I don't think I'm the only one with this problem. :/

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=196797

Yeah, join the club.  My Area-51 the temps never change on the ambient sensor from 19C.  I have tried everything that has been suggested and given up.  Command Center is broken.

Does anyone know exactly where the ambient temperature sensors are located? It would be nice if the description of the sensor indicated where it was in the chassis. For example, Ambient Sensor 1 could be GPU Ambient Sensor or something like that. I have inferred from the way you can tie the PCI fan and hard drive fan to the sensors, that one sensor is around the hard drives and the other is around the GPU somewhere, but which sensor is where?

Also, does anyone have these sensors tied to the speed of their PCI and hard drive fans - and actually notice that the RPM changes if they are doing some intense with the computer, like overclocking the GPU's and running Furmark or overclock CPU with Prime95?

Just a suggestion - Alienware should consider enhancing Command Centre to detect GPU temperatures (shouldnt be hard) and allow you to link the PCI fan directly to the temp of the GPU and scale RPM's from that. Probably someone has already suggested that here...

So, how do you control the pci fan speed? The command center thinks my pc is cool so it makes the fans run low. Is there a program you use for active pc venting?

So, how do you control the pci fan speed? The command center thinks my pc is cool so it makes the fans run low. Is there a program you use for active pc venting?

The Thermal Controller (sub-app of Command Center) lets you control the PCI(e) fan speed. If you don't like auto, try manual or even Manual-Curve. Curve is like an "enhanced" Auto. With Curve, you can set the minimum higher than 0. Mine is set to Ambient Sensor 2.

The curve doesn't work because it thinks I'm getting lower temperatures. I couldn't find the sensor, can you give me a more detailed explanation of its location? Thanks.

If the temps were linked like that. it would be amazing. I also think that Alienware's Command Center should determine the PCI fan speed based on GPU temps and not whatever its working on now.

bump, I need to get my pci fan going, its running 4% 24/7. D:

If anyone has any help, please post. thanks

To be clear, my understanding is that the three ambient temperatures are only measuring internal temperatures from spots somewhere in the box. (which sensor is where is a mystery to me still - does anyone know?). The ambient sensors are not directly measuring the temp of your graphics card. This is why ambient temps and your GPU temps are so different.

On my Aurora ALX, I never notice much of a different in the ambient sensors (1, 2, 3) regardless of what I do. I have overclocked GPU, overclocked CPU, ran Prime95 until the system fan for the radiator is screaming, and I still dont see the ambient temperatures changing much at all. My ambient temps fluctuate between 19 and 22C and thats it. Now, I only have one graphics card, so perhaps that's why I am not seeing much of a difference. Others with dual cards probably see the inside of the box heating up more, and this may specifically trigger whatever sensor is near the graphics cards. Someone suggested Sensor 2 is the one near the PCI slots.

Maybe do a test on your system. Open up Command Centre, go to Thermal Controls, Active Thermals, and click on the little arrow on the top right of each of the three ambient sensors which will pop the small temp gadgets to your desktop where you can move them around to be conveniently located. Then, run Crysis 2 or something like ATI Tool to heat up your graphics cards. Watch which sensors move up in response to the additional heat. If you notice one of them getting hotter, try to tie the PCI fan to that using 'curve' - you can be very aggressive in the curve to have more of an effect on the PCI fan speed

If, like me, you dont notice see much of a change in the ambient sensors, then you cant really use them to speed up your PCI fan automatically.

You might be left to adjust the PCI fan and the onboard graphics card fan manually.

Hope this helps somewhat.

The curve doesn't work because it thinks I'm getting lower temperatures.

You can adjust the low part or starting point of the Curve at 25% if you want to. Then, that fan will run ... AT MINIMUM ... 25% of full speed.

All 3 of my ambient temp sensors are at 27c ... what are yours?