Loud Aurora ALX

This happened to me too with my Area-51.  It ended up being the Command Center.  Try going into the vent section, and choosing "manual vent control" play with the controls a bit, hit "apply" -most likely nothing will happen.  Now select "auto" again, and hit apply, it *should* idle down

Edit: I was writing this from memory, the correct place is "Thermal Controls", under "Thermal Control" select "Manual (User Control), hit apply.  Then change back to "Auto (Alien control) and it will idle down.

If not, completely remove the software, reboot, and install the new Command Center (which has a firmware update for the control board) that was released a couple of weeks ago.  

You must reboot in between the installs, though.

If it still doesn't work, then post your results here.

Thanx for the anwser. I havn't tried your suggestion yet because I can't find where to download the command center (therefore not uninstalled it either). I found out you get it from alieanware.com - support - my hive, but Im unable to create an account with my (foreign) dell account number. Secondly, my Aurora dosn't have the top vents and altho i had the vent section in the control center yesterday it no longer exist. Computer updated something and I asumed it was the newer command center. Version is 2.5.35.0 , seems to be old. Any other ways of geting the new command center downloaded?

There is a newer version:

Alienware Command Center, v.2.5.40.0, A05

Release Date:  1/8/2010
Criticality:  Optional

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&SystemID=Alw_dt_Area_51&servicetag=&os=W764&osl=en&deviceid=21524&libid=25&dateid=-1&typeid=-1&formatid=-1&catid=-1&impid=-1&typecnt=0&vercnt=2&releaseid=R254244

support.dell.com is where you want to go (though it is slow for me right now for some reason).  I didn't even try aliewenware.com.  Everything is Dell now.

Has already installed the latest version, but it doesnt´t help. Have also run some benchmark tests to check if the fans become faster if there is a heavy loud on the system. And this happens. But in idle mode the PC is too loud. Can only compare my Aurora ALX with my last PC. Last PC was a XPS 420. And in idle mode this PC was really not loud.

I think the noise comes from the CPU-Pump fan. But neither you can control this fan in the BIOS nor in the Command Center.

Here a screen shot from the command center when the PC is in idle mode:

http://freenet-homepage.de/hermesx/screen1.jpg

Have anyone the same data? 

Maybe Dell use not the same typ of fan and so the noise level varied for each system.

Thank you very much! Pages where very slow for me also but I managed to get the new version and installed it. It didn't help me with the noise problem but worth a try. All readings at the same level as before. Any other suggestions on what to do? Anyone gotten an anwser from dell about this? Do we have the right to complain? One person posted in an other thread that hes computer was very quiet so is there something wrong whit the noisy ones? Or do we just got different components that cause it?

Its such a shame that a new expensive and otherwise good computer makes so much noise. I realy am dissapointed.

Hello Hermes,

i have an Aurora ALX and was also doing some tricks to get the "noise" (i prefer calling it sound level) a little bit down.

Its hard for me to compare because my last PC was noisy like an airplane engine

My actual reading are looking like this:

I am using a customised fan curve for the 2 adjustable fans:

Basically i pulled down the level of the fan @25°C to approx. 4%.

This is working fine, even during gaming.

Before this customising, the HDD fan was alway around 20%.

I also think it would be nice if you could define similar curves for the other cooling fan (and the pump) also!

Hope i could help you a little bit! if you need more info, just post here!

Greetings from Germany,

Christian

Hi Christian!

Thanks for your posting. Have also played with the curves. But the "noise-maker" is the CPU-Pump Fan. Have plugged of the fan for a short time. Just to see what happens. And without the CPU-Pump Fan the PC ist really quiet.

I think until Dell don´t release a new version of BIOS and a new version of Command Center it´s not able to reduce the speed of the other fans. 

Regards
hermesX

hermesX,

Get support to replace, K7JKG CPU/Chipset Liquid cooling.

I incorrectly stated in my earlier post to go to the "vent" section.  I have edited it to be correct, here is the procedure that works for me.  Also just for reference, I completely removed the software, rebooted, reinstalled, and am using version 2.5.40.0, and applied the firmware update.  I still have this issue randomly.  It seems if I do a full shutdown and turn it on, this happens more often.  I typically put my system in sleep mode, and it doesn't happen.

1. Open Alienware Command Center
2. Go to the "Thermal Controls" section
3. Under the first section "Thermal Status", when this issue occurs (very loud idle system), all 3 "Ambient Sensors" read 0°
4. Under the second section "Thermal Control" - the default is "Auto (Alien control)".  Change this to "Manual (User control)" and hit apply
5. At this point nothing will change.  Now select "Auto (Alien control)" and hit apply.  Your system should idle down and the Ambient sensors will show readings.

Screenshots:

Loud system when idle - no sensor data:

After applying the method above, the system is quiet and sensors work:

I'm wondering if this works for you hermesX? 

DELL-Chris M, should I also call to have this part replaced?  (For everyone else, I sent DELL-Chris M a private message earlier this year about an initial problem I faced when I received this system.  In case this happened to anyone else, my Area-51 Vent power and light plugs were not connected to the Alienware control board, I had to open it up and do this myself.)  

Could something else be unplugged (it didn't look like it - I triple checked everything) or need replacing?

First, test the A06 Command Center.

Thanks, great timing :)

I'll report if I get a loud idle system again, since I haven't figured out how to reproduce that behavior consistently.

The new command center fixed a lightning problem I had, but I still haven't gotten the noise level down.

I have contacted Dell's technical support through e-mail and received a few replies from Slovakia. They asked me to run a system diagnostic - no errors - and update all drivers and BIOS to make sure its not a software problem. I have done all that. Now they want to know from where the noise is coming so that they can send the right part and a technican to change it. Problem is that I don't know what's causing it and they don't give me any directions on how to find it out. (In fact they have ignored me for over a week now.)

Im hoping someone here can help me. I have a loud alienware Aurora (not ALX) that otherwise works fine and I've posted about this before in this topic. I first thought it was the Liquid cooling system, then a friend suggested it could be the power supply.  A third suspect would be the graphics card (a GTX 260). It's very hard for me to locate the exact point from where the noise is coming, but its a bit inside and from the back of the computer, not sure at what height. It said in the manual not to run the computer with side panel open so I haven't dared doing that. At first I only heard it as a loud air flowing fan noise but there is also a high toned siren like noise that rises and settles in a constant cycle. It hurts my ears so much that I don't use the new computer at all. Im not used to dealing with hardware (all I ever done is add more memory) so Im very uncomfortable with poking around and unplugging things.

Does anyone have any (safe) suggestions on what I can do to determine witch part needs to be replaced?

Try using a automotive type stethoscope to find out were the noise is coming from. I have run my unit many times with the side panel off. (Troubleshooting a bad hard drive, with the tech guy. Checking components temp, with a IR thermometer.) Just do not touch any expose electrical connections.

varattunimi,

Running it with the side panel off is no big deal. Do it and isolate the noise.