Dimension 8400 CPU FAN Problems

Question

Hi there,   I've allready searched the forum about fan problems and i see enough threads about that. The only thing that's upsetting me is that Dell seems to have no solution to this problem at all.   I want to set up a thread so Dell support can see the 'big' problems with the CPU fan in the dimension 8400. Several people included myself are having problems with it, the fan is not lowering it's speed when idle. So fanspeed is still as fast as starting up and it seems to be that the fan is allways rotating at this speed because when the cpu is fully utilized the fan rotating speed is not going up.   Dell allready swapped the heatsink after i called the Dell support desk but that didn't do the trick. So Dell is going to swap my fan this week. I'm pretty sure this will not solve the problem.   I think this problem could be a problem with the temperature sensor on the motherboard.   Please post your problem if it exists, and give your opinion about the probable cause of this problem.   If someone had this problem and it's solved please let me know ! Then i can tell it Dell support here in the Netherlands how this problem can be solved.   Cheers,

Moloko · Answer

Can you give a reference on the follow site?How much decibel?It is a dutch site,and i,m also from Belgium.   http://home.hetnet.nl/~vanadovv/Geluid.html

Tiramisu · Answer

hm I also own a dimension 8400 and it seems I have a similar problem too. It rotates at full speed all the time but unfortunately at full speed it sounds as loud as a jet plane constantly. I can hear it 3 rooms away!

Dell have replaced the fan twice, but this has not fixed the problem at all.

I hope someone has a solution to this.

thanks.

Devil Docs · Answer

I think i hear about approx. 45 decibels when idle for several hours and fully utilized procs for several hours. According to the specs below the idle sound should be around 32 decibels.

Declared Noise Emissions in accordance with ISO 9296 Dimension 8400

Sound Pressure Operator Position

(LpAm, decibels) (re 2x10-5 Pa)

Floppy Drive Accessing

38.5

Hard Drive Accessing

35.2

CD Drive Accessing

41

Idle

32.2

I 've filed a compliant to Dell Netherlands and they are working on it. I'm looking out to their call. Keep you posted.

Cheers,

redolog · Answer

Hi,   we have also two Dimension 8400 with the same fan problem. ScreenDesigner work thereby and stress the CPU, the air flow becomes very hot !! But the fan doesn´t change the speed, the rpm´s are always the same.   I don´t now if this is ok - can the processor overheat ?? I´ve got two new replacemant fans from Dell, but no change, more badly - the fans runs always with the same bad noise level. Since there, i got no response from Dell - here in Germany.   I am very interested in a solution.

solifer68 · Answer

Have dell dimension 8400 , and it's silent when you dont use the computer, it spinns up as soon as i start any program not fast but i hear it, when playing games my vacumcleaner is more silent that my dell.
Dell are going to replace my fan (DELTA bla bla) but i dont think its gonna solve anything, by the way if anyone out there have cpu temp sensor moitor to neasure cpu temp I WANT IT.

madkiwi · Answer

My 8400 fan is not super loud, but I know it is there.   What is really annoying is that it is CONSTANTLY cycling up and down- slow-fast-slow-fast on about a 4 second cycle, even when I am not stressing the system (for example my CPU utilization sitting here with my browser running it is averaging 9%).   It would be better if it would just go to one and stay there for longer than 3 seconds. If it was running hot speeding up for that long would not be enough to get the CPU cool again!   madkiwi

Magic_Dude · Answer

So did you end up resolving the CPU fan problem?
I am having the same problem. The Dell tech is supposed to be coming in sometimes this week to replace the heat sink and the fan. Hopefully this will resolve my problem.
If there is anyone out there that had similar problem with the fan please reply.

abach · Answer

My 8400 CPU fan was extremely loud - so much that I could not talk on the phone. It was the heat synch that caused the problem. I installed a new one and the fan is much quieter now.

Magic_Dude · Answer

Was your fan always loud or just when the CPU was under load?
Even right now when I just have the Oulook open and not under load my fan is spinning like crazy and the CPU usage is fluctuating. Did you have the same problem?

redolog · Answer

Hi Magic_Dude, same problem here in Germany - the CPU-FAN is noisy and fluctuating every 4-5 seconds. We replaced the fans without success. Please reply, if your problem is resolved. Good luck.

HLLUGO · Answer

I am looking on this set for help and was not surprised that I am not the only one with a similar problem. I have had my DELL since September 2004. I have had some other minor problems but nothing big. Starting yesterday (Dec 8th), my CPU fan on my DELL 8400 started getting louder and louder when I was playing a video game. I turned off the game and the noise was still loud (not as much but still very loud). Even if I open a small program like Internet Explorer or Microsoft Word the fan starts to pick up speed again (and loudness, of course). I feel like I am at an airport standing behind the turbines of a plane. I can hear the noise several rooms away. Another problem, when I put the computer on STANDBY, the fan is still spinning. I have owned many computers and have never had one that had a fan still spinning when you put it on standby.

Can anyone help me with this problem. I see that you guys called DELL and have had new fans put in and that didn't resolve your problems. Anyone know what finally did solve it?

Magic_Dude · Answer

Well, The tech is supposed to be coming in today to replace the fan and the heat sink. I will let you know what happens...

Magic_Dude · Answer

The tech just left. It took him about 10 minutes to change the CPU fan and the heat sink. I can't believe it!!! My Dimension 8400 is silent again!

The tech told me that several people have experienced the heat sink issues.

MontyR · Answer

Ok, here is the short of it. Go to this web site and download the fan utility: It's programed for Dell Inspiron laptops, but hey...it solved my loud fan problems on my Dell 8400, which by the way, is fully loaded and was extremely loud!! But not any more. Let me know how it went.

http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/index.html

Good luck !!

Monty

HLLUGO · Answer

Hey,

Just letting you know that after dealing with the DELL tech support for about an hour on the phone, I told them that I had read the DELL forums and that the heatsink and fan had to be replaced. They only wanted to replace the heatsink (I think). Either way, they replaced both heatsink and fan at the same time and it has been over a month now and so far so good...it is working perfectly fine. Although, my problems didn't actually start happening till I had the system for about 3 months, so let's see how things go.

Now, my video card....that's different. I have had it replaced twice already. But that's a story for another day.

Hector....

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Dimension 8400 CPU FAN Problems

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