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Active: 32676 users

[H] PC Fan sounds like its about to explode

Forum Index > Tech Support
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1 2 3 Next All
Joedaddy
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States1948 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-03-12 07:32:05
March 12 2013 06:39 GMT
#1
I have an Alienware Aurora, less than a year old. Recently, the fan has started running EXTREMELY loud. So loud that it sounds dangerous. It has never behaved this way in the past, so I don't understand why its started all of a sudden.

I read that it being dirty could cause this problem, so I opened the side panel and used a can of air to try and get all the dust out. But, even after doing that it is still spinning out of control.

I also checked the system thermal controls, and I didn't see anything that looked alarming. But, I wouldn't know whats abnormal even if I did see it.

It does seem to only be doing it when I have multiple streams open, and when playing the WoL and HOTS campaign. Still though, the fan never sounded anywhere close to this loud in the past when playing PC games.

Its so loud that my wife heard it all the way down the hall while in our bedroom and came to ask what was wrong with my computer.

What do I do? Could a virus or something be causing it? Do I need to get in to a shop? Please help T.T;

Edit: Pics of my Thermal Controllers info page thingy-ma-bob
When its quiet (nothing open, just the desktop screen):
+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


When it sounds like its going to explode (sc2 campaign running and web browser open):
+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


Peak RPM @ 4k+ RPM
+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


HWMonitor When quiet (nothing open):
+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


HWMonitor When Loud (sc2 campaign going):
+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


CPU-Z When Quiet:
+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


CPU-Z When Loud:
+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


I might be the minority on TL, but TL is the minority everywhere else.
Infernal_dream
Profile Joined September 2011
United States2359 Posts
March 12 2013 06:42 GMT
#2
Uhh, it's just a case fan? Or the cpu cooler fan or gpu fan? Depending on the fan it's probably a thermal issue.
Joedaddy
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States1948 Posts
March 12 2013 06:44 GMT
#3
On March 12 2013 15:42 Infernal_dream wrote:
Uhh, it's just a case fan? Or the cpu cooler fan or gpu fan? Depending on the fan it's probably a thermal issue.


sounds like just the case fan, using the ear test. I'm taking some screen shots of my fan speeds and temps now to upload. Not sure if thats helpful or not though =/
I might be the minority on TL, but TL is the minority everywhere else.
Infernal_dream
Profile Joined September 2011
United States2359 Posts
March 12 2013 06:46 GMT
#4
If it's just a case fan you can probably unplug it and be fine. Unless for some reason you only have one case fan.
Joedaddy
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States1948 Posts
March 12 2013 06:50 GMT
#5
On March 12 2013 15:46 Infernal_dream wrote:
If it's just a case fan you can probably unplug it and be fine. Unless for some reason you only have one case fan.


added the pics to show the fan speeds and temps. Does this give you any ideas?
I might be the minority on TL, but TL is the minority everywhere else.
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-03-12 06:56:50
March 12 2013 06:53 GMT
#6
Well it's clearly the system fan, whichever that actually is then.

Maybe try downloading and running something a little more informative like HWMonitor and see what the reported CPU and other temperatures are. Those ambient sensors are not that interesting.

Looks like the system has some closed-loop liquid cooling for the CPU, and I would assume the so-called "system fan" is placed on that radiator unless there are more than three fans in there (aside from the one in the power supply). Seems like it could be a CPU temperature issue for whatever reason.

depends on design and size, but ~4000 rpm would often make a lot of noise, no doubt about it...
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20284 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-03-12 06:56:58
March 12 2013 06:56 GMT
#7
4k RPM is extremely crazy.

"CPU Pump: Running" is a little worrying, alienware closed loop liquid cooling is probably not particularly good and i doubt you can perform maintenance on it.

You really need CPU temps, not some sensor temps, get hwmonitor or Core temp or something. Your CPU load temperatures are somewhere between about 35c and 105c, ambient sensors dont say anything for that - they just tell us ambient temperatures.

CPU-Z screenshot during this would also help.

Lol Myrm we made mirror posts >.>

I already told him to get hwmonitor in PM, before.
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
Joedaddy
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States1948 Posts
March 12 2013 07:02 GMT
#8
Added the HWMonitor pics as well.
I might be the minority on TL, but TL is the minority everywhere else.
Infernal_dream
Profile Joined September 2011
United States2359 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-03-12 07:04:44
March 12 2013 07:03 GMT
#9
Well there's your issue. 100 degrees. Your radiator fan isn't cooling the water.

Is this a prebuilt? I don't know much about liquid cooling but if this is a prebuilt computer you're probably going to have to take it somewhere to get this issue fixed. I wouldn't keep using the computer as the fan could stop and then the liquid loop has a chance to burn and get water in the computer.
Joedaddy
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States1948 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-03-12 07:06:00
March 12 2013 07:05 GMT
#10
On March 12 2013 16:03 Infernal_dream wrote:
Well there's your issue. 100 degrees. Your radiator fan isn't cooling the water.

Is this a prebuilt? I don't know much about liquid cooling but if this is a prebuilt computer you're probably going to have to take it somewhere to get this issue fixed. I wouldn't keep using the computer as the fan could stop and then the liquid loop has a chance to burn and get water in the computer.


So this is an eminent danger then? Do you think its something the Geek Squad at BestBuy can fix?

Yes, its pre-built from the manufacturer. I just ordered online through Dell and picked the different stuff I wanted.
I might be the minority on TL, but TL is the minority everywhere else.
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
March 12 2013 07:07 GMT
#11
That's pretty conclusive. ~100C is around the throttling point and way too high. The fan responsible for CPU cooling is going nuts to try to bring the temps down.


As for what's broken, it's hard to say for sure. It could be that the liquid pump is faulty, the block somehow got shook a bit loose from the CPU heatspreader, or something else. You could try remounting or replacing the CPU cooling apparatus. Or get it serviced, especially if it's under warranty.


So, just to confirm, the system used to be normal and then became like this, when? How? After doing what?
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20284 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-03-12 07:09:49
March 12 2013 07:08 GMT
#12
Yea you have a major problem, with anything like this with liquid cooling id say just power down now. You could have something wrong with pump, maybe the radiator is not getting cooled by the fan (big black thing - fan should be on it - is it blocked?) maybe a sizeable amount of leaking happened and the loop is no longer correctly functioning, you basically dont know and if something else goes wrong you could have major system damage - liquids on live sensitive electronics is NOT good, excessive temperatures due to complete cooling failure is not good either - one more question though, are you overclocked at all? stock settings? voltage?

CPU-Z screenshot before you shut down would be awesome - it should be easy. I ask because there's a chance you are randomly running at like 1.4v or some insane overclock - especially accidentally - which is both dangerous if you leave it and a quick fix to your temp problem if that's true.

Do you think its something the Geek Squad at BestBuy can fix


They're probably going to overcharge you a lot. Do you know anything at all of system building?
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
March 12 2013 07:11 GMT
#13
Wait a sec, agreed with checking something else like CPU-Z too, especially to see the clock speed while doing something like SC2.

I just noticed VCore says 1.4V, which is very high, which would drastically raise temperatures. Maybe you enabled some kind of ridiculous auto-overclock mode.
Joedaddy
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States1948 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-03-12 07:13:24
March 12 2013 07:11 GMT
#14
On March 12 2013 16:07 Myrmidon wrote:
So, just to confirm, the system used to be normal and then became like this, when? How? After doing what?


When: ~1 week ago.

How: I don't know. The tower has been in the same place, untouched and unmoved since it arrived on my doorstep.

After doing what?: Lots and lots of internet porn in the last week.

@Cyro: I know absolutely nothing about system building. I haven't intentionally changed any settings at all. Certainly nothing to do with overclocking and the like.

@Myrm: sec; editing.
I might be the minority on TL, but TL is the minority everywhere else.
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20284 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-03-12 07:17:44
March 12 2013 07:13 GMT
#15
Wait a sec, he's right, your vcore says 1.4v in the screenshots provided. I didnt see that. I literally predicted EXACTLY whats happening, wow im impressed.

Its likely you have multiple issues but this, hahahaha

1.4v and like 4.6ghz you are looking at like 50c hotter than stock.
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
Joedaddy
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States1948 Posts
March 12 2013 07:15 GMT
#16
Ok; I can try to find the download for CPU-Z if you guys think that its worthwhile. I didn't intentionally change any settings, but is there a way to fix that voltage thing yall are talking about?
I might be the minority on TL, but TL is the minority everywhere else.
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20284 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-03-12 07:22:41
March 12 2013 07:16 GMT
#17
Yea there is.

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

Its a very light download, dont even have to install, you can google it, dl, open within 10 seconds no problem.

I gotta say as well, 3.3, 5 and 12 volt rails reading as 3.3, 3.7 and 16v is very worrying - but i dont know what to expect with random OEM motherboards, psu's etc. Maybe a malfunction or something else funny going on?

Mine read as
3.3 - 3.344v,
5 - 5.00v,
12 - 12.352v


which is normal.
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-03-12 07:25:27
March 12 2013 07:24 GMT
#18
For the record I think Dell / Alienware does onsite service, at least early in the warranty period. But that's probably not necessary, as it's probably just some bad setting somewhere.


It could be that some of the Alienware software or whatever has some setting to some overclocking profile, and it was turned on. I don't know anything about their software.

If not, reboot the computer and hit the key to go into BIOS, before Windows loads. Look for some kind of overclocking and voltage control and set them to default.


On March 12 2013 16:16 Cyro wrote:
I gotta say as well, 3.3, 5 and 12 volt rails reading as 3.3, 3.7 and 16v is very worrying - but i dont know what to expect with random OEM motherboards, psu's etc. Maybe a malfunction or something else funny going on?

A lot of times the power supply voltage readings are way off. I think the software just doesn't know how to interpret whatever raw values it's getting from the motherboard. It's clearly not actually 16V on the nominal +12V line, or 3.7V on +5V. A lot of times there are bad values when nothing's actually off. Occasionally there are good readings when it's actually bad, or at least different. It's not much of an indication of anything. I'd guess it's more likely than not that if you probed with a multimeter that you'd find something non-trivially different than what's reported there.
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20284 Posts
March 12 2013 07:27 GMT
#19
Please CPU-Z screenshot before making any changes to profiles or bios - want to see what its at now to cause the problems.
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
Joedaddy
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States1948 Posts
March 12 2013 07:28 GMT
#20
back; had to uninstall some random toolbar that was driving me nuts. uploading cpu-z pics shortly.
I might be the minority on TL, but TL is the minority everywhere else.
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