Studio 14z Fan

Just got a Studio 14z, and the fan is driving me crazy. Is it normal for the fan to cycle on and off while the computer is idle?

 

In my experience the fan seems a little hyperactive on the 14z. It'll kick on when the cpu is under very light load, like opening a web browser, and then shut off after 10 seconds, only to come back on shortly after. Temperatures according to RMClock are low (40 C) so I was looking for a program to manually control the fans, to see if it was possible to make them run slower, but I've tried several different programs and none of them work. It seems like it's not possible to manual control the fan speed on the 14z. It's annoying, and makes me wonder why all the reviewers neglected to mention the fan noise, but I guess I'm more sensitive to computer noise than most people.

 

Well, I was about ready to return it, but I've decided to give it another couple of days... even if I ordered a replacement today it wouldn't ship until Monday at best, so why not wait, right?

It's still annoying. It'd be less so if the fan just stayed on. Playing music effectively drowns it out, as does almost any ambient noise at all.

Plus if I replaced it with a different computer... how do I find one that's quieter? I'd consider the studio 15, but I don't really want to go any larger.

Bah. I'll probably end up keeping it, if only because it is the path of least resistance.

 

I haven't noticed too much noise from the fan on mine, but it seems like the HD spins up and spins down a LOT. I've got Windows 7 with the WD Scorpio Black (7200 RPM) hd. I could understand it spinning down after several minutes of non use, but it seems to do it on order of seconds....it'll spin up for a few seconds, then spin down for 10-20 seconds, then spin up, etc etc. Unless I can figure this out, I'll probably be putting a SSD in this thing once they come down in price some more.

 

Hi FourOhFour,
I've exactly the same problem on my Dell studio 1745. Fan behaves the same way (it is completely stopped and kicks on for about 10s like an hair dryer). This happens every 2 minutes up to 3 times per minute.
Processor is idle (< 10%).

Dell changed my motherboard as well as the fan but it still behaves the same way.
It seems to be due to a bad Bios rather than a hardware problem. Many users reported the same problem on different Dell models (Studio 1555, 1745, 1747, E6500 latitude serie... on French and German forums). Some of them noticed the problem disappeared after upgrading the bios (E6500 latitude serie).
All you have to do is to report the problem to Dell in order for them to fix it in the next Bios update...

I wanted to buy additional Dell laptops but i will wait until they solve the problem.

any information ? just let me know...

 

Putting a SSD in is the first thing I did, but the stock drive did seem loud... and clicky, I think it needed that seagate firmware update.

 

I *might* have fixed the fan! I removed the nvidia video drivers and installed http://forums.laptopvideo2go.com/topic/26002-forceware-19562/

EDIT: I can't decide if this is really working or not. See edit below.

The installer asked if powermizer should be enabled, and I said yes. I get a slightly lower desktop graphics score in the windows experience thingy, by 2 tenths, but it seems it's keeping the GPU cool enough that the fan doesn't turn on.

Now, before you all run off and do what I did...
Search through your registry for PerfLevelSrc and tell me what the value is. It should be in HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Video\**SOME LONG UNIQUE STRING** It'll be towards the end of a huge list of executables.

Mine is 3333. According to this thread, 3322 will run powermizer only on battery, and 2222 will kill it entirely. My theory is that the dell drivers have it on 3322 or 2222.


EDIT: At a true idle - nothing running - the fan seems to stay off. Of course, if the computer is truly idle... why is it even on?

If there is any sort of load at all, the fan still kicks on. But it's less often and for a shorter time. Keeping transparent windows off seems to help.\

EDIT again: Yeah, I don't think this is helping much. Might have made it take longer to get the cycle going from a cold boot, but once things get going they aren't much better.

 

Found this on nVidia site, I know it doesn't apply directly to the 14z, but I wonder if it is related.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/recommended_software_updates.html

From the page...

-Rich

 

On the Studio 1745 (Which has an ATI 4570 Mobility Radeon video card), I also managed to minimize the fan issue by:
1) Setting the processor cooling strategy from "active" to "passive".
2) Setting the video card from "Performance" to "Autonomy".

These 2 settings are available in the Windows 7 energy options by double clicking on the battery icon, power options, modify the mode, modify advanced power parameters.

But keep in mind that this is just a workarround. slowing down processors is not a way to solve the bad fan management. it only reduces the frequency at which the problem occurs.

In a regular situation, fan should work all the time at slow speed and should gently speed up according to process load.
Running on and off like a vaccum cleaner is just not normal at all, whatever how often per minute it happens.

 

Fourohfour, I tried the 'Powermizer Switch' application which apparently adds that string to the registry without having to reinstall your drivers, mine says 3333 now just like yours.

However, i agree that it does not seem to have improved the situation any.

 

Is that video card setting not available on the nVidia chips? I found the processor cooling strategy option, but nothing for the video card.

Has anyone who's done the copper shim mod had a reduction in the amount of fan noise? My fan *never* turns off, and frequently cycles between (what I assume to be) medium and full blast. While the laptop itself isn't at all hot to the touch anywhere, including the bottom and near the vent (where its just a bit warm from the hot air exhaust).

After switching from a Samsung N130 netbook, even the quietest setting of this notebook is too loud.

 

the fan never turning off might be a bios issue, i believe in the studio 14z owner's lounge thread someone reporting having a similar problem. The fan in my computer definitely turns off sometimes.