy as half of you online here so every new post brings hope that my new laptop will soon be working as it should.

I'm not gonna return the laptop because there are too many things I love about it that outweigh this fan issue, and have a pretty good feeling that the fan profile rather than the fan hardware is the problem. I think this especially because some users have managed to get their fan to be on all the time at a low almost inaudible level with no cycle ups (unless high cpu usage) by using additional software.

The fan is a big enough issue to check this forum once or twice daily. Much appreciated.

Jim

 

yea its definitely not hardware issue....
especially for those without optimus.... it's must to have fan always on at lowest RPM setting available at least...... that's the only way to avoid the annoying on and off cycle of the fan..... and also would result in better idle temperatures
i am so looking forward to a simple solution.........

 

and by the way...
anyone tried speedfan new beta release yet????????????

 

I note you don't mention what CPU or GPU your machine has.

 

Well, no. It is a hardware issue- the hardware runs too hot for Dell's design.

Keep. It. Simple, Stupid.

Either they didn't design the internal passive cooling structure well enough, or they've put Core i7 CPUs in these machines without properly evaluating their thermal profiles, which seems pretty likely given it's Dell.

I can't use my machine AT ALL without the fan coming on, but to compound this the firmware controlling the fan won't come on and STAY on, it keeps itself in an idiot feedback loop just above and just below 60C.. it turns on, then the temperature drops 2-3C so it shuts off.. then the temperature goes up again immediately, so it comes back on.. lather, rinse, repeat. And you know this will cause premature wear on the fan itself, not to mention that hardware components, soldering, adhesives, etc degrade faster when temperatures fluctuate up and down frequently.

 

Call back from Dell today to see if my service call went OK and I was happy. Told them I still had noise and fan issues. He is going to talk to his fellow support persons and call back tomorrow with comments.

How do you log design issues like this at dell?

 

What's with the sarcastic roll eyes?
Look at the first post on the second page.

I'll listed again for those who skipped reading the entire thread:

i7 2630QM, 8gb, 40gb Intel SSD, 320gb 7200RPM, 525 nvidia.

The fix was suggested by another member here a few months ago.
The CPU and GPU shares the same heat outlet. If there's a spike in either the CPU/GPU, the fan will kick in and turn on to maintain the acceptable temp (leading to cycling). The suggested fix was to use intel HD graphics for mundane tasks and leave the nvidia for gaming purposes. This fix worked perfectly for me as well as getting rid of all the junk software with a proper reformat.

The CPU cripple profile work around is ridiculous (you may as well return the system rather than run a sluggish system).

 

@ computerstud - can you list the actions you did on the proper format? I don't know how to do most of the steps people suggest here. And Thanks.

Last night my PC was freaken out on the fan due to the Macafee software. I closed it and it stopped but I willing to try something before sending it back.

 

1st of all .... mind your language.........
2nd ... u really expect an i7 laptop with a GT 555M both relying on same heatsink... to be passively cooled??????
3rd... what are u trying to say in your final paragraph?????

 

I found out some strange Optimus behaviour, that is it will shift modes between off and idle mode. On full load, this cause fan to act strangely as whenever the card goes idle, the fan speed fluctuate. This only happen when optimus keep switching modes... anyone has any idea? Or maybe this cause the fan to fluctuate in idle also? My graphic driver is the latest version...
On another notes, using SpeedFan beta, whenever I try to run the Dell compatible mode, the system has very high latency, and the fan cannot be kept constant (always fluctuate).

 

This discussion thread is called "Fan Issue Solved?!" So does anyone have the opinion that it actually IS solved? My opinion is that it is partially solved so far.

I've made the graphics adjustments recommended (disabling nVidia), disabling GPU usage notification icon in system tray, uninstalling unnecessary/peripheral out-of-box software and the fan issue has improved somewhat. Before the fan would spin to max, say every five minutes while doing basic activities like web browsing, and now it spins to max approximately every 20 minutes. In these instances, the fan goes from totally off to the max speed, stays there for a few minutes and then goes off again.

I would agree that having the fan on at the lowest speed all the time (or nearly all the time) would be a logical solution for this fast-heating performance system and design/infrastructure that obviously retains heat.

Any thoughts from anyone else? Or is the fan issue solved for you like the thread suggests?

 

It is not solved, all solutions presented so far are workarounds. An actual solution would be to correct the problem within the firmware.

 

Clearly this is not a solution. How could anyone think that disabling their laptop's graphics card is a solution? It's just a workaround for those who think fan noise is more important than performance.

 

i'll be receiving mine in a couple of days, so will be interested to see how it is.

with regards disabling the graphics card - the only time you need the likes of a gt525m is when you're gaming, and when you're gaming your fan is going to be on pretty much most of the time anyway. for everything else, the inbuilt graphics surely is perfectly adequate?

as i say i have yet to receive mine so we'll see, but if the fan performance is ok when on inbuilt graphics i'll be perfectly happy. gaming, switch over. job done.

 

consider using this to control processor speeds:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...arket-upgrades/531329-throttlestop-guide.html

I keep my processor at 2.3 when gaming with no noticeable effects, and while the fan is still on, its whisper quiet.

When I need to do some editing I just switch to another profile or close it.

 

Ha-ha ironically this program was created to do the opposite. Now I use to lock my processor to the minimum when I don't need it.

 

Can you guys share in detail which settings are best? Is there anything to tweak?

 

I finally got a reasonable answer from Dell personnel regarding fan issues in the XPS series laptops. He took the time to read this forum thread (and others) and replied in broken English below. It appears that he is acknowledging there is a problem. That's a start.

"Hi Jimmy. i took the time to read all the links you provided, and it seems to be a issue in the XPS models, and is kinda related to the Core i Series, the fans speeds usually increases when the system is getting hot and for preventing a burning or a freeze in the system, he cold it down, the system itself seems to have a not capable fan internally cause the noise is not normal, the intel Cores i Series as we know are high performance CPU and require a optimal fan, I can only suggest to take your system to a certified tech and check the fan to solve the issue and in the worst case, replace it for a better one, also try to use a cooling pad under the laptop just to test if it solve the issue. Regards"

Go to this Dell forum thread link below to view this reply:

XPS fan issue- Dell please respond - Laptop General Hardware Forum - Laptop - Dell Community

 

so replacing the fan would solve the sound? Is it a standard universal fitting? I used to deck my PC with huge fans and run them really slow. I don't see how this could work in a laptop though.

 

JUST FYI - I had the dell tech replace the fan and cooling sink. They used the same fan and sink model as the one in the system. It did not have any affect ont he noise. Still LOUD and cycling.

The on-line tech ininstalled the nvida driver and then re-installed them. Not much difference.

I sent another ticket into DELL tech support to escalate the issue.

 

I had my laptop checked out even though I knew the fan had no problems -dell's repair shop replaced the fan anyway and of course the problem was still there. Even the dell rep I talked to on the phone agreed that it would most likely do nothing but it was worth looking at in case the heat sink wasn't applied properly.

 

Guys, it is a bios issue with the fan profile. As soon as you hit over 60C even for a short period the fan goes nuts. It needs to be configured in a way that it does not go full blast when cpu usage spikes.

A bios update is the ONLY way this will ever get fixed.

 

I agree with Risco, clearly a Bios issue.

Is it hard for Dell to tweak the Bios to fix? I guess it would be fairly straightforward to just tweak the fan?

I've got my processor throttled at 99% so dont get constant on/off but when my fan does come on it then stays on for ages until I toggle the power profile settings. Fan doesn't come on again until it hits 60C as Risco has said.

Also, is it straightforward to replace the fan/replace with a better model? I've never done it before but I'd happily have a go at taking my laptop apart to replace with a more capable fan.

 

I don't see why Dell isn't dealing with this issue head on and tackling the problem at heart. They could save themselves so much money and effort if they simply tweaked a few values in the BIOS. It would literally only take a few man hours to fix.

 

if they set the fan to kick in for example at 70C instead of 60 as it is now, don't you think that the only thing it would cause is the laptop to idle at 70 and the issue would've persisted?

 

Totall agree! It's not like it's a hardware recall. And they have the infrastructure to deploy an update.

 

Do they even recognize it as a significant issue? I got the whole "Oh I've never heard of that problem before" thing twice when I called in.

 

They must be aware of it by now. Even just for the no. of people who have contacted Dell and logged it here. I suppose it's one of those things they just can't/won't admit to because it would force them into action as soon as they did.

Like Funky above said - I can't see why they're refusing to acknowledge it - all the pieces are in place, they just need to 'checkmate'.

 

That's if people here have been logging complaints with Dell. It's amazing how people will claim in an anonymous forum that they've done something, when in fact they have not.

I hope people are logging complaints, as that's the only way this will get fixed. The more people phone and make formal complaints, the more it will be escalated as a widespread issue and likely to get attention. If only two or three have complained, then it won't be seen as a common problem.

 

True. I wonder if Dell actively reads these boards as well? They must do, it must be the second best source of feedback for them, maybe even the first, including their official forum things (which are pretty lame).

 

I don't think it's a BIOS issue... This on/off fan only happens in Windows.
On (Arch)linux the fan is always ON but it is at the lowest level, barely audible. It stays like that even if I put a mild load on the system like having the following apps running simultaneously:
mplayer (2gb movie file)
exaile (9 instances each playing a song)
firefox (7 youtube tabs)
instant messaging (pidgin & skype)

For reference, I am using cpufreq - governor "conservative".

Basically, unless I start archiving/encoding/compiling or some other serios stuff, the fan will run at a constant, very low speed.
Au contraire, in Windows the fan goes completely OFF then ON (but much louder than the "almost idle" in linux) etc... Why, it's beyond me.
Worth mentioning that nVidia GPU is dead (not supported) under linux (I even disable it as a pci device at boot time) so that might be a cause too.

 

I was so sure it was a bios issue until I read the previous Linux post from cri-cri. I wonder whether it still is a bios issue and instead, Linux may interact with the bios in a more optimal way than windows does when it comes to the fan profile. Anyone have any ideas about this new linux info and how it fits into this increasingly complex puzzle?

 

It would be more likely that the graphics drivers have some level of control over the fan. That would explain why linux reacts differently, since it has different drivers.

 

Hey all,

Just got a L502x from Dell. Great machine but the fan cycling is darned annoying. Has anyone other than ComputerStud done a clean reinstall with updated drivers and had the problem subside?

I'm thinking about contacting tech support but I don't want to deal with having the computer opened up and fans replaced for no reason. I wish there was a way to find out if this is on anyone's radar at Dell HQ.