What is Thermal, Acoustic, Power, and Performance

Summary: This article provides information about Thermal, Acoustic, Power, and Performance (TAPP) process within SupportAssist.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Instructions

Affected Platforms:

  • Alienware
  • ChengMing
  • Dell G-series
  • Inspiron
  • Latitude
  • OptiPlex
  • Precision Workstations
  • Vostro
  • XPS
Note: For specific models, reference the Affected Products at the bottom of the article.

TAPP is a reactive deep computer analysis tool integrated into SupportAssist to assess hardware health and its impact on computer performance for in warranty customers. TAPP uses advanced telemetry to detect and provide real-time insights, automatically diagnose, and resolve issues.

With TAPP, tech support can benefit in several ways:

  • Simplify diagnosis
  • Increase first-time resolution rates

Table of Contents:

Pre-requisites:

  1. Applicable only to consumer SupportAssist v4.8 and later
    • SupportAssist Version can be checked by clicking Service Tag on the SupportAssist home screen as shown in the below image:
      SupportAssist Version can be checked by clicking on Service Tag on the SupportAssist home screen
    • If the SupportAssist Version is less than 4.8, update the software using one of the following methods:
      • Using the banner which comes when SupportAssist is launched for the first time.
        Using banner which comes when SupportAssist is launched for the first time
      • By clicking the service tag on the home page and then clicking Update Available next to the SupportAssist version as shown below:
        Clicking on service tag on the homepage and then clicking on Update Available next to SupportAssist version
  2. Users must have Admin rights to run TAPP rule.
  3. The computer is connected to the correct wattage AC adapter (in accordance with the computer manual)
  4. Minimum Battery Level should be 10% (for Battery Rule)
  5. Dell Technologies recommends that customers save unsaved work and close all the applications.
Note: The Intel Innovation Platform Framework (IPF) driver must be updated, and SupportAssist automatically checks for this. If SupportAssist shows a message like the one in the screenshot below, the agent should click Check for Updates in SupportAssist and select only the IPF driver to proceed.
SupportAssist message to update IPF driver

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Key Features

Customers might be asked to run a TAPP Test to help diagnose their reported thermal and battery issues (examples provided below).

Examples of reasons to run the TAPP Tests:

Thermal Test:
Note: This test could take twenty to thirty minutes to complete.
  • My computer feels warmer than expected and is running louder than usual
  • My computer is running loud but does not seem warmer than normal
Battery Test:
  • My battery drains faster than it should
  • My Battery does not charge like it used to

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How to run the Thermal and Battery TAPP Test

  1. Within the SupportAssist tool, go to Support and then click View common issues and select the proper test based on the reported symptoms:
    Click on View common issues 

    Select the proper test 
  2. After selecting the appropriate test, the initial TAPP page will appear. You can then initialize the test by clicking Start:
    Click Start 
  3. A progress bar is displayed after initiating the test:
    A progress bar is displayed.  
  4. Once the test is completed, the user the results are displayed on the screen:
    The results are displayed 
Note:
  • If the results indicate We need to take a closer look to get more information, ProSupport and Premium Support customers should click the Create Service Request button and follow the prompts to get assistance from Dell Tech Support.
    ProSupport and Premium Support 
  • Basic Support customers should use their technical support channels for further assistance:
    Basic Support 

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Tracking TAPPs and Interpreting Results:

The SupportAssist History tab displays all test results. Customers can use the specific fields to filter the results by date and category.

Recent activity logs

A warning does not necessarily mean failure; it can appear for various reasons, such as outdated software, minor configuration issues, or temporary glitches. If a customer sees a Warning status, they should follow these steps:

  1. Update their computer's software and firmware using SupportAssist.
  2. Restart the computer to ensure that all updates are applied correctly.
  3. Rerun TAPPs to check if the warning persists.

If the Warning continues, the customer should contact Tech Support through their usual channels. They can reach Tech Support by calling the support hotline, visiting the support page, or using the live chat feature on the website.

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Affected Products

Alienware m15 R7, Alienware m16 R2, Alienware m18 R2, Alienware x14 R2, Alienware x16 R1, Alienware x16 R2, Alienware x16, Dell 24 All-in-One EC24250, Dell 27 All-in-One EC27250, Dell G15 5520, Dell G15 5530, Dell G16 7620, Dell G16 7630 , Inspiron 13 5320, Inspiron 13 5330, Inspiron 14 5410 2-in-1, Inspiron 14 5420, Inspiron 14 5430, Inspiron 14 5440, Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1, Inspiron 14 Plus 7420, Inspiron 14 7430 2-in-1, Inspiron 14 Plus 7430, Inspiron 14 7440 2-in-1, Inspiron 14 Plus 7440, Inspiron 15 3520, Inspiron 16 5620, Inspiron 16 5630, Inspiron 16 5640, Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1, Inspiron 16 Plus 7620, Inspiron 16 7630 2-in-1, Inspiron 16 Plus 7630, Inspiron 16 7640 2-in-1, Inspiron 16 Plus 7640, Inspiron 24 5411 All-in-One, Inspiron 24 5430 All-in-One, Inspiron 27 7710 All-in-One, Inspiron 27 7720 All-in-One, Inspiron 27 7730 All-in-One, Inspiron 3020 Desktop, Inspiron 3030 Desktop, Inspiron 3910, Latitude 7030 Rugged Extreme Tablet, Latitude 3140, Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme Tablet, Latitude 3330, Latitude 3340, Latitude 5330, Latitude 5340, Latitude 5350, Latitude 7330, Latitude 7340, Latitude 7350, Latitude 7350 Detachable, Latitude 3430, Latitude 3440, Latitude 3450, Latitude 5431, Latitude 5440, Latitude 5450, Latitude 7430, Latitude 7440, Latitude 9430, Latitude 9440 2-in-1, Latitude 9450 2-in-1, Latitude 3530, Latitude 3540, Latitude 3550, Latitude 5530, Latitude 5531, Latitude 5540, Latitude 5550, Latitude 7530, Latitude 7640, Latitude 7650, Latitude 5430, OptiPlex 3000 Tower, OptiPlex 3000 Micro, OptiPlex 3000 Small Form Factor, Optiplex 5000 Tower, OptiPlex 5000 Micro, OptiPlex 5000 Small Form Factor, OptiPlex 5400 All-In-One, OptiPlex 7000 Tower, OptiPlex 7000 Micro, OptiPlex 7000 Small Form Factor, OptiPlex Micro 7010, OptiPlex Micro Plus 7010, OptiPlex Micro 7020, OptiPlex Micro Plus 7020, OptiPlex Small Form Factor 7020, OptiPlex Tower 7020, OptiPlex 7400 All-In-One, OptiPlex All-in-One 7420, OptiPlex XE4, Precision 3260 XE Compact, Precision 3460 XE Small Form Factor, Precision 3470, Precision 3480, Precision 3490, Precision 5470, Precision 5480, Precision 5490, Precision 3570, Precision 3571, Precision 3580, Precision 3581, Precision 3590, Mobile Precision 3591, Precision 5570, Precision 7670, Precision 7680, Precision 7770, Precision 7780, Precision 3260 Compact, Precision 3280 Compact, Precision 3460 Small Form Factor, Precision 3660 Tower, Vostro 5320, Vostro 14 3440, Vostro 3520, Vostro 5620, Vostro 16 5630, Vostro 16 5640, Vostro 7620, Vostro 3020 Tower Desktop, Vostro 3020 Small Desktop, Vostro 3030 Desktop, Vostro 3030 Small Desktop, Vostro 3710, Vostro 3910, XPS 13 9315 2-in-1, XPS 13 9315, XPS 13 Plus 9320, XPS 13 9340, XPS 14 9440, XPS 15 9520, XPS 15 9530, XPS 16 9640, XPS 17 9720, XPS 17 9730 ...
Article Properties
Article Number: 000273295
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 25 Mar 2025
Version:  8
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