XPS 8940, I should have looked closer before buying

I now completely agree with you, 3 Argentum, building my own is the way to go from here out.
Thanks.

Maybe someone from Dell will see this and do something. I think it is also why Gateway went down the toilet also. 

I have always had good luck with HP Computers. And at one time I had a Compaq it was good that is because it was exact same has HP models just the name Compaq. HP I guess did not see a reason to have both brands and kelp the one with good reputation.

But HP does somethings these days that may get them into trouble. 

@KGA4841 

Here is my full cooling setup. In order of best return for cooling.

1. Noctua NH-U9S CPU Cooler (Do this first!)

2. Noctua NF-A12x15 120mm (run off Sata power with one Low Noise Adapter) in top front position

3. Noctua NF-A9 PWM 92mm (run off case fan header) in top rear position

4. Noctua NF-A9 PWM 92mm second CPU cooler fan

5. Noctua NF-A9 PWM 92mm(run off case fan header) in front lower position

6. Noctua NF-A6x25 flx (run off case fan header with ultra low noise adapter), this is cooling the GPU and Power supply

Most would be happy with 1-4. 5 and 6 are unnecessary. The 120mm front fan moves enough air by itself.

Top fan uses Noctua mounts. Middle and bottom use zip ties.

Runs in the mid to high 30s (34-37c).

Gaming is mid to high 60s (64-69c). Way better than stock where I would thermal throttle at 99c!

@kanadian-kaos 

Great Job!!!  . . . and thanks for sharing.

Some SFX form factor PSU are 2.5" inch wide which is pretty much the exact width available in the case. 

So, let say someone is willing to modify the case to cut off a larger hole and add some mount fixation anchor for such psu, then would the dell OptiPlex 24 pin to 6 pin adapter work?

Here is an example of a SFX PSU. 
https://www.newegg.ca/cooler-master-v750-sfx-gold-mpy-7501-sfhagv-us-750w/p/N82E16817171171
It has the following connectors : 

My idea (perhaps a dumb one since I don't much regarding hardware) is that the EPS 4+4 could connect to both ATX CPU1 and ATX CPU while the adapter is used to connect the ATX 24 pin to the motherboard's 6 pin. Would this work? 

 I have the same system, it was working fine until 2 days ago when it locked up in the middle of a Destiny 2 game.  Device manager showed an error 43 on the video card which I was able to clear, but even after restarts, reinstalls of the game, running their video and diagnostic tests, the game will no longer run.  My other games are also slower and/or running on lower graphics settings.  Went on support chat, the tech did mostly the same things (reinstalled drivers twice, etc.) and had no luck, this morning spent 3 hours watching another guy try to fix it and he finally gave up and told me to reinstall Windows.   Did that and no change--the game won't run. 

   I emailed them and told them it has to be a hardware issue, I even sent them a link to this page and mentioned the power supply issue.  We'll see if they want to replace the card, the power supply or the motherboard but I have the feeling this is going to be a long process.  I am also starting to regret my purchase and think maybe I should have just gotten their Alienware system.  This is my 3rd Dell but the first one I've had major problems with. 

Rats. Sorry to hear about that. How old is your desktop?
If you do have to go in another direction, seriously consider building your own.
Select your CPU, mother board, GPU, case, amount of RAM, and you most likely will be quite pleased with yourself.
Love my XPS laptop ... my XPS 8900 desktop lasted close to 6 years before the PS quit (of course I upgraded the GPU and installed an SSD), but I will never purchase a "built" system ever again.

@garyll  - Is monitor connected to the add-in video card, if you have one, and not to one of the onboard Intel Graphics ports?

Error 43 is typically a driver issue. So manually set a System Restore point, to be safe, then go into Device Manager and roll back the video card's driver to the previous version. Then reboot and see if that helps...

@kanadian-kaos 

So how is that multi fan front intake going after a few months?
Considering doing something similar with an nf-a12x15 pwm up top and an nf-a9 pwm down near the bottom..

Have you noticed much difference with dust in the case with the positive pressure setup? And how is it for noise? And do you have it filtered in any way?

Cheers

@kanadian-kaos 

Sweet. I pretty much only use mine for gaming with headphones on.  

One last question, do you think nf-a12x25 will fit up top there? Bit hard to tell from the pics. I’ve tried to have a measure but it’s too cramped in there to get accurate.. 

Cheers

hey man,

I just bought this XPS 8940 (but with a 3060ti) and was reading this forum for help with thermals. When you swapped the stock fans with the Noctua's, did you need to do anything special? Or was it literally just replace the fans with the Noctuas and connect in the exact same spot on the motherboard?

I am a beginner so I am learning a lot right now. So many thanks. 

hey man,

When swapping the stock fans for the Noctua's you recommended, is it literally just plug and play? Like disconnect the fans from the mobo and then just remove the stock fans and connect the Noctua's to the same place on the mobo?

I am a beginner, learning as I go. Thank you very much

Man, you are amazing. Thank you so much for this info (and mentioning Warzone as thats what I am hoping for (1440p, 100+fps)).

When swapping the stock garbage CPU fans for the Noctua NH-D9L, is it as easy as just positioning correctly and then connecting to the same place on the mobo as the original fan?

With the rear fan, is it the exact same thing? Like swap out the stock black rear fan for something else and then just connecting the new fan to the exact same spot where the rear black fan was on the mobo?

Hope this helps

https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-Desktops/XPS-8940-Better-cooler/td-p/7690322/page/5

@EhsanHaque24
I had the exact same computer as yours.  Before I purchased it, I knew I need to upgrade the thermal solution ASAP.  NH-D9L is excellent choice and easy DIY w/o case mod.  Upgrade your rear fan and add a front fan with fan header splitter will keep you pc in decent temperature (75 degree c on both CPU & GPU while gaming COD Warzone in 1440p high settings and +100 fps).

Good luck and have fun, stay safe.

KuroAkuma80