Question Issues with controlling fan speed in Bios

[Sett]

Hi all! I have had a lot of issues with the noise that my fans are making for a while and went to check it out in bios, but came across a few problems. First of all, I have 3 system fans, but in BIOS it only shows one, assume it is because I have connected all 3 fans to the same fan hub, but if I change the speed of ‘System 1’, does all my System fans change speed too? Second issue, I have read online that when you connect your fans to PWM instead of DC, they will be alot quieter, but with mine it’s the opposite, they are all standard DC and when I change them to PWM they run at light speed, making a lot of noise, is that normal? As for my last concern, the CPU fans shows temperatures correlated to fan speed%, but with System fans, it’s correlated to Volts, can I change that? Is 12V like 100% and 6V 50%?

Some other things I wanted help with: my current ‘System 1’ fan is running at 790rpm and ‘CPU 1’ at 1190rpm, are those numbers good? Since I can still hear my fans making noise. Also, what are good temperatures to set the fans at(Currently, my System Fan is running at 12V when at 85 celsius and at 6V when 40 celsius). If possible, for both pls, the CPU and System fans.

thanks alot

 

[Aeacus]

does all my System fans change speed too?

Yes, since you have your case fans connected to a hub, which in turn, is connected to MoBo by 1 wire. Here, hub takes the signal of 1 fan and multiplies it across all fans. This makes individual fan speed control impossible.

If you want individual fan speed control, there are two ways:

• connect every fan individually to MoBo
• use fan controller

I have read online that when you connect your fans to PWM instead of DC, they will be alot quieter, but with mine it’s the opposite, they are all standard DC and when I change them to PWM they run at light speed, making a lot of noise, is that normal?

Normal? Yes, since you have 3-pin DC fans. Switching the mode to PWM, will feed full +12V to fans, and since your fans doesn't have 4th pin, that is needed for PWM control signal, they all run at max speed.

Now, the other way around only gives PWM fans more precise control method in PWM mode, than in DC mode.

As for my last concern, the CPU fans shows temperatures correlated to fan speed%, but with System fans, it’s correlated to Volts, can I change that? Is 12V like 100% and 6V 50%?

You should be. However, do note that at 6V, many fans can stop all together.

Btw, what is your MoBo make and model? So i can look from it's manual what fan control options you have in BIOS.

my current ‘System 1’ fan is running at 790rpm and ‘CPU 1’ at 1190rpm, are those numbers good? Since I can still hear my fans making noise.

Here, i need to know the CPU cooler and case fans make and model. Without it, it is impossible to tell if the RPM is "good".

Also, what are good temperatures to set the fans at(Currently, my System Fan is running at 12V when at 85 celsius and at 6V when 40 celsius). If possible, for both pls, the CPU and System fans.

Again, without knowing what fans you have, this can't be answered.

 

[Sett]

Yes, since you have your case fans connected to a hub, which in turn, is connected to MoBo by 1 wire. Here, hub takes the signal of 1 fan and multiplies it across all fans. This makes individual fan speed control impossible.

If you want individual fan speed control, there are two ways:

• connect every fan individually to MoBo
• use fan controller

Normal? Yes, since you have 3-pin DC fans. Switching the mode to PWM, will feed full +12V to fans, and since your fans doesn't have 4th pin, that is needed for PWM control signal, they all run at max speed.

Now, the other way around only gives PWM fans more precise control method in PWM mode, than in DC mode.



You should be. However, do note that at 6V, many fans can stop all together.

Btw, what is your MoBo make and model? So i can look from it's manual what fan control options you have in BIOS.



Here, i need to know the CPU cooler and case fans make and model. Without it, it is impossible to tell if the RPM is "good".



Again, without knowing what fans you have, this can't be answered.

MoBo: MSI B450M Pro-M2 MAX
Fans: 2 ‘Arctic F12 fans’ and 1 ‘Aerocool fan’
CPU Cooler: Wraith Stealth Cooler

Hi, thanks a lot for replying, I have messing around a bit with the fan curve, but don't quite get it yet. I was changing the curve inside BIOS and all seemed when, but when I left BIOS, my fans turned on jet mode. Not sure how to make the most ideal fan curve for my pc, do you also have any tips on that? Also I used MSI Afterburner, but the temperature shown in afterburner is a lot different than shown in BIOS, for example CPU temp. BIOS: 42° and MSI Afterburner: 62°

 

[Aeacus]

CPU Cooler: Wraith Stealth Cooler

This is a small CPU cooler (it came with your CPU) and it being only 92mm fan, there isn't much you can do, to lower the noise. CPU cooler fan can go up to 1900 RPM and since fan has ball bearing, it is the loudest of all fan bearings, maxing out at 38 dB(A) on max speed.

Changing fan curve to more relaxed one doesn't help much, but can cause CPU cooling issue (since with lower fan speed, there is less airflow and in turn, less cooling as well).

Your best option would be replacing CPU cooler all together. E.g Arctic Freezer 34 eSports Duo,
specs: https://www.arctic.de/en/Freezer-34-eSports-DUO/ACFRE00074A
review: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/arctic-freezer-34-esports-duo-cooler,6352.html

If you go with eSports Duo, make sure your PC case has at least 157mm CPU cooler clearance. Else-ways, that CPU cooler won't fit. (Well it does fit, but you can't close the side panel afterwards.)

2 ‘Arctic F12 fans’

Now, these two fans are extremely quiet and i doubt that you can even hear them, even at their max, 1350 RPM.
Specs: https://www.arctic.de/en/F12/ACFAN00248A

At full speed, they produce 0.3 Sone = 10.64 dB(A). That is really low. For example, whispering is ~17 dB(A).

Also, i can vouch for Arctic F12 fans for myself since i've used them in the past. I remember when i installed them and turned the PC on, i didn't hear nothing. So i actually had to check if the fans did spin and they did. That's how quiet they are.

1 ‘Aerocool fan’

Which model? Since Aerocool produces different fans.

MoBo: MSI B450M Pro-M2 MAX

MoBo manual, page 14, shows the BIOS fan control method. Now, since your MoBo is quite barebones, it only has 1 system fan header on MoBo, resulting you to either use fan hub or fan controller, if you have more than 2 case fans (which you have).

Now, what you can do, is taking out that Aerocool fan and replacing it with 3rd Arctic F12 fan. That would normalize the case fans. And i'd also run all 3x Arctic F12 fans at max speed, since they are that quiet.

Though, what your issue seems to be, is CPU cooler, since that is loud. It is even louder than my 140mm high-end fans in my PCs (Corsair ML140 Pro LED), that go up to 37 dB(A) at 2000 RPM. Now, i don't run my fans at max speed, instead at about 1000-1100 RPM, still at hearing level but nothing to be annoyed at.

So, look into replacing CPU cooler and Aerocool fan, to get noise levels down.

I was changing the curve inside BIOS and all seemed when, but when I left BIOS, my fans turned on jet mode. Not sure how to make the most ideal fan curve for my pc, do you also have any tips on that?

Did you Saved your changes prior to exiting BIOS?

Also, do the fan noise come as soon as you exit? Or does it come when Windows starts/finishes loading?

Also I used MSI Afterburner, but the temperature shown in afterburner is a lot different than shown in BIOS, for example CPU temp. BIOS: 42° and MSI Afterburner: 62°

In BIOS, CPU has almost no load, what-so-ever, hence why temps are low. Once you boot into Windows, CPU stats working more (CPU needs to keep all the apps running) and in turn, produces more heat. Hence why there is temperature difference. And 20C difference is most likely due to the weak CPU cooler you have. AMD Wraith Stealth is weak CPU cooler (weakest what AMD offers), but it's better than nothing.

 

[DRagor]

I was changing the curve inside BIOS and all seemed when, but when I left BIOS, my fans turned on jet mode.

This could mean you have some Windows app that governs fan speeds. In that scenario BIOS fan curves are only used in BIOS, once Windows loads and the app loads it overrides BIOS settings with its own.

 

[Sett]

This is a small CPU cooler (it came with your CPU) and it being only 92mm fan, there isn't much you can do, to lower the noise. CPU cooler fan can go up to 1900 RPM and since fan has ball bearing, it is the loudest of all fan bearings, maxing out at 38 dB(A) on max speed.

Changing fan curve to more relaxed one doesn't help much, but can cause CPU cooling issue (since with lower fan speed, there is less airflow and in turn, less cooling as well).

Your best option would be replacing CPU cooler all together. E.g Arctic Freezer 34 eSports Duo,
specs: https://www.arctic.de/en/Freezer-34-eSports-DUO/ACFRE00074A
review: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/arctic-freezer-34-esports-duo-cooler,6352.html

If you go with eSports Duo, make sure your PC case has at least 157mm CPU cooler clearance. Else-ways, that CPU cooler won't fit. (Well it does fit, but you can't close the side panel afterwards.)



Now, these two fans are extremely quiet and i doubt that you can even hear them, even at their max, 1350 RPM.
Specs: https://www.arctic.de/en/F12/ACFAN00248A

At full speed, they produce 0.3 Sone = 10.64 dB(A). That is really low. For example, whispering is ~17 dB(A).

Also, i can vouch for Arctic F12 fans for myself since i've used them in the past. I remember when i installed them and turned the PC on, i didn't hear nothing. So i actually had to check if the fans did spin and they did. That's how quiet they are.



Which model? Since Aerocool produces different fans.



MoBo manual, page 14, shows the BIOS fan control method. Now, since your MoBo is quite barebones, it only has 1 system fan header on MoBo, resulting you to either use fan hub or fan controller, if you have more than 2 case fans (which you have).

Now, what you can do, is taking out that Aerocool fan and replacing it with 3rd Arctic F12 fan. That would normalize the case fans. And i'd also run all 3x Arctic F12 fans at max speed, since they are that quiet.

Though, what your issue seems to be, is CPU cooler, since that is loud. It is even louder than my 140mm high-end fans in my PCs (Corsair ML140 Pro LED), that go up to 37 dB(A) at 2000 RPM. Now, i don't run my fans at max speed, instead at about 1000-1100 RPM, still at hearing level but nothing to be annoyed at.

So, look into replacing CPU cooler and Aerocool fan, to get noise levels down.



Did you Saved your changes prior to exiting BIOS?

Also, do the fan noise come as soon as you exit? Or does it come when Windows starts/finishes loading?



In BIOS, CPU has almost no load, what-so-ever, hence why temps are low. Once you boot into Windows, CPU stats working more (CPU needs to keep all the apps running) and in turn, produces more heat. Hence why there is temperature difference. And 20C difference is most likely due to the weak CPU cooler you have. AMD Wraith Stealth is weak CPU cooler (weakest what AMD offers), but it's better than nothing.

Hi, I have replaced the aerocool fan with a spare Arctic F12 fan, so I can run those at 100% all the time? Won't that take a lot of electricity tho? Can I also run them at like 40-70% when gaming? Also I don't have any money ATM, so I think I have to survive with my current CPU cooler, at what % should I run those when gaming and when doing normal stuff(internet). I have seen when doing nothing it's somewhere 40-60° and when gaming 60° +, at what percentage can I run the cpu cooler at these temps? Since I don't want them to run 100%

 

[Lafong]

Fans running full speed will use only a tiny amount of electricity....much less than your CPU, motherboard, or drives. I wouldn't worry about it.

60 degrees is not a problem. Maybe start to worry a bit at 80.

 

[Sett]

Fans running full speed will use only a tiny amount of electricity....much less than your CPU, motherboard, or drives. I wouldn't worry about it.

60 degrees is not a problem. Maybe start to worry a bit at 80.

I tried running the system fans at full speed, but it was a lot noise, I once again tried to make a fan curve for both system and cpu, CPU temp when idle or light load is somewhere 40-70, so I set fan curve for 35° at 40% and 70° at 70%, but the temp is very inconsistent and the fans make ALOT OF NOISE, not sure whether it's the system fans or CPU fan, but I still don't know how to make the most ideal fan curve, how can I know what's the max, min and avg. temp. for the system fans?

 

[Lafong]

Fans don't have max, min, or average temps.

Your temps are the result of a lot of factors:

Ambient temps, case design and airflow characteristics, fan controls available in your BIOS, fans ability to move air, number of fans, fan location, obstructions that the fans must overcome such as grills or heatsinks, your willingness to tolerate noise, CPU load at any given moment, GPU characteristics, and on and on and on.

You may have to compromise on noise level or temperatures considering your case and your fans.

You are in the driver's seat and can do all the necessary experimentation with your fan curves. We can't look over your shoulder and don't know exactly what you can tolerate regarding temperatures, noise level, or expense for different hardware.

 

[Aeacus]

Arctic F12 fan, so I can run those at 100% all the time?

With only 10 dB(A) for fan, i'd run them 100%. They don't move much air (53 CFM) and for cooling purposes, i'd take all what they could give.

Won't that take a lot of electricity tho?

F12 uses 0.12A at 12V = 1.44 W. That's very little, and least power consuming part in your PC.

Can I also run them at like 40-70% when gaming?

Well, you can, but without knowing the minute details of your system, as explained by Sett, it is hard to tell if you should.

I have seen when doing nothing it's somewhere 40-60° and when gaming 60° +, at what percentage can I run the cpu cooler at these temps? Since I don't want them to run 100%

When it comes to PC cooling, for most of the times, there is always a trade-off between cooling performance and noise. Though, it is possible to normalize cooling performance with noise, but that takes radical hardware change, and in turn money, which you do not have.

Spoiler: Further reading on how to strike that performance vs noise balance (click here to read)

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.

The thing with PC cases is that it isn't the case that makes the noise but instead the case fans you put into there.
If i were to take a "quiet" case like Corsair 400Q and put a Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM fan into it which outputs 43.5 dB(A), then you can be certain that the PC won't be quiet at all, despite the claims it being quiet.

To get the best possible airflow with the least amount of noise, install as many fans in your case as possible. Preferably 140mm rather than 120mm since 140mm fan moves more air and does that more quietly than it's (same spec) 120mm counterpart.

While installing 5x to 7x fans in your PC may look like that you'd get extremely loud noise out of your PC, it's actually vice-versa. The trick is: that the more fans you have inside the case, the less each fan has to work to maintain the airflow and the less noise fans produce.

And that is also a main reason why i have 7x high-end case fans in my Skylake and Haswell builds (Corsair ML Pro LED and NZXT AER140 RGB). Mostly 140mm but few 120mm as well. Full specs with pics in my sig. Since i have that many case fans, i can keep all of my case fans spinning between 800 - 1100 RPM and thanks to this, my PCs are very quiet while still having proper airflow inside my full-tower ATX cases.

--

When it comes to the fans, you can't have both at the same time: good airflow and low noise. Either it's good airflow with high noise OR bad airflow with low noise.

Though, there are fans out there that struck near perfect balance between good airflow, good static pressure and relatively low level of noise. But those fans come with premium price and question here is if you're willing to pay the price.

If you are, then look towards Corsair ML Pro series fans,
120mm, specs: https://www.corsair.com/us/en/LED-Color/Fan-Size/Package-Quantity/ml-pro-led-config/p/CO-9050042-WW
140mm, specs: https://www.corsair.com/us/en/LED-Color/Fan-Size/Package-Quantity/ml-pro-led-config/p/CO-9050048-WW
review 01: https://www.kitguru.net/components/cooling/leo-waldock/corsair-ml140-and-ml120-fans/
review 02: https://thepcenthusiast.com/corsair-ml120-pro-led-120mm-pwm-premium-fan-review/
120mm, pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/LkJkcf,GXkwrH,MpBrxr,wPFXsY/
140mm, pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/D34NnQ,cfyxFT,sYNypg,ycH48d/

As i said above, in my Skylake and Haswell builds, i have those very same fans in use (red LED in Skylake, blue LED in Haswell) since these fans are one of the best (if not the best) fans when it comes to the balance in airflow and static pressure. (And i searched far and wide to find fans that struck this great balance.) Sure, ML Pro LED fans have premium price but they also have mag-lev bearing (one of the few fans that have it).

Pros/cons wise, you're looking at:
120mm
Pros

• great airflow (12 - 75 CFM)
• great static pressure (0.2 - 4.2 mmH2O)
• great RPM range (400 - 2400 RPM)
• PWM control (4-pin fan)
• mag-lev bearing (300.000+ work hours)
• 4 color options (red, blue, white LED and non-LED version)
• warranty 5 years

Mediocre

• noise output (16 - 37 dB(A))
• power draw 0.299 A

Cons

• price
• no RGB LEDs (to me, it is not a con)

140mm
Pros

• great airflow (20 - 97 CFM)
• great static pressure (0.2 - 3.0 mmH2O)
• great RPM range (400 - 2000 RPM)
• PWM control (4-pin fan)
• mag-lev bearing (300.000+ work hours)
• 4 color options (red, blue, white LED and non-LED version)
• warranty 5 years

Mediocre

• noise output (16 - 37 dB(A))
• power draw 0.276 A

Cons

• price
• no RGB LEDs (to me, it is not a con)

--

Now, if you are adamant that you absolutely must have RGB LED fan, then i have only one suggestion and that is 120mm fan;
EK-Vardar EVO 120ER RGB,
specs: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-vardar-evo-120er-rgb-500-2200-rpm
review: https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/EKWB/Vardar_EVO_120ER_RGB/
amazon single: https://www.amazon.com/EKWB-EK-Vardar-120ER-120mm-Digital/dp/B08D349LNM
amazon dual: https://www.amazon.com/EK-Vardar-EVO-120ER-500-2200-Pack/dp/B07DGP2T22

120mm
Pros

• great airflow (77 CFM)
• great static pressure (3.16mm H2O)
• great RPM range (up to 2200 RPM)
• PWM control (4-pin fan)
• compatible with MoBo RGB solutions (Asus Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light etc)

Mediocre

• noise output (up to 33.5 dB(A))
• dual ball bearing (50.000 work hours)
• RGB LED (4-pin +12V RGB non-addressable)

Cons

• price
• availability