[SOLVED] ASUS Fan Xpert not recognizing fans

[blatherscribe]

Greetings,

A computer I built has developed an odd problem with its chassis fans, which I'm hoping is a software issue rather than hardware. ASUS Fan Xpert 4 (part of their AI Suite 3) has stopped correctly recognizing the chassis fans. It doesn't seem to believe they exist (they're just a blank when I select them in the program), and runs them at 100% speed at all times. I've updated all the drivers and the BIOS, and still have this problem. In the BIOS settings, the QFan Control recognizes all the fans and sets their speeds correctly. It's only Fan Xpert 4 that doesn't. With AI Suite 3 uninstalled, the fans work as they should, but if I reinstall it they run at 100% all the time. Both BIOS and Fan Xpert recognize and control the CPU fan with no problems.

The motherboard is an ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming board, the fans it doesn't like are the ones that came with the Fractal Design Define R6 case (Dynamic X2 GP-14 fans). They're PWM fans, and correctly set that way in the BIOS.

ASUS tech support says I should send them the motherboard for servicing, but that's a last resort. I've seen any number of forum posts about similar problems, but no solutions. Is there a software solution? Or is the motherboard dying? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[mikewinddale]

Let me make sure I understand: so not only does the BIOS recognize the fans, but the BIOS runs the fans at the correct speeds when you're in Windows?

So it's only when Fan XPert 4 overrides the BIOS that you have a problem?

To me, that sounds like a software problem. If the BIOS is controlling the fans just fine, and not just when you're booting but also when you're in Windows, then it sounds like your hardware is perfectly functioning.

I suspect a software update to Fan XPert 4 broke the software.

In any case, if the fans work when you rely on the BIOS, then I don't think it's with while to deconstruct your computer and mail the motherboard to Asus.

 

[blatherscribe]

Let me make sure I understand: so not only does the BIOS recognize the fans, but the BIOS runs the fans at the correct speeds when you're in Windows?

So it's only when Fan XPert 4 overrides the BIOS that you have a problem?

To me, that sounds like a software problem. If the BIOS is controlling the fans just fine, and not just when you're booting but also when you're in Windows, then it sounds like your hardware is perfectly functioning.

I suspect a software update to Fan XPert 4 broke the software.

In any case, if the fans work when you rely on the BIOS, then I don't think it's with while to deconstruct your computer and mail the motherboard to Asus.

Thanks, that was my thinking as well. If the motherboard were failing, then the problem wouldn't exist only after Windows finishes booting and loading Fan Xpert. But this is my father's computer, and I didn't want to just pass this off as no big deal only to have it die the day after the motherboard warranty runs out.

I asked here because, first, no one updated the software to the best of my knowledge, unless it does its own stealth auto-updates that I haven't noticed, and second, I have a mostly identical computer that does not have this problem. So something broke, it feels like software, but I don't fully trust my own opinion in this. I've been building my computers for ages, but I'm not an expert, I just know what to plug in where.

Thanks again!