Thinkpads Forum

First of all I'd like to thank Shindomax for creating this little gem. I have been using it on and off for a while, it works pretty well.

I have one question. How does tpfancontrol figure out the current rpm of the fan? When I started it today, I was alarmed to find the fan rpm reads "off". However, by listening closely to the exhaust, the fan was clearly spinning. Somehow tpfancontrol cannot calculate the fan rpm anymore. Is this indicative of something physically wrong with the fan?


Keith

Welcome to the Thinkpad Forums

So you have been using the Fan Control Utility and then the RPM reads "off" all of a sudden?

Hmm, I hate to ask this, but you are sure you heard the fan spinning and not something else?

Other than that, I would have to say there is either some low-level interference with FCU or a hardware issue.

Thanks, Christopher.

I am quite certain the fan is spinning. I can actually feel the airflow by placing my fingers next to the exhaust.

Yes, the rpm reading worked before, with a range of about 2900 rpm at speed setting 1 to about 3300 rpm at speed setting 7. Noticing the max rpm seems below par, I figured it could use some cleaning.

I removed the keyboard and blasted away what must be 2 years' worth of dust on the fan blades and louvers with compressed air. I did not remove or open up the fan assembly as I have no thermal compound handy.

Contented with a job well done, I started tpfancontrol again to see whether the max rpm had improved. To my surprise, even though the fan worked in the different modes, the rpm readout remains "off" all the time.

So I wonder, how does tpfancontrol obtain the fan rpm? While the computer seems to be working fine, I am feeling a bit paranoid with the BIOS being "blind" to how quickly the fan is spinning.


Keith

To follow up with an update, it seems the problem went away by itself. The fan is passing the BIOS fan test again, and tpfancontrol gives rpm readings once more. I suppose the rpm sensor in the fan might have been covered by dust/dislodged somehow.