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August 22nd, 2022 05:00

XPS 8950, fan cooling, confirmed options

I am hoping to get updated information on fan cooling options for the Dell XPS 8950. Reading many posts on the Dell Community Forum and Reddit, as well as watching available YouTube videos, I am at a loss to find consensus on just a few basic points regarding options that work. Plus, I am wondering now that many of those posts/videos are over 6 months old, what are people experiencing after making their various cooling mods.

My use case:
- Dell XPS 8950
- Intel i7-1200
- Stock cooler
- Used for image and video post-processing, MS Office, browsing, maybe some gaming

Looking for:
- Better fan cooling
- No BIOS errors
- Quiet operation
- Easy installation

Be Quiet, Noctua, Arctic, Vetroo, Dell (K-version cooler), and more, are all possibilities. But, some throw BIOS errors, others are not really rated for 12700 peak heat, some come with all needed hardware, others don't.

If you added a better fan cooler to your 8950, it can handle peak heat, it doesn't throw errors, and there are no issues/gotcha months later, please weigh-in! Would be great for everyone looking to do this mod now and, in the future, to have an updated, and clear picture of the options.

Thanks for helping!

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October 5th, 2022 17:00

I have the same problem , I wonder if it is related to the minimum fan speed in BIOS? I can't find the option to change that.

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77 Posts

October 5th, 2022 17:00

Do you know of any "vertical" fan that is compatible with the XPS 8950 (no BIOS error) ?

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110 Posts

October 6th, 2022 04:00

@moxxy 

I am not aware of any BIOS setting in the 8950 BIOS that allows you to set minimum speed - but I defer to the greater minds here on this forum.

Regarding a "vertical" fan, if you are referring to the CPU cooler, this is the option I went with.

Pros: no mods, perfect fit, quick install, surprisingly good performance

Cons: pricey, fan could use to be quieter at idle

If you go with this option, be sure to buy some good thermal paste.  The cooler comes with "some kinda paste" applied, but my OCD doesn't allow that - I went with Thermal Grizzly.

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