Fan Speed rising and lowering?

[edifice]

Hi,

I have just installed the EK F-5 Furious 120mm 3000rpm as an exhaust fan to my Asus Z-170K motherboard and the temps on my GPU when running Heaven never get above 70 which is great!

However, the rpm rises and falls even when looking online and although I don't mind the overall noise despite it increasing althoug the constant change in pitch whenever ANYTHING takes place, is beginning to grind my gears!

Therefore through the BIOS, is there away to ramp it up to full speed constantly, or, better still, only have it at full speed when playing an intensive title and for it to idle at a lower speed of say 1850rpm like my intake Fan, a Scythe Gentle Typhoon!?

I Am not wise in such things, any offer/help would be great!

Many thanks!

 

[das_stig]

In BIOS, you can normally switch off RPM control for the relevant fan header, causing it to run at 100%.

Does the Asus AISuite not have options to control how the fan RPM increase based on temperatures ?

 

[Aeacus]

Your MoBo manual, chapter 2.7.5 (page 39) describes how you can adjust the chassis fan speed from BIOS.
link: http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1151/Z170-K/E12044_Z170-K_UM_V2_WEB.pdf

To adjust fan RPM, select different fan profile. By default, the fan profile should be "Standard".

 

[edifice]

Your MoBo manual, chapter 2.7.5 (page 39) describes how you can adjust the chassis fan speed from BIOS.
link: http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1151/Z170-K/E12044_Z170-K_UM_V2_WEB.pdf

To adjust fan RPM, select different fan profile. By default, the fan profile should be "Standard".

Hi Aeacus,

So, I have been in the bios several times and in applying full speed, decided that to have it as a constant would be too much!!

Therefore I am not sure which option to choose? If I run it in standard PWM mode will the fan ramp up when necessary? ATM I have it set to manual but again, even when loading up this site, it ramps up again massively and when playing a game or doing a task it ramps up and stays there?! Sounds like a hand dryer!!!

Just not sure that if I choose standard in PWM mode that it's gonna do as good a job as it's almost inaudible LOL!!

Many thanks!!!

 

[Aeacus]

First a description between PWM mode and DC mode.

PWM mode sends constant +12V to fan while the PWM signal from MoBo is used to control the speed of the fan. This mode works only for 4-pin fans.

DC mode controls the voltage sent into the fan. The less voltage fan receives - the slower it spins. This mode can control 2-pin, 3-pin and 4-pin fans.

Since your EK-Furious Vardar FF5-120 (3000rpm) fan is 4-pin, use PWM mode with it. You can use DC mode too but it can shorten the fan's lifespan since ideally, all 4-pin fans should receive +12V all the time and be controlled via PWM.

Make sure that the "Chassis Fan 1/2 Q-Fan Source" is set to "CPU". This way, the case fans spin according to the CPU temp.

Now, about fan profiles. Here's how i'd set it up:

Chassis Fan 1/2 Profile: [Manual]
This gives you manual control over chassis fans temp range and duty cycle.

Chassis Fan 1/2 Upper Temperature: [70]
Chassis Fan 1/2 Max. Duty Cycle(%): [100]
When CPU temp hits 70°C, the fan will start to spin at 3000 RPM.

Chassis Fan 1/2 Middle Temperature: [50]
Chassis Fan 1/2 Middle Duty Cycle(%): [75]
When the CPU temp rises, fan gradually increases it speed. At 50°C, the fan spins at 2250 RPM.

Chassis Fan 1/2 Lower Temperature: [40]
Chassis Fan 1/2 Min. Duty Cycle(%): [60]
When CPU temp is under 40°C, the fan spins at 1800 RPM.

For more peace and quiet, you can set middle duty cycle to 60, so that your fan starts to spin faster than 1800 RPM after CPU has hit 50°C mark.

Though, if you use Asus AISuite then keep in mind that it can overwrite BIOS commands and to keep your fan quiet, you need to set up custom fan profile from Asus AISuite program.
I have MSI MoBo and since MSI Command Center does overwrite BIOS commands on MSI MoBos, i don't use MSI Command Center at all. I have it completely uninstalled and i do all tweaks (including OC) directly from BIOS.

Oh, i got to ask. Are you using your Vardar 3000 RPM fan as an AF fan (case fan for airflow) or is it attached to the rad (120mm AIO)?

 

[edifice]

First a description between PWM mode and DC mode.

PWM mode sends constant +12V to fan while the PWM signal from MoBo is used to control the speed of the fan. This mode works only for 4-pin fans.

DC mode controls the voltage sent into the fan. The less voltage fan receives - the slower it spins. This mode can control 2-pin, 3-pin and 4-pin fans.

Since your EK-Furious Vardar FF5-120 (3000rpm) fan is 4-pin, use PWM mode with it. You can use DC mode too but it can shorten the fan's lifespan since ideally, all 4-pin fans should receive +12V all the time and be controlled via PWM.

Make sure that the "Chassis Fan 1/2 Q-Fan Source" is set to "CPU". This way, the case fans spin according to the CPU temp.

Now, about fan profiles. Here's how i'd set it up:

Chassis Fan 1/2 Profile: [Manual]
This gives you manual control over chassis fans temp range and duty cycle.

Chassis Fan 1/2 Upper Temperature: [70]
Chassis Fan 1/2 Max. Duty Cycle(%): [100]
When CPU temp hits 70°C, the fan will start to spin at 3000 RPM.

Chassis Fan 1/2 Middle Temperature: [50]
Chassis Fan 1/2 Middle Duty Cycle(%): [75]
When the CPU temp rises, fan gradually increases it speed. At 50°C, the fan spins at 2250 RPM.

Chassis Fan 1/2 Lower Temperature: [40]
Chassis Fan 1/2 Min. Duty Cycle(%): [60]
When CPU temp is under 40°C, the fan spins at 1800 RPM.

For more peace and quiet, you can set middle duty cycle to 60, so that your fan starts to spin faster than 1800 RPM after CPU has hit 50°C mark.

Though, if you use Asus AISuite then keep in mind that it can overwrite BIOS commands and to keep your fan quiet, you need to set up custom fan profile from Asus AISuite program.
I have MSI MoBo and since MSI Command Center does overwrite BIOS commands on MSI MoBos, i don't use MSI Command Center at all. I have it completely uninstalled and i do all tweaks (including OC) directly from BIOS.

Oh, i got to ask. Are you using your Vardar 3000 RPM fan as an AF fan (case fan for airflow) or is it attached to the rad (120mm AIO)?

Hi,

Many thanks for your very detailed response!

I have now set the Vardar to Standard on a PWM as it's attached directly to a 4 pin fan header on the MoBo and it's quietened right down! BTW am using it as an exhaust Fan! I have a Scythe Gentle Typhoon as an intake fan again on a standard profile set as DC 3 pin on the MoBo. My CUP cooler is an Artic i11 which is cooling my i5 6600k which is clocked at 4.4ghz and temps for the most part according to Afterburner OSD settings, never rise much above 70 degrees? I have turned the fan speed for the i11 to full, I realise this may or will shorten the life of the fan but my case is comparatively small as it's a Corsair 100R which I have recently installed an MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X Plus which gives off a lot more heat than my EVGA 1060 6gb did!

I regards to how you have stated you would set the fan profiles, do you mean putting them in manual mode and creating a curve? So sorry to be such a noob but it's all new to me lol! I did put the Vardar on full in the BIOS settings and it was MUCH louder than I anticipated!?

I'll look again tonight after work at the BIOS settings and try and make sense of the 1/2 settings you refer to, although the way it's set up now, isn't that OK too as won't the Vardar rise in speed when absolutely necessary, and with the Scythe in DC 3 pin mode and the CPU fan on full, would that in your opinion be sufficient!?

I have got from an old build 2 x Scythe GT 5400rpm fans which is what made me think that the 3000rpm of the Vardar at full chat wouldn't be too bad!?

Many thanks for all your help! I'm on a 1920x1080 resolution and in played a heavily modded Crysis 1 in direct x 10, GPU temp never rose above 70 degrees, CUP also around 70 or at the most 75 degrees, with a warmer than usual ambient temp!

Is that in your opinion OK!?

Cheers!

 

[Aeacus]

The "Standard" profile controls your Vardar fan according to the MoBo temp. "Manual" profile is good when the "Standard" profile has too aggressive fan curve for your taste (e.g fan speeds up on much lower temps than in Manual profile). But if you're happy with the automatic fan curve in "Standard" profile, feel free to keep it on "Standard" profile.

i5-6600K can withstand up to 100°C. My Skylake build (full specs with pics in my sig) also has i5-6600K but i have it cooled off by Arctic i32 with 2x Corsair ML120 Pro in push-pull. My CPU idles at about 26°C and most that i've seen out of it is 55°C during Cinebench15. Though, i don't run my clock speed that high too, just modest 3.9 Ghz.
Arctic i32 specs: https://www.arctic.ac/eu_en/freezer-i32.html

Corsair 100R isn't a small case, it's standard sized mid-tower ATX case. Though, when to compare it to Corsair 760T full-tower ATX case (where my Skylake build sits in), 100R is small. If you want to upgrade your CPU cooling performance then you can also go with Arctic i32 since it's 150mm tall and 100R has 150mm of CPU cooler clearance.
Under the spoiler is combined image of my CPU cooler if you're interested to see it. (Click on spoiler to view.)

Spoiler

Top left: Retail package of i32.
Top right: i32 in push-pull with stock semi-passive fan and Arctic F12 PWM PST fan.
Bottom left: i32 in push-pull with 2x Corsair ML120 Pro fans.
Bottom right: Corsair ML120 Pro fans in action.

source: http://imgur.com/ncrFmNw

For 1080p gaming GTX 1060 is more than enough. With GTX 1080, you can game on 4K. For your next upgrade, look towards 60Hz 4K monitor or 1440p 144Hz monitor.

A bit clarification, "Chassis Fan 1/2" stands for "Chassis Fan 1" or "Chassis Fan 2". I took the "Chassis Fan 1/2" wording directly from your MoBo manual.

About the Vardar fan. Your Vardar fan is SP (static pressure) fan and it's best used on a rad where there's a lot of pushing/pulling power needed to draw the air through the rad. Using Vardar fan as AF (airflow) fan is quite a big overkill. At 3000 RPM, Vardar fan produces 42 dB(A) of noise, has 107 CFM of airflow and generates 5.81 mmH2O of static pressure.

For regular AF fan, you're better off using a fan that is designed as an AF fan and not as a SP fan, e.g Noctua NF-S12A PWM,
specs: http://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-s12a-pwm/specification

If you want your case fan perform equally good as an AF and SP fan and you like the LED eyecandy, you can go with Corsair ML series fans,
specs: http://www.corsair.com/en-eu/cooling/ml-series-fans

 

[edifice]

The "Standard" profile controls your Vardar fan according to the MoBo temp. "Manual" profile is good when the "Standard" profile has too aggressive fan curve for your taste (e.g fan speeds up on much lower temps than in Manual profile). But if you're happy with the automatic fan curve in "Standard" profile, feel free to keep it on "Standard" profile.

i5-6600K can withstand up to 100°C. My Skylake build (full specs with pics in my sig) also has i5-6600K but i have it cooled off by Arctic i32 with 2x Corsair ML120 Pro in push-pull. My CPU idles at about 26°C and most that i've seen out of it is 55°C during Cinebench15. Though, i don't run my clock speed that high too, just modest 3.9 Ghz.
Arctic i32 specs: https://www.arctic.ac/eu_en/freezer-i32.html

Corsair 100R isn't a small case, it's standard sized mid-tower ATX case. Though, when to compare it to Corsair 760T full-tower ATX case (where my Skylake build sits in), 100R is small. If you want to upgrade your CPU cooling performance then you can also go with Arctic i32 since it's 150mm tall and 100R has 150mm of CPU cooler clearance.
Under the spoiler is combined image of my CPU cooler if you're interested to see it. (Click on spoiler to view.)

Spoiler

Top left: Retail package of i32.
Top right: i32 in push-pull with stock semi-passive fan and Arctic F12 PWM PST fan.
Bottom left: i32 in push-pull with 2x Corsair ML120 Pro fans.
Bottom right: Corsair ML120 Pro fans in action.

source: http://imgur.com/ncrFmNw

For 1080p gaming GTX 1060 is more than enough. With GTX 1080, you can game on 4K. For your next upgrade, look towards 60Hz 4K monitor or 1440p 144Hz monitor.

A bit clarification, "Chassis Fan 1/2" stands for "Chassis Fan 1" or "Chassis Fan 2". I took the "Chassis Fan 1/2" wording directly from your MoBo manual.

About the Vardar fan. Your Vardar fan is SP (static pressure) fan and it's best used on a rad where there's a lot of pushing/pulling power needed to draw the air through the rad. Using Vardar fan as AF (airflow) fan is quite a big overkill. At 3000 RPM, Vardar fan produces 42 dB(A) of noise, has 107 CFM of airflow and generates 5.81 mmH2O of static pressure.

For regular AF fan, you're better off using a fan that is designed as an AF fan and not as a SP fan, e.g Noctua NF-S12A PWM,
specs: http://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-s12a-pwm/specification

If you want your case fan perform equally good as an AF and SP fan and you like the LED eyecandy, you can go with Corsair ML series fans,
specs: http://www.corsair.com/en-eu/cooling/ml-series-fans

Many, many thanks!

I will replace both my case fans with the noctua you mentioned!

In regards to with the way I have my fans atm, I think I'll leave them that way as my temps ate in fairness, pretty good overall, especially as my 1080 is OC'D too!

Yes, I take your point regarding overkill for my resolution and it has been said before I was getting 1863 in UNIGINE Heaven with everything on extreme and now with a fairly modest OC on my 1080, approximately 3195 to 3205 which I'm very very pleased with!

But again, a great many thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it!!!

 

[Aeacus]

Since hot air rises, case airflow rule of thumb is: front & bottom - intake; top & rear - exhaust.

While Unigine Heaven is good bencmarking program, it also shows it's age. Unigine did release much newer benchmarking program called Superposition,
link: https://benchmark.unigine.com/superposition

Download it and use Superposition to bench your GPU. You'll get far more accurate results with Superposition than with Heaven.
For example, under the spoiler are my results with extreme quality @ 1080p.

Spoiler

Unigine Heaven Benchmark 4.0

Score: 1602
Min FPS: 32.5
Avg FPS: 63.6
Max FPS: 131.0

System
Platform: Windows 7 (build 7601, Service Pack 1) 64bit
CPU model: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6600K CPU @ 3.50GHz (3504MHz) x4
GPU model: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB 21.21.13.7563 (3072MB) x1

Settings
Render: Direct3D11
Mode: 1920x1080 8xAA fullscreen
Preset: Custom
Quality: Ultra
Tessellation: Extreme

Unigine Superposition Benchmark 1.0

Score: 2151
Min FPS: 12.66
Avg FPS: 16.9
Max FPS: 18.59
GPU °C Min: 51.0
GPU °C Max: 64.0
GPU Utilization: Max 100%

Configuration
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K @ 3500 MHz (Stock) / 3501 MHz (Actual)
RAM: 8GB
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 1060 3GB (GP106)
Driver: 378.92
OS: Windows 7 (build 7601)

Settings
Version: 1.0
Graphics API: DirectX
Resolution: 1920x1080
Fullscreen: Enabled
Shaders: Extreme
Textures: High
DOF: Enabled
Motion Blur: Enabled

 

[edifice]

Hey Aeacus,

I have already got that benchmark, with the laboratory blowing up in slow motion and it does seem much more intensive, is it DX12?!

So you feel that using that programwould give more accurate results than Heaven itself!?

And my intake fan is lower in the case than my exhaust, so yes I do take your point in regards to hot air rising!

I actually have a 2nd EK Vardar Furious 120mm 3000rpm and as the Scythe is connected to my MoBo via a 3pin Molex connector and not directly to the header, would it work? And if So, with it only being a 3 pin, would a four pin fit into the connector and would it be automatically a DC controlled Fan, therefore ramping up and staying at it's max speed?!

And I'm sure there is, but is there a way to see what your fan speed is, whether is BIOS or not!? I saw the CPU cooler fan speed but not chassis fans? I'll boot into BIOS later and have a look!? As long as I don't make any changes I'm not clear or confident of, it'll be fine!

And in regards to my fans, is having the Scythe as DC in standard mode and the Vardar as a PWM in standard mode OK? As I mentioned in a previous comment, that's how it is and therefore wouldn't the Vardar spin up if necessary?

Again, many thanks!

 

[Aeacus]

Unigine Superposition is compatible with the DirectX 11 and/or OpenGL 4.5 APIs. The current build (v1.0) doesn't offer support for APIs like DirectX 12 and Vulkan.
And yes, you'll get more accurate readings with Superposition than with Heaven since when Heaven was made, GTX 1080 wasn't even available on the market.

Connecting 3-pin fan to 4-pin MoBo fan header allows you to control your 3-pin fan only in DC mode, as i explained above. The Scythe fan only spins on 100% if you use "Turbo" profile from BIOS. By using "Standard" mode, your fans do spin up when necessary, according how the MoBo temp rises and lowers.

You can check the chassis fan speeds from your BIOS. Further reading from your MoBo manual, chapter 2.7.2 (page 37).

 

[edifice]

Unigine Superposition is compatible with the DirectX 11 and/or OpenGL 4.5 APIs. The current build (v1.0) doesn't offer support for APIs like DirectX 12 and Vulkan.
And yes, you'll get more accurate readings with Superposition than with Heaven since when Heaven was made, GTX 1080 wasn't even available on the market.

Connecting 3-pin fan to 4-pin MoBo fan header allows you to control your 3-pin fan only in DC mode, as i explained above. The Scythe fan only spins on 100% if you use "Turbo" profile from BIOS. By using "Standard" mode, your fans do spin up when necessary, according how the MoBo temp rises and lowers.

You can check the chassis fan speeds from your BIOS. Further reading from your MoBo manual, chapter 2.7.2 (page 37).

Hi,

So, even in "silent" mode as a PWM Fan, the Vardar is simply too much LOL! In Crysis 3 it ramps up incredibly and as a result, I do feel incredibly stupid!

However, I uncovered another Scythe GT rated at 1450rpm which I'll replace the Vardar with later when home from work!

Just feel silly for thinking a 3000rpm case fan wouldn't be overly loud LOL! And to think, I already had the necessary fans in my possession from an old rig!

But I'll install said fan and set it to DC so it runs at full speed and all should be good, fingers crossed!?

The Vardar was vibrating madly when in any tall grass in Crysis 3 and I thought it was going to get complaints from the wife, it has to come out as even in a custom fan profile, it still is very loud!

I do very much appreciate all the time you've given in your answers but, I think lower rated fans that are not necessarily static pressure types, unless fitted as you say to either side of a radiator in a push/pull configuration isn't necessary!?

Hopefully with this new fan in place and at 1450rpm my "rig" will be a lot quieter regardless of which game I'm playing!

Again,

A great deal of thanks!

 

[Aeacus]

Note: When using 3-pin fan in DC mode then "Standard" profile doesn't run the fan 100% all the time. Instead, fan RPM changes according to the MoBo temp. If you need your 3-pin fan to run 100% all the time, then select "Turbo" profile from BIOS.

For case airflow fan, about 1500 RPM fan is more than enough. As far as static pressure fan go, you need them only when there's considerable restrictions in the airflow path (e.g rad or high grade filters). Without airflow restrictions, AF fan will do fine while keeping the noise minimal.

In the fan world, anything below 20 dB(A) is considered as silent. 20 - 30 dB(A) is audible, 30 - 40 dB(A) is loud and anything over 40 dB(A) is very loud.

Though, you can also consider getting fan controller that sits in your 5.25" external bay. With fan controller, you can control your case fans manually according to your needs. With fan controller, you don't have to go to BIOS to change the fan rotation speeds and you have clear visual feedback of the RPMs of all fans connected to the fan controller.
Few fan controllers,
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/6qDwrH,jJvRsY,dQ8Zxr,XnnG3C/

I've done so in my Skylake build and i'm pleased with the control over my case fans. I have Thermaltake Commander F6 RGB fan controller which has 6 channels, 6 temp sensors and has DC control with 0.1V per step. Oh, my fan controller also supports Thermaltake Lumi RGB LED strips but i don't use them since i have NZXT HUE+ for LEDs.
Few pics with channel layout too: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-3272328/show-newest-system-upgrade-components/page-5.html#19565270