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Adventures in replacing the stock Alienware Aurora R4 CPU cooling pump. Dreaded CPU fan failure prompts attack my patience!!
Hi all!
So a few weeks ago while running down homeless people in my stolen fire truck while being chased by cops, noose, and the FBI in Liberty City, my Aurora R4’s pump fans began to sound like a turbine engine. I checked the cpu temps, and they nearly reached TJ Max. After a little research I decided to clean the old thermal paste off the CPU and cooler pump head and reapply using Arctic Silver 5 paste & cleaning solutions. That did the ticket, and my temps went back down to their normal low to mid 40’s at idle and mid to high 60’s during game play.
During my research at diagnosing the issue, which included replacing the stock R4 pump all together, I came across the Corsair H80i cooling pump that claimed to be one of the best CPU cooling systems out on the consumer market reducing temps by 10 to 20 degrees. So I went ahead to see if such claims were valid and replaced the stock Alienware R4 cooler with the Corsair H80i. The claims were validated! The Corsair lowered by idle temps down to high 20’s to low 30’s and the maximum temp it has reached during game play so far is 51C!
However I have a new problem, when I boot up, the bios splash screen takes an extra 15 seconds to load and then an error prompt: Attention, CPU fan failure! Press F1 to continue or F12 to set up.
When I hit F1, the system boots as normal and the Corsair works great, but since the way the Corsair H80i hooks up to a USB connector on the motherboard and draws power from directly from the psu, instead of the stock Alienware pump, which has a designated CPU Pump connector slot on the top of the Aurora chassis as well as a power connector labeled CPU fan, I am guessing when I boot up, there is some sort of start self-test which is of course not detecting the old Alienware pump because the Corsair pump is not utilizing the old pump connections, prompts the error message.
Is there a way to set up the system, in the bios (or any anywhere) so the Aurora does not keep giving me this CPU fan failure prompt?
I did out of irritation, partly re-installed the old Alienware pump back into the chassis, but I kept the Corsair installed and running, so the Alienware radiator and fan are just hanging out inside the chassis, safely perched on the slide out panels covering the video card. I no longer get any error messages at boot up, and both pumps are working, albeit the Alienware pump is just blowing air on the inside wall of the chassis and actually with the extra airflow, the temps have dropped a few degrees, but I would still like to remove the old pump and set it up so that I don’t get those CPU fan failure prompts at boot up.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
My system:
Aurora R4
Bios: A11
Windows: 7x64
PSU: 875watts
Video Card: GTX 760
Tesla1856
8 Wizard
8 Wizard
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17K Posts
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May 1st, 2014 13:00
Isn't it JUST the Asetek's radiator fan connector that must be connected to SYS_Fan to prevent that error message. Old fan should come off.
Darkpool
38 Posts
1
May 1st, 2014 22:00
The twin Corsair fans do not hook into the SYS_Fan connector, rather they hook into the Corsair pump head where a usb cable connects into a usb connection on the motherboard. This is so you can monitor and control the fans in the Corsair software.
However, your suggestion has giving me an idea: I'll unplug the old Asetek pump from the CPU PUMP connector and keep the old fan connected and see if I still get that CPU fan error prompt when I boot. If I don't, then the easy solution is to remove the Asetek pump and install a small system fan and connect it to the SYS Fan connector.
Darkpool
38 Posts
1
July 13th, 2014 11:00
Yes, do not use the SYS_FAN connection. If you connect to the CPU_FAN connection, you will not get that CPU fan error at boot up.
Just use the twin Corsair fans, and discard the old Astek fan.
You will not be able to control fans in the Alienware Command Center. You will have direct control over the H80i fans through the Corsair Link software.
michael austin
8 Posts
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October 13th, 2015 13:00
The stock back plate worked fine with the Corsair unit, so I didn't have to bother with the back plate. The only issues I ran into were with the standoff screws. I wasn't sure which ones to use and my first guess was the wrong one. My Alienware R4 was built in 2012 and I needed to use the LGA 2011 standoff screws.
Darkpool
38 Posts
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May 1st, 2014 22:00
Thanks Tesla! Your suggestion has fixed the issue. And by that, I mean, I did misread the installation instructions of the H80i, yes I was suppose to connect a four prong connector into the CPU_Fan connector from the Corsair. No error message, and the Corsair runs without any issues.
Now I don't need to have anything but the Corsair H80i cooling things down while I mow down shady jet-setters and homeless people in my stolen government vehicles while the heat chases me down!
Tesla1856
8 Wizard
8 Wizard
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17K Posts
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May 1st, 2014 22:00
Yes, that is where I was going with that.
johannesynt
10 Posts
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July 12th, 2014 17:00
Hi, i'm very interesting in your replacement solution. Can you post some photos (h80i pump installed, connector settings etc..)? thanks
I'm not english, so i'm not sure to understand exaclty what you have done.
Darkpool
38 Posts
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July 13th, 2014 01:00
Here is a shot of my H80i installed in my Aurora R4 (standard case). If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.
Darkpool
38 Posts
0
July 13th, 2014 01:00
the fan connector connects to the CPU fan connection.
Darkpool
38 Posts
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July 13th, 2014 01:00
The Power connection for the H80i is a standard PSU connection.
Darkpool
38 Posts
0
July 13th, 2014 01:00
The Corsair H80i software will look like this, if installed correctly.
johannesynt
10 Posts
0
July 13th, 2014 10:00
Thank you very much. I'll try to repeat the configuraion:
BEFORE (for me this is the actual situation - factory settings):
CPU fan speed managed by Alienware software (Thermal control)
AFTER (Repasted with Arctic Silver 5):
CPU fan speed managed by Corsair software... and what about Alienware Thermal control?
And another question: i dont't understand exaclty this
"[...]keep the old fan connected and see if I still get that CPU fan error prompt when I boot. If I don't, then the easy solution is to remove the Asetek pump and install a small system fan and connect it to the SYS Fan connector."
From here i understand that i have to connet comthing to the SYS_FAN, but in your photos SYS_FAN is empty...so the final solution is that i don't have to use asetek pump or original fan. Right?
Thank you very much
Darkpool
38 Posts
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July 13th, 2014 11:00
Sorry, I forgot about the USB connection. Here is a picture of it from another users R4 H80i USB connection.
You can find even more pics and information on the following thread: http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19516339.aspx?pi21932=12
johannesynt
10 Posts
1
July 13th, 2014 13:00
Ok, perfect! I just checked, and i have just one free usb socket, right there.
So the trick is to use the CPU_FAN in place of the default fan socket (SYS_FAN).
Thank you very much, i'll do this replacemnt in 1 oe 2 weeks. If i have some problems (even if i don't think) can i ask you?
harrison.strass
6 Posts
0
November 13th, 2014 01:00
Hey man I like it. I just got the same corsair h80i into my alx chasis.. and I was wondering if the fan in this picture is on backwards or not. Because the fan behind my radiator has the main corsair logo facing me, and the other fan in front of the radiator also has the corsair logo facing me. I just wanna know if I have it on backwards or what..? My cpu was getting to 85c-90c playing bf4. And with the corsair h80i im getting 45c-51c which is a big improvement I think (running bf4). At an idle with the stock antec alienware cooler i was getting 52c-63c, and now at idles im getting 32c-36c.
Im just wondering if I got the system fan in front of the radiator on the wrong way or not? Thanks!
Oh and I do have the ALX.. i just couldn't use the washers when mounting the 1st fan before the radiator, because the screws wouldn't reach the radiator. So I used the 4 washers for the system fan in front of the radiator, and seems to work just as well.
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