XPS 8930 SE, top fan not same as XPS 8920

Appreciate the quick response and the encouragement! I just spoke with tech support and cancelled the service dispatch. I tried again to get them to send a 120mm fan, but they wouldn't budge. Maybe because I have just the basic 1 year warranty? Really frustrating support experience. But a couple fans are not going to break the bank, even if it stings a little, and I'll learn something new in the process if I do it myself. Any recommendations for thermal paste, or a video to show how it's done?

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@ryfly wrote:

Appreciate the quick response and the encouragement! I just spoke with tech support and cancelled the service dispatch. I tried again to get them to send a 120mm fan, but they wouldn't budge. Maybe because I have just the basic 1 year warranty? Really frustrating support experience. But a couple fans are not going to break the bank, even if it stings a little, and I'll learn something new in the process if I do it myself. Any recommendations for thermal paste, or a video to show how it's done?

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I would call them again a say others have gotten free fans in their forum, and the 1 year warranty has nothing to do with it.

Those videos are on YouTube, I did one and there's nothing to it. You might have to order a little paste or just go to your local computer store and ask for a dab.

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@ryfly wrote:
Did Dell do the install for you? I'm afraid I could end up with a refurbished fan and potentially poorer thermal contact between CPU and heatsink depending on how carefully the Dell tech performs the install.

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Luck of the draw I guess - or maybe because I had just gotten the unit and was very much ready to return it.  I didn't threaten or anything like that, just stated the facts.  The support folks are mostly in the dark I think on how the systems are designed/built.  There's just too many variations so it's no fault on their part.  They sent a tech both times.  First time he just had the 92mm fan and bracket.  It was obvious to him what I wanted, but they just supplied him the wrong part because the 120mm is probably not associated in any way in their parts system with the 8930.  Some how, the second time, someone figured it out and the tech brought out a 120mm fan and bracket.  He insisted the CPU did not need re-pasting but was content at my request to do so.  I had run it long enough to see the temps beforehand and afterwards they were the same.  I only have the standard warranty.  I like you just didn't want to mess with that CPU heatsink.  After watching the tech though it wasn't as difficult/complicated as I had imagined.

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@rh310 wrote:

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@ryfly wrote:
Did Dell do the install for you? I'm afraid I could end up with a refurbished fan and potentially poorer thermal contact between CPU and heatsink depending on how carefully the Dell tech performs the install.

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Luck of the draw I guess - or maybe because I had just gotten the unit and was very much ready to return it.  I didn't threaten or anything like that, just stated the facts.  The support folks are mostly in the dark I think on how the systems are designed/built.  There's just too many variations so it's no fault on their part.  They sent a tech both times.  First time he just had the 92mm fan and bracket.  It was obvious to him what I wanted, but they just supplied him the wrong part because the 120mm is probably not associated in any way in their parts system with the 8930.  Some how, the second time, someone figured it out and the tech brought out a 120mm fan and bracket.  He insisted the CPU did not need re-pasting but was content at my request to do so.  I had run it long enough to see the temps beforehand and afterwards they were the same.  I only have the standard warranty.  I like you just didn't want to mess with that CPU heatsink.  After watching the tech though it wasn't as difficult/complicated as I had imagined.

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I'm glad you were able to get the correct size fan.    Squeaky wheel does get the grease!

Don’t be afraid of the CPU cooler heatsink R & R.

As long as you have alcohol low in water content (91% stuff) and you use a cotton pad or equivalent that doesn’t shed fibers you will be fine. 

Clean off the heatsink, clean off the CPU of any residue, apply the thermal paste, install the heatsink.

Lots of videos.

I have always done it this way where I just put a little dot on the center of the CPU and then cut an old credit card in half and use it to spread a very thin layer on the CPU and feather out to the edges.   Less is better, and just add a small amount more if it won’t feather out to the edges any longer.  Center is more important than the edges but I'm probably a little too neat about things.

This is the i7 8700 before I re-installed the H60 CPU cooler on it.  (Using Arctic Silver MX-4 thermal paste)

If you have the SE Heatsink, it might not be bad idea to put a Y cable on the TOP FAN header just in case you want to change fans or add another to the header.    Then any future fan upgrades can be done without having to remove the heatsink.

This is a decent video on how to R& R the SE cooler for future reference 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMmCb6gBW-8

Should I ever have to do that in the future, thanks for the credit card tip!  I was not confident that I could put the correct drop size in the center of the CPU to get full/uniform/effective spread.  The more I see this done, the less scary it looks.  But Dell hooked me up with what I wanted so I'm good for a few years :-) 

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@rh310 wrote:

Should I ever have to do that in the future, thanks for the credit card tip!  I was not confident that I could put the correct drop size in the center of the CPU to get full/uniform/effective spread.  The more I see this done, the less scary it looks.  But Dell hooked me up with what I wanted so I'm good for a few years :-) 

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Nothing to it, just do it.

rh310, I just want to verify:  you upgraded your chassis fan from 92mm to 120mm and it resulted in no change in termperatures, just noise?  I am getting high CPU temperatures doing moderately intensive things and it's really making me regret my decision.  I have the 8930 with the i7-8700(non-k).  I think what might really help is the CPU cooler that comes with the K processor models.  Dell is really cutting corners with these machines and making them hard to upgrade in terms of case volume/arrangement, I'll have to recommend no one else buy one.

Options I can think of: complain to Dell to get the better CPU heatsink and fan

Complain to Dell to get the 120mm chassis fan, improving noise but maybe not temperatures

Underclock my processor to 3900mHz as described here https://www.dell.com/community/Desktops-General-Read-Only/Dell-XPS-8930-is-noisy-under-load-How-to-improve-Cooling-Top-Fan/td-p/5171062

Apparently pre-emptive underclocking can prevent both throttling and temperature spikes.

I would really like to know if a bigger chassis fan improved temperatures at all for anyone!

Everybody; just do like I did in my "added front fan" thread.....….it's not that hard to do, get all that air coming through the front where it's supposed to.

Search for;  added 120mm front fan (with pictures)

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@Dingazoid wrote:

rh310, I just want to verify:  you upgraded your chassis fan from 92mm to 120mm and it resulted in no change in termperatures, just noise?  I am getting high CPU temperatures doing moderately intensive things and it's really making me regret my decision.  I have the 8930 with the i7-8700(non-k).  I think what might really help is the CPU cooler that comes with the K processor models.  Dell is really cutting corners with these machines and making them hard to upgrade in terms of case volume/arrangement, I'll have to recommend no one else buy one.

Options I can think of: complain to Dell to get the better CPU heatsink and fan

Complain to Dell to get the 120mm chassis fan, improving noise but maybe not temperatures

Underclock my processor to 3900mHz as described here https://www.dell.com/community/Desktops-General-Read-Only/Dell-XPS-8930-is-noisy-under-load-How-to-improve-Cooling-Top-Fan/td-p/5171062

Apparently pre-emptive underclocking can prevent both throttling and temperature spikes.

 

I would really like to know if a bigger chassis fan improved temperatures at all for anyone!

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If you are still interested in the "K" model CPU heatsink/blower fan I have one that I am no longer using I can send you. You would need to obtain the heatsink mounting screws that screw into the mobo. Just let me know.

It looks like this: (click photo to embiggen)

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Dingazoid wrote:

rh310, I just want to verify:  you upgraded your chassis fan from 92mm to 120mm and it resulted in no change in termperatures, just noise?  I am getting high CPU temperatures doing moderately intensive things and it's really making me regret my decision.  I have the 8930 with the i7-8700(non-k).  I think what might really help is the CPU cooler that comes with the K processor models.  Dell is really cutting corners with these machines and making them hard to upgrade in terms of case volume/arrangement, I'll have to recommend no one else buy one.

Options I can think of: complain to Dell to get the better CPU heatsink and fan

Complain to Dell to get the 120mm chassis fan, improving noise but maybe not temperatures

Underclock my processor to 3900mHz as described here https://www.dell.com/community/Desktops-General-Read-Only/Dell-XPS-8930-is-noisy-under-load-How-to-improve-Cooling-Top-Fan/td-p/5171062

Apparently pre-emptive underclocking can prevent both throttling and temperature spikes.

 

I would really like to know if a bigger chassis fan improved temperatures at all for anyone!

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If you are still interested in the "K" model CPU heatsink/blower fan I have one that I am no longer using I can send you. You would need to obtain the heatsink mounting screws that screw into the mobo. Just let me know.

It looks like this: (click photo to embiggen)

 

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The top one? Of course it does, Dell gipt us.