New water cooler that may work with Alienware

What is the need do you feel or see a problem with the liquid CPU cooling system that ships current with the Alienware Area 51 & Aroura?  

There is one four pin connector on the motherboar next to the memory. I have't opened the case to see if it is free, but if open an adapter would work well there.

That 4-pin is marked MB_CPU_Fan . It's connected to the MIO-Board header called BLINK. It seems that it is used to tell the MIO-Board whether the machine is in ON or OFF or in STANDBY mode.

Depending on how Dell has modified the BIOS, it may or may-not do what a normal 4-pin fan header does.

http://www.allpinouts.org/index.php/Motherboard_(CPU)_4_Pin_Fan

Seems like you could test if it is "normal" or not with a normal 4-pin PWM fan and a copy of SpeedFan. If that works, you could even try connecting the current radiator fan there and use SpeedFan.

What is the need do you feel or see a problem with the liquid CPU cooling system that ships current with the Alienware Area 51 & Aroura?

My system originally gave me control of my system/radiator fan the same way CC allows you to control the PCI and hard drive fans. Some where along the line an updated CC or BIOS took that ability away. After the updates, my system fan would rev to the max and slow down uncontrollably regardless of tempertature. A tech had to come out and he replaced three fans, water cooler and pump, as well as the M/O board.

The system fan no longer reved up and down uncontrollably, but I no longer had the ability to control the system fan. After several restarts the CC no longer showed the system fan as being manually controlable either. It now showed cpu pump running and system fan below the Thermal Status line. Before, the System Fan was below the Thermal Control line next to the PCI and Hard drive fan.

Since then my system has run considerably warmer. The system fan will kick in but not until the upper 60 degree range. Until then, any little thing like opening IE or program will cause the fan to rev up for a few seconds and then come back down. It is annoying to have your fan rev up and down with every other click of a mouse button.

My system never behaved this way prior to some CC or BIOS change along the way. That is why I'm looking to replace the entire cooling system with one that can be manually controlled to alleviate the reving up and down while providing the manual cooling ability I once had with my AW system before all the improvements were made to the CC software.

Right now all I have open is IE, CC, CPUID, and my cores are 63, 58, 59, 57, and the system fan shows 1178 RPM - basically idle. Not sure why core 0 always runs the hottest.

There is one four pin connector on the motherboar next to the memory. I have't opened the case to see if it is free, but if open an adapter would work well there.

That 4-pin is marked MB_CPU_Fan . It's connected to the MIO-Board header called BLINK. It seems that it is used to tell the MIO-Board whether the machine is in ON or OFF or in STANDBY mode.

Depending on how Dell has modified the BIOS, it may or may-not do what a normal 4-pin fan header does.

http://www.allpinouts.org/index.php/Motherboard_(CPU)_4_Pin_Fan

Seems like you could test if it is "normal" or not with a normal 4-pin PWM fan and a copy of SpeedFan. If that works, you could even try connecting the current radiator fan there and use SpeedFan.

Good info.

Here is a question. The 920 uses a three pin connector but has the ability to control the rpms. The info you posted was dated 2006 I believe and things do change, so I wonder if the tach funtion hasn't been incorporated into one of the other three wires and would work on the four pin connector?

Also, would there be any way to know what the four pin connector power output is compared to the seven pin connector used to run the pump. If the new 920 runs everything off one three pin, they must have been able to reduce the power needed as well to run their system.

I looked inside the case an the four pin connector next to the memory appears to connect to the memory cooling fan. So there are no open connectors on the motherboard and no available connectors on th M/O board.

No, I don't think so. Look closer.   The 4-pin near the memory (marked MB_CPU_FAN) goes to BLINK header on MIO-Board. The Memory Fan connects to the Top Lighting board ... which means it is ultimately controlled by the MIO-Board.

I followed the lines closer and you're correct, they go to the BLINK. So what does the BLINK do? (power-LED board connector BLINK)  Also noticed that it is a four pin but there are only three lines on the connector.

Reading between the lines I suppose you are saying this four pin wouldn't work because it is controlled by the MIO Board? Is the flow from the MIO Boad to the MB or from the MB to the MIO board? If it is from the MB to MIO Board the MIO board would be by-passed, assuming the BLINK isn't needed.

I also noticed a couple of four pins on the MIO Board labled BlueTooth. Not sure if they are exactly the same type four pin, but they are open but perhaps a bit out of range.

Looking at the top lighting board there is the CPU fan four pin that is open. It would accept a three pin unless it to is controlled by the MIO Board. That would bring me back to my previous questions:

                          Here is a question. The 920 uses a three pin connector but has the ability to control the rpms. The info you posted was dated 2006 I believe and things           do change, so I wonder if the tach funtion hasn't been incorporated into one of the other three wires on the 920 and would work on the four pin connector?

                        Also, would there be any way to know what the four pin connector power output is compared to the seven pin connector used to run the pump.        If the new 920 runs everything off one three pin, they must have been able to reduce the power needed as well to run their system.

At the end of the day none of it matters because the rad is to thick to fit the system, well the Area 51 anyway.

If you open your system and take a look at the stock rad you will see it is larger then the 3 slots for the 120mm fans. The stock rad is NOT in the vents but it is acutaly hanging right below it..it doesnt fit in the venting area. The only way to use another rad would be getting one the same or lesser size or a 2x2 or 3x3 120mm rad to use the other two 120mm slots. Keep in mind if you decide to use a 2x2/3x3 120mm rad it still can't be any thicker then what you have now. Look at this picture and you will see what I mean. The rad is thicker then the mounting unit.

If you have an Aurora then it may fit for all I know. I dont have that system so I don't know how much room you have. If it has a rear 120mm slot then another mounting option to making a larger rad fit or to add another fan is to mount 1 fan or 1fan and the rad on the outside of the case instead of the inside. You can even mount the entire thing outside the case if you like.

Something like this

As far as the pins go you need to go buy a Dell 5-pin adapter that will convert the standard 4-pin on the new pump into the Dell 5-pin and then plug it into the same board the stock pump is plugged into. The new fan would plug into the same 4-pin the stock fan uses. If you go with dual fans then you need to buy a 4-pin splitter to power the 2nd fan.

This site has both the Dell 5-pin 4-wire adapter and the 4-pin PWN Y splitter  http://www.1stpccorp.com/cb_fan_cable.htm

Y Splitter

4-pin to Dell 5-pin adapter

I also noticed a couple of four pins on the MIO Board labled BlueTooth. Not sure if they are exactly the same type four pin, but they are open but perhaps a bit out of range.

That is not for a fan. It is for a special BlueTooth wireless module. I got one with my machine just to check it out.

Thanks for the help Morblore,

The Aroura is a bit different than a 51 machine. You are right, the 920 is four inches thick and one fan would need to be connected outside the case-no problem other than a slightly longer screw to compensate for the case exhaust cover protruding outward a bit.

The Aroura stock cooler comes with a four pin fan connector and a separate seven pin pump connector. The 920 incorporates both the fans and pump power and control lines into a single three pin connector to a motherboard source. The 920 supplies the adapter for the two fans which returns to the pump housing and then a single three pin connector line from the pump to power everything.

Because the Aroura has four pins for the CPU fan (not used) and a four pin for the current single fan set-up, I do have access to two four pin connectors should one pin not be enough juice. I would then have to find a Y adapter with two female four pin connectors to a single three pin connector. However it may still not allow me to control the fans because of the MIO board.

The current set-up pump connector is a seven pin and I havent seen such an adapter. Not sure I would want to use it anyway as that connector is run by the MIO board which wont allow me to manually adjust the fans either.

The only option I see is the four pin next to the memory that goes to the BLINK. If it is motherboard contolled there is a chance it will work if it can supply the proper juice. These are the questions I need help answering.

If anyone has noticed, the memory fan is about as useless as it can get. I removed it from the case and attempted to feel for any air flow. There was no air moving from either side. I then cut a thin piece of paper and held it to the fan hoping to see some bend, but again nothing from either side of this little fan. So this fan being pointless and hopefully not controlled by the MIO board, would be a good connection for the 920 system if it were able to supply enough juice. One of those questions I need help answered.

The obvious solution to all of this would be for AW to return control of the system fan back to the user. There was a time I had such control and my suystem work great. After the CC and BIOS changes, I ended up having to have the MIO board replace, and while I don't believe it needed it, Dell replaced the PCI, Hard drive, and water cooler system as well.

The tech that came out looked at the computer after all the installation. He called Dell (AW) and told them it was a software issue with the CC as he saw for himself that the once manually controllable system fan was non responsive. However, after several restarts, my CC was changed forever to a less functional method resulting in much higher core temps and a fluctuating system fan whenever something as simple as opening up a program or IExplorer.

I'm tempted to unistall the CC and reload from the disk. There has been some talk that this would ruin the MIO board but I'm not sure why. Besides it could be a BIOS change as well or a combination, although I think it is just A CC issue.

That's what I figured. They didn't even look like the fan four pins.

Do you have any answers for my other questions?

Do you have any answers for my other questions?

I get the feeling you are looking for definitive answers. No, I'm not familiar with the Antec 920 nor have I added any fans to my Aurora X-58.

I'm not one to repeat myself, but I'll say it again ... I think it would be very easy and inexpensive to add a simple fan (running at 30%-50% or whatever) to pass more air over the radiator. If it eventually becomes un-needed for this purpose, you could always move it to the inside case top vent.

Well, actually I've asked the same questions a few times over about certain pin connections, what specfic ones do, etc..., to help me determine how I might be able to connect the 920 and not anything specific about the 920. But just like the CC software when you said I was imagining what I was seeing or imagined I had control of the sysytem fan I guess I'm imagining having ever asked any of the above questions. (I also heard the imaginary sound of the system fan when I had the imaginary manual control)  But hey, while everyone is building systems or making software to run their own fans as they see fit, dell would rather have you run your cores 10 to 20 c hotter than they need to.

And today I decided waiting for Dell to give us a CC that works could be months away, if ever. So I bought a fan and screwed it onto the radiator. I went looking for the Tricooler since many said it worked well and had an in-line controller. Best Buy was out (thankfully) so I went to Radio Shack and purchased a fan for under 10 US dollars, a ThermalTake 120mm Highest Performance DC Fan. The P/N is A 2368, operates at one speed (2000 rpms) so no in-line controller. But since everyone places there extra fan at max why spend an addition 12 dollars for something you don't plan on using. The fan puts out 78 CFm's at a silent 21 dBA's, has a life expectancy of 30,000 hours.

The fan hooks up with a Molex 4Pin and has hardware included for fastening. I found however that the bolts were to small for the holes in the radiator so to the toolbox I went and found some appropriate screws instead. Installing took five minutes or less and once installed made a significant difference in the temps.

I ran prime without the fan for 12 minutes and the cores were 80, 80, 76, 77. (These numbers are better since I applied Arctic Silver 5)

I closed Prime and after five minutes the cores were 55, 53, 54, 53 at Idle

With the fan installed and running prime 12 minutes the cores were 78, 77, 74, 74 (2.5 c cooler)

I closed prime and after five minutes the cores were 48, 44, 46, 43 at idle (8.5 c cooler) A significant difference.

The system fan without the RS Fan went to 3123 rpms but only to 2830 with the RS fan installed. The fan at 21 dBA's isn't even heard.

So if dell would just adjust the CC so it runs just a few hundred more rpm's (or better yet give us the control over our computer) ...... never mind I must be imagining things again!

Let's just say there wont be any more Dell computers after this one. Trying to talk to Dell now and they claim my three year warranty expired. Funny how I bought this machine in October 2009. So the lady insists that my warranty has expired but to please hold for two minutes while she gets into a different screen. Thirty minutes later she still hasn't come back and I doubt she ever was.

So I call back and ask to speak to Pedro manager that in the past has had to clean up after dell support more than once. The individual says he is transfering me but whoever picks up has no idea who is. He says please hold and after 10 more minutes without him returning he hangs up.

Dell really is the most poorly run operation I have come across in years. It simply is incredible they sell anything at all. A friend of mine has a dell laptop still in warranty and they have had to replace the mobo, video card, hard drive, and now there is another issue with his laptop.

Does anyione at dell know how terrible their company has become?

Calling dell back again for the third time........... and now the fourth time...........one hour calling and waiting and not a single thing discussed other than service tag and please hold - disconnect - call back - call this extension - please hold hold and more hold. Still on hold. I seem to have found someone that might get this straightened out.....on hold again one hour 15 minutes so far.....still on hold...... fella seems to know how to fix dells mistake but has to put me on hold again for several minutes more....on hold.... he has fixed the warranty mistake so I guess in the future dell wont just hang up on me thinking I'm out of warranty.... back on hold.....one hour 25 minutes.... still on hold one hour 35 minutes..........still on hold one hour 50 minutes. Part is now being looked into. Not sure if the warranty people have fixed their mistake. Gabriel says they must be very busy today for some reason. So I guess they haven't fixed it yet....still on hold two hours......

After two hours and 15 minutes part is being shipped but warranty hasn'r been corrected. Said it might be seeral more hours and didn't want to keep me on the phone. Will email me tomorrow to confirm warranty has been corrected.

2 hours and 15 minutes four techs, one supervisor, three call disconnects and a 10 dollar radio shack fan to make it all work. What a day!

... so I went to Radio Shack and purchased a fan for under 10 US dollars, a ThermalTake 120mm Highest Performance DC Fan. The P/N is A 2368, operates at one speed (2000 rpms) so no in-line controller. But since everyone places there extra fan at max why spend an addition 12 dollars for something you don't plan on using. The fan puts out 78 CFm's at a silent 21 dBA's, has a life expectancy of 30,000 hours.   The fan hooks up with a Molex 4Pin and has hardware included for fastening.   ... and a 10 dollar radio shack fan to make it all work. What a day!

Yes, I thought that might work for you ... to get more air over the radiator.

Thanks for supplying the model numbers ... others might want to do the same thing.

Who would have thought that after 3600 dollars for a computer, eight months trying to solve a heat problem, replacing failed MIO boards, fans pumps, etc... wasted hours with dell support, being sent the wrong refurbished system as a replacement, and very little answers elsewhere, all it took was a

10 dollar fan from radio shack........