studio Xps 1640 Loud system fan even when idle

I just got the xps 1640 yesterday and I'm very distracted by the loud system fan. It's audible all the time even when the computer is idle. I haven't been doing anything intensive on my computer either. The fan starts as soon as windows loads and never stops. I know this laptop has heat issues but I checked the core temp and it is only between 38-41degrees C. I know the fan can get louder under load, this is what I would describe as idle but still, it seems way too loud.  I can hear it from 10 meters away in a quite room, it is getting unbearable!!

Has anyone had the same trouble? Or more importantly does anyone have a way to reduce the speed of the fan slighty? Speedfan doesn't seem to support my motherboard so I can't do it there. I've tried the latest bios update version a08, even tried the old a06, I've also updated my chipset all to no avail. Please help.

System:
P8600 2.4ghz
4gb ram
320GB (7,200rpm) WD HD

Thanks to anyone who replies.
JM