Dell Latitude 6430u - Fan Speed

I just received this laptop at work and I am also experience the constant loud fan issue.  It is rather annoying to hear a loud fan in a quiet office when there is nothing happening on my laptop except outlook.

I checked the BIOS and couldn't find any settings.  I also got speedfan working, but as soon as I modified the fan speed, something else hijacks the fan and puts it loud again.

This thing is brand new, so I'm not sure what the deal is.  Hopefully there is a fix in the works!

Thanks, daova2 - I do have this installed.  I played with the various fan options and noticed the fan goes quiet when I switch the setting, but then it ramps right up again regardless of setting (even on quiet mode).

Do you have the latest Dell Wireless dock software or are you using the wireless dock?

A prior poster stated there are fan options in the Dell Feature Enhancement Pack. Do you have that installed? If not, you can find it here.

You probably already noted this, but just in case...  the Dell Enhanced Settings in the Power Options > Advanced Settings are specific to On battery and Plugged In.  I have "on battery" set to "quiet" and "plugged in" to standard.  I also noticed the setting didn't "take", and then realized I was plugged in.  As soon as I removed external power the fan turned off.  Note that in quiet mode the fan still turns on, but isn't as aggressive.  

I also replaced the fan and the replacement was a different manufacturer.  Previously I had a loud fan that sounded like something from a dentist (high pitch whine).  The new fan is much more quiet, and I hear air moving, but not the whine of the fan bearings.  I'm wondering if there was a change made in manufacturer/lot of fans.

I am not using the wireless dock - just have USB devices and a monitor plugged in.

I did switch both the "on battery" and "plugged in" settings and didn't hear too much of a difference; the fan still runs at a constant 4500 RPM at idle.  I do just hear the airflow moving which is alone enough to annoy me.  As someone who builds commuters, I strive to have my components as quiet as possible especially when they are idling.

I have been monitoring temps and have noticed this thing runs relatively hot. Between 50 and 60 degrees Celsius on idle and jumping up to 75 - 80 on medium load.  I think this thing just might not be designed the best.  I have a Macbook Pro at home that is a powerhouse but I can only hear the fan kick in on a heavy load.

Did you try loading the latest Intel HD Graphics 4000 driver version 15.31?

I did update the Intel HD Graphics to the latest 15.31 version - it seemed to help.  The fan hovers right around 4300 RPM now instead of 4500 RPM on the quiet mode.  Though once the fan turns on, it never seems to turn off.  I also updated the DisplayLink driver to the latest version.

Its interesting, before the temps climb above 55 degrees Celsius, the fan is turned off completely.  It would make sense to at least have it running at an inaudible 2000 RPM or so.  It's like the fan has an on or an off position.

I actually use two USB devices that go from USB to DVI for an extra monitor - these also use the DisplayLink software.

I'm running Windows 7 Enterprise edition that our IT folks loaded on.  I'm guessing it is a stock setup with modifications here and there.  I didn't find 'Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller', just the USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller and USB 3.0 Root hub, and a few other USB hub mentions.

Please try installing this Chipset driver to see if you get a difference. Barring that, bring it up to the IT department. They should be able to replace the fan for you to see if that makes a difference.

Fixed the prior post.

Thanks daov2a, however that link appears to be broken.  Mind pasting the URL? I'll then give it a shot.

Well, that stinks. If you have access to DOSD, I would get it replaced anyway. You can try running Resource Monitor to determine if a particular software or something is pushing the heat up like that? I agree though. Besides the fan bug plaguing some, the sleep bug needs to be fixed ASAP. It will take a BIOS update for both and I'm not sure what is taking so long. Pretty simple for Dell to fix these two things especially since the Latitude 6430u is a flagship product they are pushing to the Enterprise.

My guess is that since the A02 driver/software was taken down that very soon, there will be an update to both.

For anyone out there trying to get a hold of the A02 Dell wireless dock software, take a peek at my setup guide here.

No luck - I updated with the chipset driver you suggested and the fan still runs as it has been.

Another coworker is experiencing the same symptoms.  Again, it appears that the fan is functioning normally, it's just that it is constantly on after the laptop heats up above 55 Celsius or so and emits a constant airflow noise.

I've been reading other threads and it looks like it affects a variety of dell laptops - the thermal controls are set to have the fan on at a higher speed most of the time.  It is a BIOS setting that can't be easily modified.

So for the time being, I think I'm SOL unless Dell decides to release a BIOS update.  I appreciate all the troubleshooting help from the thread though.