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42624
February 15th, 2011 09:00
Aurora R2 - Fan Speed before Windows Loads
I have a newly purchased Aurora R2, and I have a question regarding the speed at which the fans run. Straight out of the box, the fans seem to run at full speed (ie jet aircraft noise levels). It wasn't until I got into the Command Center that I was able to quiet them down - and even then it was only accomplished by setting manual curves. With the setting set to "Auto", the fans seem to just run at full speed all the time. Now that I have the machine fixed while Windows is running it's fine, but everytime the machine boots, the fans run at jet speeds until after you are logged in, and CC has a chance to start up. Windows update must have ran, and rebooted the machine the other night, so I got up in the morning to find the fans screaming at full speed. Not sure how long that went on, but what a waste of energy (the machine was idle - so no need to create a hurricane to keep things cool). I figured there *must* be a way to control the fan speeds outside of Windows, but I sure can't find it. I was also wondering if there was something wrong - why doesn't the 'Auto' setting seem to do anything 'automatically'?
Any and all help would be much appreciated!
Thanks,
Jim
jwkramer61
10 Posts
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February 16th, 2011 09:00
I guess there are no Aurora R2 owners on here?
Oh how I don't want to have to call Dell Tech Support.... grumble, grumble, grumble....
Tesla1856
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17.1K Posts
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February 16th, 2011 11:00
The Alien-FX/MIO Board hardware board and Command Center software work together to control the fans. All the Alienware desktops have basically the same system. The MIO-Board is really an independent little computer board running inside the main computer.
I too couldn't get the "Auto" fan setting to work (just ran at full speed) although, it has been many months since I tried it. I long ago changed it to Manual and then Curve and it works fine. This setting is just like what you would except Auto to do ... only enhanced a bit. You can try going into Command Center / Thermal Controller, make a small change , Save and Apply ... just to make sure your default settings are saved properly.
When I reboot, all my fans run at full speed for a while. I think this is normal. They usually calm down after the long BIOS initialization occurs (as Windows finally starts to load). It seems to help if you keep the machine plugged-in (with AC going to it) even when turned off or Shut-Down (check UPS or power strips).
If still a problem, you might try changing the Thermal Controller from Manual Startup to Windows Boot Startup(Auto). Erratic behavior after waking from Sleep is sometimes a problem ... but I think that is usually a Windows problem.
Finally, make sure you are running the latest Command Center software from support.dell.com . To prevent upgrade conflicts, I like to uninstall old, reboot, and then install new version. Go into all sections, make a small change, and Save/Apply. If you search the forum and Stickies, there are several messages about Command Center and getting it to work properly.
jwkramer61
10 Posts
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February 16th, 2011 20:00
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it. I am thinking that I have a hardware issue of some sort. My fans run at full speed upon reboot, or power up until the Command Center starts after login. If I do not log in to Windows, they will stay at 100% forever. I am currently running v2.6.1.0 of the Command Center, and when I tell it to look for updates it says that there are none (I did update it yesterday using that method). I also downloaded version A08 of the software from Dell.com, but I could not get it to install (it gave an error during installation). I currently have the fans set to "Manual", and "Curve". I also checked, and the Thermal Controller is currently set to "Windows Boot Startup". I'm going to try "Manual" startup, but I am guessing the fans will just run at 100% and never slow down if I do that.
Can you verfiy the version of CC you are running?
Again, thanks so much for all your help.
-Jim
Tesla1856
8 Wizard
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17.1K Posts
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February 16th, 2011 22:00
I run CC 2.6.1.0 (also in my sig). It's better to use the above procedure rather than the upgrade button inside the program (although, it sounds like you have the latest one). Sometimes a complete CC re-install fixes things.
It doesn't sound like anything is broken, maybe just a software problem. You can check the MIO-Board outside of Windows with the Dell Diagnostics that should be accessible from BIOS option F12 (or, you can burn a bootable CD-R). Just running the Dell Diags MIO tests have been known to fix and/or reset MIO Boards in general.
After Dell Diags test, and CC re-install, if you still have problems ...
Go to Thermal Controls, be sure Current Profile is set to Default. Make a small change and then click SAVE. Give it a few minutes to update MIO Board. It might not hurt to do the same for the Lights. It sounds like the parameters saved on the board are incorrect, so the proper settings don't get applied until the actual program starts in Windows.
Did you understand what I was saying about leaving AC power applied to machine always, even when it is power off?
jwkramer61
10 Posts
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February 17th, 2011 06:00
I will try the things you have suggested, and let you know. I wasn’t sure if Dell Diags covered the MIO board or not… good to know. I will also run those.
As far as the A/C goes, the unit is plugged into a UPS, and has supply power constantly. In addition, I rarely turn off the PC. We just put it to sleep at night (I have backups etc. that run overnight).
Thanks again for all your help!
-Jim
Tesla1856
8 Wizard
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17.1K Posts
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February 17th, 2011 21:00
You are welcome. Glad to hear it worked.
jwkramer61
10 Posts
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February 17th, 2011 21:00
OK - Results...
Ran Diags on Fans, and MIO - all passed.
Removed Command Center S/W, ran CCleaner, Re-Installed Command Center S/W.
As soon as the machine rebooted (forced reboot after install), the fans started working correctly. Once the system booted, I went into CC and found the fans were now set to "Auto Alien Control", and working PERFECTLY!
Tesla1856 - thanks so much for all your help. This was driving me CRAZY!
BTW - my fans now spin up at full speed (reboot) for about 2-3 seconds before they spin down. In fact, they are spun all the way down even before I see the first boot screen.
Thanks again!
-Jim