XPS 8930, another CPU fan question?

@SaveMeJeebus 

My thoughts...

First step would be to check CPU core temps at idle and under load.

This free CPU temp diagnostic utility works for me:  https://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/

The CPU torture test in free Prime95 works for me:  https://www.mersenne.org/download/

Next, improve the case fan cooling and recheck CPU core temps.  What I did:  https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-Desktops/XPS-8930-how-is-the-cooling-in-the-i9-9900/m-p/7508730/highlight/true#M46666

Next, upgrade the CPU cooler.  I have not needed to do this.

GK

@SaveMeJeebus 

Case fans will help.  CPU cooler may help, especially if the new cooler uses heat pipes or the OEM cooler assembly is flawed (not likely with your temps since they seem normally high).

As a general rule... making and confirming one change at a time has its advantages... easier to assess and troubleshoot cause and affect.  And if an incremental change fixes the issue, you're done.

Do let us know how any CPU cooler upgrade goes so we can learn from that.

GK

@SaveMeJeebus   I may as well look at the CPU cooling as well. 

Agreeing with @GKDesigns that case fans is the place to start. If you get this Aurora R5/6/7 bracket, a 120mm fan will easily snap into the lower front intake position. Make sure your top exhaust fan is 120mm. Also note the "K" model blower style CPU cooler in the second photo, which can be considered, if necessary, along with the Arctic Freezer Low Profile unit.

Thanks for the advice, folks - I'll order parts in the next little bit and let you all know what happens when I add some case cooling.

This counts as schooling for the kids who are stuck at home with me, right? It should!

@SaveMeJeebus 

This counts as schooling for the kids who are stuck at home with me, right? It should!

We think it should but my two daughters were never interested in such things at that age unless Legos count.  One of them went on to get a Masters in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, so don't despair and have faith... they'll surprise you in one way or the other.

GK

cpu 89C is too hot.  ok Intel GEN 9 CPU !

causes are simple here is a list. (thermodynamics 101 day)_

• room is too hot, here it is 85f, on my beach house way hotter, is the room hot now. 95F is max on room.
• CPU TIM bad, old and cracked TIM is bad TIM. (aka, Heat sink grease) replace it and do not use to MUCH.
• lint on heatsinks and fans make them useless, clean the PC, really this is first and vents too. and PSU vents.
• wires not hitting fan blades, do I really need to say that or stalled fans are bad? (PSU fan may be off)
• Bad or dead or missing case fans. (bad system design or wrong fans put in)
• what is is there, ?nothing ahh some PCs have bad BIOS,  and run fans too slow. upgrade BIOS>?

one can see clearly the CPU sends heat directly in to the case confines so case fans must remove this heat

or the CPU will overheat.  simple , fact is AIR COOL from room must enter the case and exit. or bad happens.

the top GPU cards can blow huge hot air into the case, not to rear of card to room but to the poor case.

that too is huge problem, now case fans must be beefed up to get that huge heat load out of the case.

all this is basic basics. end to end.

warning to the noobs, some fans do not turn on or go full speed until heat or power goes over 20 % of normal.

PSU do  that if new. (off until 20% of rated load is hit) or more.

GPU do that too if new, do you have GPU card? IDK what is inside YOUR PC> not me. and not told.

CPu all run full time, mine runs slow because BIOS sets it slow for my CPU runs so cool. by my efforts.

heat load 1 is here. then comes GPU heat  load.

Warning to the noobs, do not put thermal compound on top of your CPU fan as suggested in the post above!

GK

@SaveMeJeebus 

For reference, here are my i9-9900 CPU (stock cooler) core temps under full load running the Prime95 torture test after upgrading to two 120mm case fans, which ramp up their speed with CPU load (still pleasant sounding)

The CPU freq can vary up to the mid-4000s.

I believe the recommendation is to keep core temps 15-20c less than Tj. Max.  So, 80-85c for my system.  Of course, I never run my system at full load.

GK

@GKDesigns your pictures didn't show up for some reason, but I've been keeping an eye on this for curiosity's sake. This morning after an hour of gaming my CPU got as hot as 87 C, and averaged closer to 70 C. I don't think that things are quite as bad as I had originally thought.

However I've already ordered two 120 mm fans to go in the case, they should be here hopefully tomorrow. I can't find the correct bracket to attach it to the top of the case anywhere online, so it looks like I'll head into the metal shop and make something - that's the joy of being attached to a school when there's no-one else around. Access to many tools and light scrap steel. I'm sure I can bodge something together to make it fit.

@savvy2  in my case, the computer being in a basement in the middle of the bald frozen prairies of Canada, room temperature isn't much of a concern. House is 22 C (70 F) upstairs, and cooler down here.

The computer is relatively new, so a gunked up cooler isn't a problem, and there are no wires causing the fan to not spin. 

You're 100% correct on the bad/missing case fans. There is only one in the case at the moment, and it's undersized. At the recommendation of others on this forum, I've ordered a pair of 120 MM fans. One to replace the 92 MM top fan and one to add in the front to draw in cooler air. I've also removed the excess drive bays, as they weren't being used and would cause air flow restrictions once I get the new fans in place.

As for the thermal paste, I'm not likely to remove the CPU cooler and replace the paste, unless I'm replacing the CPU cooler entirely. And depending on what happens with the case fans, I may or may not do that.

But thank you for your reply, it's all good informatio!

@SaveMeJeebus 

Images show up once the forum moderator approves them.  Dell has a social media conscience, if not adequate cooling on their XPS Tower product.

The sheet metal mounting plate for the top case fan is thin and easily bent, much like the lower HDD cages.  I don't mind the use of marginal material, but you do need to handle it with due respect.

You may not be able to copy it, material and mounting-wise.  So you may need to improvise with your own material.  I suppose you could modify the existing 92mm mounting plate, if careful not to destroy the flimsy thing, but that would burn that bridge.

I don't recall if it's possible to mount the fan directly to four holes in the chassis framework like I was able to do for the lower front case fan.  And I'm too lazy to look now.  Let us know how you get by on your own... others may need your solution... consider that a spec... others need to be able to reproduce it... that's why I went with four drill holes on the lower fan vs buying the fixture that won't be sold for very long.

GK

@SaveMeJeebus 

Drill away.  And know that one tiny rogue metal shaving can end it.

3D printing?  That's mad skills but doesn't meet the 'by anyone' spec! 

GK

@GKDesigns I don't think that's it's possible to add the top fan directly to the case without drilling holes. I had the computer apart yesterday for the kids and I to look over and I'm pretty sure I'd have to drill holes to make it fit. Which isn't the end of the world either, I suppose?

Also, I've had a quick look around the interwebs and I'm surprised there's not templates for 3D printed versions of these items. Not too shocked, I guess, as Dell would likely squish them for copyright, but... a bit shocked anyhow. You can 3D print anything these days! If I was more comfortable with the software I'd just make one myself...

@SaveMeJeebus 

Aurora Top Exhaust Fan Bracket