I have recently realized that I have fan control via the BIOS, fan control via MSI Afterburner app and fan control via NZXT CAM app. Which one is actually controlling my fans? It looks like I can make adjustments in all of them and they're all different. Is there a pecking order like BIOS has ultimate control no matter what apps you have? Is there a setting to make one override the others? Thanks in advance!
Question How do I know what is controlling my fans?
- Thread starter kent5009
- Start date
- Oct 11, 2014
- 37,067
- 3,807
- 146,290
I am not aware of any "overriding order" per se.
It could be that individual controllers work but two of them together conflict. One trying to increase fan speeds and the other trying to decrease fan speeds.
May be in conflict simply because of different temperature measurements and/or their respective + or - temperature accuracy.
Testing needed.
Look in Task Manager to determine if any fan controllers are being launched at startup.
Resource Monitor and Process Explorer (Microsoft, free) may also help.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer
Task Scheduler may reveal some related fan control app being triggered per some system related event.
I think the safest way is to identify all of the various controller apps and disable all but one of them.
Determine if the running controller is able to maintain temperatures, fan speeds, and steady performance overall. If so, then disable the first tested controller app and try the second controller app. Again to determine if the second controller also works as required.
So forth and so on.....
You will need to work out a test plan in advance to ensure that 1) that you never disable all of the fans, and 2) that you only change one thing at a time.
Keep notes: configuration, fan speeds, temperatures, and so forth.
Narrow down to which controller maintains temperatures and fan speeds reliably and consistently. Then use that controller.
Just my thoughts on the matter.
It could be that individual controllers work but two of them together conflict. One trying to increase fan speeds and the other trying to decrease fan speeds.
May be in conflict simply because of different temperature measurements and/or their respective + or - temperature accuracy.
Testing needed.
Look in Task Manager to determine if any fan controllers are being launched at startup.
Resource Monitor and Process Explorer (Microsoft, free) may also help.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer
Task Scheduler may reveal some related fan control app being triggered per some system related event.
I think the safest way is to identify all of the various controller apps and disable all but one of them.
Determine if the running controller is able to maintain temperatures, fan speeds, and steady performance overall. If so, then disable the first tested controller app and try the second controller app. Again to determine if the second controller also works as required.
So forth and so on.....
You will need to work out a test plan in advance to ensure that 1) that you never disable all of the fans, and 2) that you only change one thing at a time.
Keep notes: configuration, fan speeds, temperatures, and so forth.
Narrow down to which controller maintains temperatures and fan speeds reliably and consistently. Then use that controller.
Just my thoughts on the matter.
CountMike
Titan
- Oct 31, 2015
- 34,768
- 3,509
- 147,990
Get Argus Monitor
https://www.argusmonitor.com it lists all the sensors BIOS and other programs use as reference point to govern fan speeds,
https://www.argusmonitor.com it lists all the sensors BIOS and other programs use as reference point to govern fan speeds,
My understanding is that most application software tools like MSI Afterburner and NZXT CAM actually do their work by setting options in BIOS so that it really is BIOS always that is doing the work. The apps are just easy tools to access those settings. However the apps ALSO can read info from BIOS and show them to you while you are using them on-screen under Windows. BIOS Setup ONLY can show you those things when NOT running the OS.
There is one major exception to this. SOME AIO systems have you plug the RAD FANS into sockets or cables from the PUMP unit, and NOT into mobo fan headers. Those systems typically do their own control and do not use BIOS for control of the rad fans.
One small detail I don't know, and it MAY differ from one app to another. They COULD be designed to record the current BIOS option settings for all fan headers when they start up, then change to their own settings. At shut-down they COULD then restore the original settings before shutting down. I do not see any good reason to do this, but I suppose it is possible. As an experiment, you could go into BIOS Setup and set several items to values you write down, then SAVE and EXIT. After rebooting, run one of those apps and change the settings. Now reboot directly into BIOS Setup and see which setting s are there? - the old ones, or the ones you altered using the app?
IF I am right, what happens when you try to use TWO of these apps at the same time? Then those two would "fight" each other and keep changing settings. BUT if you use only one app at a time, I believe BIOS would NOT resist the setting changes that app makes, and there is no problem.
There is one major exception to this. SOME AIO systems have you plug the RAD FANS into sockets or cables from the PUMP unit, and NOT into mobo fan headers. Those systems typically do their own control and do not use BIOS for control of the rad fans.
One small detail I don't know, and it MAY differ from one app to another. They COULD be designed to record the current BIOS option settings for all fan headers when they start up, then change to their own settings. At shut-down they COULD then restore the original settings before shutting down. I do not see any good reason to do this, but I suppose it is possible. As an experiment, you could go into BIOS Setup and set several items to values you write down, then SAVE and EXIT. After rebooting, run one of those apps and change the settings. Now reboot directly into BIOS Setup and see which setting s are there? - the old ones, or the ones you altered using the app?
IF I am right, what happens when you try to use TWO of these apps at the same time? Then those two would "fight" each other and keep changing settings. BUT if you use only one app at a time, I believe BIOS would NOT resist the setting changes that app makes, and there is no problem.
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