fans run at high-speed over-cooling CPU

Question

we have two identical server R220, except one with E3-1220 and other with E-1230. I am trying to run them with very low power and noise, so I've disabled turbo-mode and hyper-threading on E3-1230, thus making it very similar to E3-1220.

But... here is CPU temp and fans speed on one server

ID | Name             | Type                     | Reading    | Units | Event
7 | Sys Fan1         | Fan                      | 3480.00    | RPM   | 'OK'
8 | Sys Fan2         | Fan                      | 3480.00    | RPM   | 'OK'
9 | Sys Fan3         | Fan                      | 3360.00    | RPM   | 'OK'
10 | Inlet Temp       | Temperature              | 26.00      | C     | 'OK'
72 | Temp             | Temperature              | 36.00      | C     | 'OK'

and here is on another

7 | Sys Fan1         | Fan                      | 8640.00    | RPM   | 'OK'
8 | Sys Fan2         | Fan                      | 8880.00    | RPM   | 'OK'
9 | Sys Fan3         | Fan                      | 3120.00    | RPM   | 'OK'
10 | Inlet Temp       | Temperature              | 23.00      | C     | 'OK'
72 | Temp             | Temperature              | 28.00      | C     | 'OK'

I've tried all possible ways to bring Temp to 30+C so the fans will run at 3K: updated BIOS, iDRAC, replaced fans, replaced MB too. Apparently this MB does not have chip for OS to regulate fans speed.

Any insight and recommendation are appreciated

Thanks

Daniel My · Answer

Hello

The BMC/iDRAC is programmed to set fan speed min/max and adjust values based on factors like ambient temperature and system configuration. Depending on your configuration the system may run the fans at higher RPMs regardless of any detected temperature. These values cannot be edited.

Make sure your system BIOS, iDRAC, and LCC are all up to date. The fan speed thresholds can be adjusted with firmware updates, and if the values are modified in an update it may not be listed in the changes. You should also drain flea power so that the system purges all volatile memory.

Also, check to make sure your fan speed offset is not set on high:

http://www.dell.com/support/Article/an/en/andhs1/626602/EN

Thanks

sysadmin-A131S · Answer

Daniel,

Thanks for your response.

I've updated BMC/IDRAC, BIOS on both servers, that besides E3-1220 (3.1Ghz) vs E3-1230 (3.3 Ghz) have two identical specs.

But one server insists on keeping CPU at 25C, while another is fine with 32C.

Oleg

skylarking · Answer

I wish Dell would expose some of these cooling parameters via a BIOS page. Having a very lightly configured T610 which is also lightly loaded by the software i use AND having to put up with fan noise is a pain. There is absolutely no reason Dell could not expose such parameters, especially on these old and out of warrenty servers so that i could slow the fans down to a more appropriate level (considering the environment, hardware and cooling actually needed)...

Alternatively Dell could apply the same cooling logic they used in their latest servers (which are ment to be much quieter) to these older servers like the T610 (but that would be an admission that the cooling strategy on their older pedestool servers was wrong to beging with, and we can't have that can we)...

Zohar871 · Answer

I know one situation like this, when you cover not close, or the close switch doesn't work, check your cover switch, or maybe it be called as sensor.

my dell 690 workstation will like that, another reason is the CPU not add Heat dissipation silicone

PowerEdge Hardware General

fans run at high-speed over-cooling CPU

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