x17 R1, constant fan noises at idle

Question

I've recently got my x17 R1 and found out that the fans are constantly running at high speed and cause very noticeable noise, even when the system is idle and the CPU/GPU temperature is low (~ 115 F).

I've tried
(1) upgrade the BIOS to the latest v1.1.2, and made sure Fan Performance mode is disabled in the BIOS
(2) set the thermal profile to Quiet in Alienware Command Centre (also tried all possible settings of offset and smooth line for thermal in Alienware Command Centre)
(3) put the system to the absolute idle

It appears the the laptop would still maintain the following fan speed as a bare minimum, which produces noticeable/annoying noises:
(1) 70% speed for CPU Fan 1
(2) 0% speed for CPU Fan 2
(3) 70% speed for GPU Fan 1
(4) 0% speed for GPU Fan 2

It appears to me that the so called Intelligent Quad Airflow of X17 is failing hard at the moment, and the inability to control the fan speed through Alienware Command Center seems like a bug.

I'm considering returning the laptop.

Iron Mike 80 · Answer

Hi! I’ve encountered the same issue  and then finally solved it, the system works fine actually.  The fans are running loud at idle when you’re in 'Nvidia only mode' and Power management is set to Max performance in the Nvidia control panel. I have a G-sync/Optimus display and then I switched to 'Auto-select' option (basically switched to integrated graphics at idle), fans started to work quiet, even completely silent when you do nothing. If you want to use Nvidia card all the time, when you need to set power management mode to Normal in the Nvidia Control panel, otherwise GPU runs at the highest speed (1545/7000 MHz) without any load, which also triggers the fan speed. Under Normal mode GPU clocks are minimal and fan speed is adjusted accordingly. Also switching power modes in the Alienware command center between High performance and Balanced can improve acoustics, but I have to check it. Hope it helps.

crimsom · Answer

Hi @Ty168 welcome to this user to user discussion forum. This is not Dell Support.

This is an English forum and user can be at any location with its local environmental extremes. There may be a valid reason why Alienware x17 R1 CPU fan speed is not less than 70%.

Have a look at this article Here to see if HWiNFO is the fix for this Alienware x17 R1 system.

Please click on Kudos to say thank you for response from user that is not employed by Dell. Please share an update on progress, so that other users derive benefit from your experience. Thank you.

Ty168 · Answer

Hi @crimsom ,

Thanks for your reply.

I understand this forum is not Dell Support. I'm simply making comment on my poor experience with the new X17 R1.

I've tried HWiNFO before making the original post but it didn't work as the fan icon doesn't show up in the tool. Also, this would be a risky and improper solution.

crimsom · Answer

Hi @Ty168 thank you for sharing update that you have already used HWiNFO.

When the CPU fan icon fails to show in the HWiNFO diagnostic, it suggests that the fan sensor has failed. Please run F12 ePSA diagnostics.

At splash screen, press and hold down F12, when boot screen appears select Diagnostics and press enter to run, When new screen appears stop all tests and click on bottom RH corner icon to enter parts test selection window. In LH column, look for fans icon and click test fans.

Ty168 · Answer

Thanks again.

I ran the tests for fans through F12, the results were "All tests passed successfully". Again, I don't think the issue is specific to my laptop, but a general issue simply caused by the Alienware team not properly setting the fan speed, especially for acoustic sensitive users. The team could have set the minimum fan speed to be way lower than 70% . I understand x17 R1 is new, but I don't have the patience and energy to wait for an uncertain amount of time for a possible fix. I've decided to ask for a return.

LapRo · Answer

I`m experiencing the exact same problem with my x17. Fan is stuck at 63% while gpu and CPU is at 40 degree. Love the laptop but the fan noise is killing it for me. Returning it!

PsychoG33K · Answer

I have the X17 R1 3080 2T, overclocked & undervolted and fans set to Performance.  Here is what mine is showing while idle (3%-5% cpu usage).  I am running the 1.1.2 bios and

PsychoG33K · Answer

This is what happens when I switch to 'quiet'... it increased the fan usage and turns on the other 2 fans... that makes sense... NOT!

fan speed2.png

EDIT: after a couple minutes, the other 2 fans went back to zero and the GPU dropped down, but not any difference from Performance to Quiet.

fan speed3.png

PsychoG33K · Answer

After testing different fan speed options and turning off overclocking and multiple reboots... I came to the conclusion that ACC has NO CLUE what the fan speed actually is. I can hear my fans are running but lower percentage (quiet but not 'quiet') and this is what ACC is now telling me...

fan speed4.png

Typical Dell... bad QA and bad software!! I left Dell (XPS) for Acer then Razer and tried coming back for this so-called AWESOME new Alienware... NOT... if only the Razer 17" refresh was 165 watt on the 3080, I would return the Dell... but... after dealing with support today on my processor heat issue... I might still return it. Very Sad Dell!!

Iron Mike 80 · Answer

Hi all! Just to update you on my latest post, definitely if you sit in Optimus mode (Nvidia card for games/Integrated graphics for Windows applications), the system is absolutely comfortable, fans are even idle when you just browsing in the internet. The downside here is that performance in games is better in “Nvidia card only” mode, and games run smoother (on Optimus I experience some twitches when gaming, which are a bit annoying, no clear why).

If you switch to “Nvidia card only” mode, the system is getting louder at idle, so 2 fans out of 4 are running at 60-70% all the the time. If you want more frame rate, then you need to switch to Balanced or Performance mode, BUT fans in these modes start to ramp up considerably and you can hardly play without a headset.

Suggestion to Dell/Alienware - it would great if you do something with thermal profiles and make them more “balanced”. I would expect Balanced mode more acceptable from the fan noise perspective than it currently is, especially when you have Performance and Full speed modes still to activate. Also, fan noise control could be improved in “Nvidia mode only” - now it looks like sensors react more to clock speeds rather than actual temperature levels.

A51-06 · Answer

Wow it seems like a issue that was tooo easy for this guy to fix. @Iron Mike 80 You're a genius for providing this solution and I hope the issue was solved @Ty168

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x17 R1, constant fan noises at idle

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