UNSOLVED

latte speed

updated

7 years ago

4

38387

June 23rd, 2019 08:00

Aurora R8, crazy fan noise!

Hello Dell Community,

I hope someone on here can feel my pain and give me a work around to this fan issue. I have not been able to find a solution to the problem I am having. Maybe i just at searching, but the point is... My new R8 is stupid loud, and i cant figure out a solution, other than buying non OEM fans to replace Alienware supported fans, and uninstalling AWCC!

My story and overall frustration:

About 3 weeks ago I went "all-in" on an Alienware Aurora R8. I used to be a big PC gamer in high school but due to lack of money and time, I had to give up the hobby. Now that I can afford a quality PC, I decided to invest in my first Alienware... the Aurora R8. I did some research beforehand and felt Alienware products were expensive but worth the purchase . When buying the specifics of the PC I tried to get the best version within my $2k budget. At this time, i did read some reviews on noise level, but like I said, I was used to some noise level back in the day with the PC's i built in 2004 and 2008.

 

Here are some of the specs from my order confirmation:

-Alienware Aurora R8 -850W EPA Bronze PSU Air Cooled Chassis

-2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD

-32GB DDR4 XMP at 2933MHz Dual Channel HyperX -NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)

-Intel Core i7 8700 (6-Core, 12MB Cache, up to 4.6GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology)

-Dell - 27" LED QHD G-SYNC Monitor - Black

When the product delivered I was excited to finally turn on my first ever Alienware. I was till somewhat worried about the fan noise reviews, but was more excited to get things up and running. I set a few things up and immediately downloaded some of my favorites off Steam: Empire Total War, World of Warships, and the new Battlefield 5. After getting everything installed and downloaded, I opened Empire Total War to check the power of the machine. I figured since ETW was made in 2009, it would run without any hiccups at all.. WOW was I wrong! I literally had a non-stop, Boeing 747 taking off next to my face. I couldn't believe the kind of constant fan noise coming from this machine, Its absolutely unbearable! To be honest it gives me anxiety, because I know my wife is going to think its annoying when I am playing late into the night. Also, whats the point of having computer speakers with this obnoxious animal in the room with you. I immediately called dell support..

I literally paid $2k to not have any issues with gaming. To have a perfect PC that could run most of the current games at medium settings... I mentioned to the associate on the phone that the fans are incredibly loud, he insisted that I bought a beast of a machine and the fans are needed to cool it down (duh). He messed with my command center for a while and said that the fan noise should quiet. He also mentioned that by the end of June, the Alienware engineers would release an update to solve this problem. After getting off the phone, again the 747 was taking off the runway yet again. His "workaround" did nothing! Im not a computer whiz, nor do I want to be one. I work very hard for my money and paid top dollar to not have a 747 commercial airliner constantly taking off while I play a game from 2009. Its literally pointless to play Battlefield V... The fan noise that comes from that game is unbearable! I have to have headphones in, the door closed (so i dont bother anone else), and the volume up loud to drown out the fan noise.

I am ashamed that I did not listen to some of the reviews about fan noise, and the lack of problem solving by Dell and Alienware is a huge disappointment. Im sure some computer nerds are going to rail me for this comment, but how can my xbox play the same games "in 4k" and not have any fan issues, but this Alienware machine has to have the most obnoxious noise to play a game from 2009? Even videos, I have to listen to the sound of air being sucked in and exhausted through my NEW in-house wind tunnel.

I expected better from Alienware... I expected them to tell me if I needed liquid cooling. I expected them to tell me this PC was incredibly loud.

 

***So after that rant*** Does anyone have a workaround? Here are the only things that I can come up with to solve the problem:

- Wait on some magical patch that is supposed to come out Late June, or early July to fix the fan noise.

- Try to change to liquid cooling (extra cost, and I have zero knowledge of)

- Buy different fans, because apparently Alienware puts in loud fans, and other manufacturers have better ones.

- Try to return this PC.

 

Lots of love and frustration,

Latte Speed

  • 24829

    0

    Posted June 23rd, 2019 10:00

    Also - This is fake marketing... Haha "quiet operation... to get you lost in the game without any noisy distractions"... 

    Dell customer service: "Well sir your computer is the latest in technology and needs proper air flow. These are how Alienware computers run"

    Me: I don't think this kind of fan noise is acceptable. Have you read the marketing for Aurora R8? 

    Dell customer service: Engineering should be releasing a patch soon to fix the problem. 

    Me: How was this not brought up in any kind of testing?

     

    Capture.PNG

  • 24818

    3

    Posted June 23rd, 2019 16:00

    *Update* Literally just tried playing AOE3 after messing around with fans in the AWCC. Guess what... the AWCC doesn't even have full control of the fans! The fan noise was extremely loud on a game thats over 10 years old. My wife was playing it on her non-gaming laptop to perfection (with high settings), while my new "top of the line" desktop filled the room with vacuum noise. I called customer service again. Their recommendation, wait for the BIOS update in July 2019 (they dont know an exact date, or if it will even fix it), or return the PC for a refund. WHAT A JOKE OF A COMPANY! WHAT A JOKE OF A PRODUCT! NO INCENTIVE TO EVEN HELP WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME IVE HAD TO TRY AND SOLVE THIS ISSUE. Seriously, its the worst PC I've ever purchased to date, and it seems there is no rush for Alienware/Dell to resolve the issue.
  • Tesla1856

    10 Wizard

    17985 Posts

    71600 Points

    24801

    1

    Posted June 23rd, 2019 20:00


    @latte speed wrote:

     

    1. Air Cooled Chassis

    2. I expected them to tell me if I needed liquid cooling. 

     


    1. Certainly not helping. When ordered-and-built this way, doesn’t the CPU just vent into the case ?

    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 is nice too ( so yeah, it runs hot ) .

    2. I think nice Intel-i7 should really have a Liquid-Cooler on it.

     

    Dell Rockstar

    Microsoft Windows and Apple iOS Developer (Retired)
    - Like many of you, I can appreciate a good game-engine.
    - I answer questions here, but I'm not a Dell employee.
    - Consider giving posts you like a "thumbs-up"
    - Posting models-numbers and software versions speeds trouble-shooting.
    - Click "Mark as Accepted Answer" on any post that answers your question best.

  • 24784

    2

    Posted June 24th, 2019 07:00

    That's my whole point @Tesla1856 :

    1. Why wouldn't Alienware/Dell mention the need for extra cooling for upgraded parts? Especially when what I am ordering does not comply with their marketing of "whisper-quiet operation allowing you to get lost in the game without noisy distractions." - This line literally makes me laugh...

    2. Also, why would they allow parts into a casing that doesn't have the proper exhausts and is built for it to have liquid cooling. 

    @Tesla1856 Think about buying a Corvette (a metaphor for an expensive PC), and you decide to add some better parts to it from the manufacturer, because the manufacturer says its better. The corvette is then built, shipped to you, you start the engine, and now the cooling system on the engine isn't big enough, or the radiator fan has to constantly run because Corvette didn't engineer to actually accept the upgrades that the manufacturer offered. On top of that, Corvette then tells you, after you ordered it and it was delivered... YOU ( someone who isn't a mechanical engineer) should have ordered it with a cooling system... No, Alienware (who are the actual engineers) should not sell a product that runs this loud, when they preach they have the best, and their desktop Aurora R8 has whisper-quiet operation... period! 

    As a customer, Alienware should be recommending to me what is their best hardware package, not me recommending to Alienware that they need liquid cooling on their processors, and that their case doesn't work with internal hardware exhausts. Instead it seems @Tesla1856 has a better understanding for Dell/Alienware than Dell/Alienware themselves. 

    So it sounds like I need to return this PC. Since the BIOS update that they are suggesting will fix everything is actually wrong... What do you think @Tesla1856?

     

  • Tesla1856

    10 Wizard

    17985 Posts

    71600 Points

    24773

    1

    Posted June 24th, 2019 09:00

    If you want the CPU Liquid-Cooler, (and likewise, the chassis with better thermals) ...

    ... you have to order it that way at config/build-time.  

    I can’t speak the Bios-fixes, but if there is a glitch, it might only be currently appearing in the Air-Cooled hardware-and-fan config.

    EDIT: I think your hardware build/config looked fine other than the omission of the (Asetek) Liquid-Cooler.

    Dell Rockstar

    Microsoft Windows and Apple iOS Developer (Retired)
    - Like many of you, I can appreciate a good game-engine.
    - I answer questions here, but I'm not a Dell employee.
    - Consider giving posts you like a "thumbs-up"
    - Posting models-numbers and software versions speeds trouble-shooting.
    - Click "Mark as Accepted Answer" on any post that answers your question best.

  • 24753

    2

    Posted June 24th, 2019 18:00

    @Tesla1856 

    The problem lies within Alienware selling a product that is obnoxiously loud. Why have a config option when purchasing and Aurora R8 that makes the computer stupid loud? If the hardware they offer isn't good for the computer layout, then why are they selling me that option!?? 

     

    The more I think about it the more upset I get... Alienware customer service doesn't help either. Worst service I've ever had!

  • doznkoz

    1 Rookie

    16 Posts

    24733

    0

    Posted June 25th, 2019 03:00

    I had this delivered on 23 March 19.  It operates flawlessly and is very quiet even when playing Battlefield 4 & 5.  Handles 4k video and editing smooth as glass.  I also have the Alienware Keyboard, Mouse and headphones.  My first liquid cooled system.  Must be what yours needs.  I hope you get this remedied. 

     

    210-ARGS : Alienware Aurora R8
    658-BCPC : Cyberlink Media Suite Essentia ls without Media
    570-AATJ : Optical Mouse MS116AW
    580-AHTI : Wired Multimedia Keyboard (Eng lish)
    817-BBBB : No FGA
    619-AHCR : Windows 10 Pro (64bit) English
    490-BEXP : NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 OC wit h 8GB GDDR6
    338-BQHR : Intel Core i7 8086K Limited Ed ition (6-Core/12-Thread, 12MB Cache, Overclocked up to 4.7GH z across all cores)
    400-BCFO : 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (Boot) + 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s (Sto rage)
    332-1530 : Dell.com Order
    321-BDXJ : 850W EPA Bronze PSU Liquid Cooled Chassis
    389-DOSG : Regulatory Label
    555-BEQK : Wireless Driver for Killer 153 5
    817-BBBP : None Required
    340-CKSR : Quick Start Guide
    555-BCRM : Killer 1535 802.11ac 2x2 WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2
    800-BBEV : Thank you for Choosing Dell
    450-AAGO : US Power Cord
    370-ADUB : 64GB, 4x16GB, DDR4, 2666MHz
    429-ABFD : BDRE Drive (Reads and Writes t o Blu-Ray disks)
    658-BCUO : Additional Software
    340-BYWQ : Shipping Material
    340-AGIK : Safety/Environment and Regulat ory Guide (English/French Mult i-language)
    389-CGBC : Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 Processor Label
    658-BCSB : Microsoft(R) Office 30 Days Tr ial

  • 24701

    0

    Posted June 26th, 2019 08:00

    Yeah me too @doznkoz.. I am jealous of your experience. I just wish Alienware/Dell didn't sell defective products. 

    This PC has let me down in sooo many ways. When paying the amount of money i paid, i expected it to be plug and play, and unfortunatly it wasn't. A shame on Alienware, and a big knock on their image as a company in my mind moving forward. Was really excited to have the Alienware experience that you had/have. 

  • 14099

    1

    Posted June 27th, 2019 11:00

    Hi, I have been experiencing exactly the same problem. I purchased a Dell Alienware Aurora R8 GTX22080 Ti  in March 2019. No issues at all until end of May when all of a sudden the fan noise went from whisper quiet to jet engine noise whilst playing World of Tanks. This also was the case for other games. The system is liquid cooled.

    I contacted Dell support who initially said that it was a BIOS issue and that they were waiting for an update some time in June. I was also told to adjust my fan speed,which did nothing. An update  (1.0.3) was put out on 4/6/19 which did not solve the problem. I contacted Dell again and they carried out a remote access but still could not find a solution. Contacted them again and I was asked to wait a bit longer. 8 day later I contacted them again. They stated that they had spoken to their engineering people and they said that there was no fix for the problem and that it was a hardware issue. I asked if they could send confirmation of what hardware was causing the fault so that I could contact my retailer. They responded by saying that they did not know what the problem was and if they did they would fix it. They then stated that it might be a BIOS/firmware problem but they still do not know as it is not a common problem.I have seen numerous reports on line of people with the same problem.

    They then sent me the following.

    "Dear Mr. ,
     
    Hereby we confirm that your product with Service Tag: ******* has a fault causing the fans go full RPM
    for unknown reason. There is no known fix for it yet, and our engineering is working on a solution.
     
    Based on above information we agree on cancellation of contract. Please, take this document with the
    product and complete accesories to your local reseller for further steps."
     
    I have no idea how they  came to the conclusion that at anytime I agreed on cancellation of contract (which I asume they mean warrenty), still waiting for a response on that.
    The level of help from Dell has been appalling.They are offering no help and seem to be denying that this is a fairly common issue.
     
    Mr T.
     
  • 6443

    1

    Posted June 27th, 2019 12:00

    Wow @TROTTY1919 I feel extremely bad for you! I basically told Dell/Alienware that I want to "throw my PC out the window". The time commitment, the money spent, the customer service calls... It is not worth any amount of money to have to go through this issue. In fact, we spend this kind of money to not go through these problems. 

     

    I finally was on the phone with Customer Support yesterday and told them... "I give up". I gave up on trying to solve the problem for them, on trying to get them to own up to the problem. Basically said I want an RMA, and I want this piece of junk out of my house. Funny thing is... I was woken up by that PC last night because it all the sudden decided to go fan crazy in the middle of the night. NOT..... MY.... PROBLEM... especially when i set the temp of my house A/C at 72 degrees F. 

     

    Really sad to hear that they are allowing this issue to happen and wont own up to it. Users have to literally just deal with it until a patch comes out, or send your PC back.... Just sending your PC back and getting a full refund does not take into account the time and effort it took to try to solve the problem or even installing and getting "what should've been a perfect PC" up and running. Literally HALF of the fun in getting a really expensive PC is setting it up, making your new gaming space unique, and finally turning the machine on to see its performance in all its glory. This hardware ripped that feeling away from us... and its actually very sad.