SonyTX CPU Fan

I'm trying to do a clean Windows XP install but I'm finding that the CPU fan is constantly running. I even installed the vaio power management but no help there. So I decided to restore to factory default with the recovery DVD and the CPU fan is still constantly on. Does that mean my TX is messed up? I was testing out a co-workers TX and their CPU fan seems to be off most of the time. Does any one have any ideas?

 

what is your cpu usage on idle, are you running somthing that is causing your cpu to run hot enough to keep you fan running constantly?

check you cpu temprature?

regards.

John.

 

Tinderbox (UK) suggested some good things. Check the temperature of the processor, because it is likely it is causing the fan to spin to a high rate, because a large load has been placed on the processor. Use a program like Notebook Hardware Control (NHC) or Speedfan to check what the temperature is.

 

I'm really not doing anything intensive or anything, just searching the net w/ a couple of VNC sessions open. I have my CPU Control on Adaptive and CPU Fan on Level 5 (Performance). I've installed NHC, sweet program! Right now the CPU speed is dynamic switching and the load averaging about 12%. The CPU Temp is 64 and the HD Temp is 37. The fan isn't on full blast but it is still on. Should I uninstall Sony's power management and use NHC?

 

Try and set the processor, so that it can dynamically adjust from a higher frequency to a lower one, and from a lower frequency to a higher one. That should ensure that the processor clocks up to the full when needed, and when not, it can operate at a lower clockspeed, and lower the need for the fan to come on.

You can do this by setting the dynamic setting in either Windows itself, in the Sony application, or in NHC. NHC is a good program, so I would recommend to do it in that, and observe any changes in the behaviour of the fan closely.

 

I was playing around with NHC and I tried another program. It was called CPU Rightmark. What do you think of that program or do they all do similar things? I think for some reason my CPU is running hot? At one point using Rightmark, the fan did turn off and I wasn't even using dynamic switching either. How do you set the dynamic switching in the Sony app or even windows itself?

 

Which TX do you have? I have the TX850 and the fan does not come on very often at all. I heard the 750's fan comes on a lot. Don't know what they changed between models.

 

DEViATE, you should be able to change the processor speed to dynamic in Windows, by going to Power Schemes are doing it from there. You can get to their by either clicking the little battery/power icon in the corner next to the time and select "Portable/Laptop", or by going to Control Panel, then double click "Poer Options" and then change it manually under the "Power Schemes" box.

 

I looked through all the options and I can't seem to find the dynamic cpu control. I guess I'll just use NHC to do it. I have the Tx751P. It's strange b/c my co-workers TX (same model) the fan hardly ever goes on. I did have my optical drive replaced, I wonder if they could of screwed it up somehow.

 

In Windows the "dynamic" setting is reffered to as "Portable/Laptop" under "Power Schemes". Try and use just one of them, as conflicting power settings will most likely cause problems. Alsom try a BIOS update, and see if that makes a difference. Sometimes manufacturers wil make adjustments to the way the fan operates, and a BIOS update may jus solve it for you.

 

I checked and unfortunately there's no bio updates available. I think there is seriously something wrong since the fan almost NEVER is off. Sometimes it spins slower but most of the time it at full speed and pretty loud. There's no setting in the bio to tweak the cpu fan either. Any ideas? The only time I don't hear the fan is when the notebook has been off and it's during post. When I get into windows that's when the fan starts up.

 

I think I've determined that it's a combination of CPU and HD temp that turns on the fan. Right now it's 60 degrees for the CPU and 36 degrees for the HD and the fan is off right now. Do you guys know if there's a way to change these thresholds?

 

Hey Deviate, I have a TX790P, albeit one with a broken LCD screen, and its fan also comes on all the time, always running, no matter what settings I put with NHC or whatever so you are not alone.

 

Thanks Rahulnirmal, I thought I was going crazy. Ok so it's not broken and that's just how the older TX's behave. Sigh, it's kind of annoying just browsing around and the fan turns on even with dynamic switching with NHC

 

On the siliconpopculture.com forums, I remember at least one other person also complaining about the constantly running fan. Too bad they couldn't have made it like the totally fanless Fujitsu P7120.

 

I can't believe I never noticed it before. It's so annoying when you're in total silence. There has to be a way around this. Some say to use the ACPI setting but it currently only works with Samsung and Asus notebooks I think.

 

Hi.

have you checked to see if the fan or heat-pipe fins are clogged with dust, causng the cpu to overheat.

my laptop fan only comes on at 65C, but other laptops are set differently.

regards.

John.

 

No, I haven't checked b/c it's a pain to open up a TX. I did blow compressed air to see if that would help but it didn't. I've been reading the forums and it seems the older TX 7 series, the fan will come on around 60C but it's annoying since it idles at 59-60C. Unfortunately you can't do any tweaks with the bios and I think the only option is to use notebook hardware control but I don't know how to program the ACPI module. Does anyone have that working?

 

Do you think it's possible that Sony screwed up the fan when they replaced my optical drive? I've used NHC and underclocked to 600Mhz with a voltage of 0.7 and I still idle at 60C and the damn fan turns on! Any ideas?

 

My TXN15's fan comes on at 56C. It's idles at 55C and it easily reachs 56C so mostly the fan is on.

 

I keep forgetting to add that I have my VAIO on a little tilt board that allows air to flow freely underneath it. I'm sure this helps keep the CPU cool. You may want to try something similar.



(the left notebook is my Compaq 15", the right, my TX850)