T42 Minimum Fan Speed

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energyandair · #1 Post by **energyandair** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 6:56 pm

What determines the minimum fan speed setting on a T42 and what is the prospect for reducing it?

My laptop sits in a mini-dock most of the time. Its fan runs on low speed nearly all the time and once on, it never switches off. “Mobmeter” currently shows the processor at 600 hz, 38 deg C and the HDD at 32 deg C. This is pretty typical.

Judging by these temperatures, the minimum fan speed seems to be far higher than necessary for 90% of my use. Reducing the minimum fan speed setting would reduce the loudness and pitch of the fan noise and would make me a lot happier.

I have read that fan operation is controlled to meet the cooling needs of other components as well as the processor and the HDD so switching it off may not be an option or may initiate fan cycling but it is easy to imagine stable operation at a lower fan speed that is virtually inaudible.

It seems to me that until I find a way to reset this minimum speed, all of the good suggestions I have read on reducing power consumption and the need for cooling will do nothing to reduce my fan noise.

David

sugo · #2 Post by **sugo** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 5:03 am

Do you want to control the min fan speed, or the min temperature where the fan comes on? Most people want the later. When my T42 hits 38'C the fan shuts off. It comes back on at around 42'C.

James314 · #3 Post by **James314** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 5:45 am

I too have fan noise issues and have posted a lot on this topic. I would once again like to say that my tp's fan kicks in and never stops even when the temp gets below 38 degrees. If there is a way - aside from switching to adaptive and switching off wifi which i have already done - of sorting this problem out once and for all please help me! Otherwise IBM/Lenovo, if you are watching, how many fan complaints do you need to hear before you get off your asses and do something??

cue inevitable - 'my tp is fine, god save IBM, are you crazy?'

J.

energyandair · #4 Post by **energyandair** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 9:21 am

Do you want to control the min fan speed, or the min temperature where the fan comes on? Most people want the later. When my T42 hits 38'C the fan shuts off. It comes back on at around 42'C.

I would like to control both but I think that controlling the minimum speed would be more useful.

From other posts, I gather that the cpu is only one of the things that can bring the fan on and surmise that it might be the ATI 9600 or some other component that is keeping my fan on although the cpu temperature is below 38.
If this is so, setting the cpu fan-off temperature higher will do nothing for me.

Dropping the fan speed OTOH will make a significant difference to sound while maintaining airflow and significant cooling. From the Fan Laws, with the same fan and system, flow will vary proportionately to fan rpm but the power it uses will vary with the cube of the rpm so 50% fan speed would mean about 13% power. Pitch will drop to about half where the ear is less sensitive and with less energy going into the fan, noise generation will also drop.

David

GpsPasSion · #5 Post by **GpsPasSion** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 6:46 pm

James314 wrote:I too have fan noise issues and have posted a lot on this topic. I would once again like to say that my tp's fan kicks in and never stops even when the temp gets below 38 degrees. If there is a way - aside from switching to adaptiveJ.

Why wouldn't you want to swithc to adaptive ? That's what I do on my X31 and the fan never comes on.

jlingo · #6 Post by **jlingo** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 11:15 pm

My T43p fan shuts off when the temperature hits below 38degrees. But that's only happen early in the morning when I first start up my computer.

after 5-10min, there you go the temperature goes up to 50 degrees. and noisy fan stays on.

GpsPasSion · #7 Post by **GpsPasSion** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 2:53 am

Even if you set it to adaptive and it stays at 800mhz ?

T42 Minimum Fan Speed

T42 Minimum Fan Speed

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