Studio XPS 435MT - problem with fan

Here's an update: since adding the GeForce 8800 GTS video card to my system the CPU temperatures have climbed to about 48-50C at idle (using Core Temp 0.99.4 to measure).  Under light load, I noticed that occasionally the fans would kick it into "hair dryer mode" (very loud) for a few seconds.  Thinking that perhaps it was just getting too hot in there, I removed the side of the case and the temperatures are down to 39-41C at idle.  With the case open, even under heavy load, the fans never kick it into high gear - interestingly Prime95 will bring the temps up to 60C but even then the fans don't go into hairdryer mode (just a bit louder).

So I have a feeling that perhaps the (lack of) airflow through the case is a big problem.  The stock case fan seems to want to run at 1400 RPM all the time which doesn't move a whole lot of air.  Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a way to manually control the case fan speed - maybe I will need to get a new one that always runs at full speed -- or perhaps one that has a manual speed controller on it.  There is a beta version of SpeedFan 4.38 beta 10 which is able to read fan speeds and core temps on the Core i7, but it doesn't seem to be able to change the fan speeds.

Dell - please update the BIOS or give us some utility to give us more control over fan speeds!

Studio XPS machines from around the end of 2008 definitely seem to have noisy fans. Mine was permanently droning, and using Dell support from the UK (via India) was a waste of time.

The first thing I did was replace the noisy case fan (rated 70 CFM) with a quiet "Noctua NF-B9 92mm" (rated 37 CFM).

However, using the "CPUID HW Monitor" application (x64 version), I could see that the motherboard temperature was getting too high during idle.

So next I added an "Antec VCool VGA cooler" PCI card exhaust fan. This uses up the two slots above the graphics card, but the location is right next to the motherboard heatsink. This card has an external speed switch - luckily the "Low" setting is quiet enough, and moves enough air out. I also needed a "SATA to Molex adapter" to connect the power (15-pin male to 4-pin female).

Now, after working for an hour, I get the following temperatures and hopefully it'll be OK:

  TMPIN0 [MB] = 50, TMPIN1 [CPU] = 33, GPU = 45, HDD = 27

As you might expect, I'm no longer a "fan" of Dell.

Ok, this is a re-post, as Dell took my previous one down, so I have watered it down to say the same thing (but within the terms and conditions)

I created an account especially to to let people know about the i7 Dell 435MT PC and fan noise, because I feel so strongly about it, and people need to know about this system and the case quality. I work with dells, having used core2duo's, quad core'es etc, and all have been super quiet, which is one of the reasons i opted for an i7 435mt for my own use.

When i got the pc up and running, i noticed how loud the pc was, and like many have said, it is definitely the case fan at the rear of the pc. Having shelled out a lot of dosh on this system, i contacted dell, and made them aware that the pc fan is loud and sounds like a diesel car on idle. They didn't initially make out that they were aware, but then changed there mind after speaking to a few techies there end. I was given two options, they send replacement fan out, or take pc back to check in there labs. I opted for a replacement fan, and stressed i wanted a different make of fan than the loud monster already in there. They then sent me out a replacement one the following day, and surprise surprise, exactly the same fan and model, and same volume...

I will NEVER EVER buy a DELL again. The poor build quality of the i7 435MT, the poor power supply, the complete lack of support for any other Operating system other than Vista 64-Bit.... the terrible fan noise, the lack of options in the BIOS, no Parallel or Serial Ports (although thats not really expected these days), and especially the amount of money you shell out on a system as this. Oh and the customer support was in my opinion not so good, you have to explain yourself 50 times before they acknowledge you, and even then it is pot luck who you get. Anyway, rant over, I hope this post has been useful to somebody out there.

Please leave this post up, there is nothing in here that is not of public interest, and also this content is dell terms and conditions friendly.

When I ordered my Studio XPS it specified Vista x64, and no serial/parallel ports, so I have no complaint there. Also, the BIOS is very standard for Dell.

However, I completely agree about the noise problem and lack of expansion capability. To market a machine with a compact design and even call it a Studio XPS, while not paying any attention to the noise level, or potential cooling problems, is utterly ridiculous.

And the quality of support is unsatisfactory, outside the US at least, and lacks a professional approach. I could have bought from many other suppliers in my region and they may either not have had these problems at all, or at least may have acknowledged or addressed them after the sale. Next time I will fully research alternative suppliers, rather than automatically make assumptions about the build quality of Dell machines.

I also noticed today that Dell is now pushing a new "Studio XPS 435 Desktop" (www.dailytech.com) that comes in a more modern case with better cooling. I can only hope it's quieter. An ambient idle noise level (dB) should be included in the Technical Specifications of all machines, but no single supplier will do it unless all the others do.

Well that figures, they potentially fix the problem, but leave us hanging if we already bought the old style.  This is my first new desktop since 2001 and was pretty excited about getting it, but I must say the whole experience has been soured from this noise issue.  I also replaced my fan with a Noctua, but I'm not convinced the cooling is adequate now.  Now I have to figure something else out.  I've considered getting a rubber insert for the original fan, or getting a pci card fan as mentioned above.

The irony is, I bought a Dell so I wouldn't have to worry about getting everything just right and optimize the cooling.  My company has bought Dells for a long time (at least 600 at my site alone), and I have always recommended Dell to friends and family.  In my experience they have always been very quiet machines with good cooling.  So, I figured instead of building my own it would be nice to have a computer where all that is already done and all I need to do is upgrade the video card.  Silly me.  I actually leave my computer turned off most of the time now, because I am either nervous about the cooling or irritated with the noise.  That is NOT something I should feel like I need to do with a brand new Dell XPS.  Other than that I love the computer, but am suprised at how much if an issue this fan has become.

If anyone gets resolution out of this please post.  So far it sounds like all Tech Support has done for anyone is send the exact same fan...

You're right, I was certainly expecting a lot better from Dell designers/engineers.

Relying on the Noctua fan is not enough because it only does 37 CFM - looking at the "HW Monitor" app showed the motherboard temperature was too high for my liking, and it's not even summer here yet.

I couldn't quickly find anywhere to buy a 92mm fan which could do more like the original's 70 CFM, that's why I tried PCI exhaust fans - and there was quite a variation in the noise & cooling abilities of those until I settled for the "Antec" one.

Otherwise all I can suggest to anyone is to keep trying Tech Support again and again...

That's one thing that confuses me... for this to be such a "cheap" fan, it supposedly pushes way more air than most fans.  In fact, looking at FrozenCpu.com, there is only one 92mm fan that pushes that much air.  I tried to verify the OEM fan's specs on the company's website, but I could not find that model.

I am debating on getting a Thermaltake A2426 PCI fan.  Any experience with those?

Yeah, mine was noisy too, the problem was solved when I changed the case fan to a quiet one. My temps are well within operational range and since i'm not an overclocker or a temperature control freak, i just don't worry about it and enjoy this powerful and unexpensive machine. I do understand the initial frustration of having to replace a component from a brand new system, but other than that I think some people are a bit over reacting.

This is slightly off topic, but interesting for how it relates to Dell Tech Support.  My XPS 435MT has a RAID 1 setup that has been crashing and rebuilding itself for two months (ever since I bought the computer). It crashes nearly every day. I've had to back up all my data twice now and rebuild the entire system from the factory image on the hard drive. Neither time has this fixed it. We have done all kinds of diagnostics, including a 15-hour diagnostic test on the disks. They passed. Now Dell's suggestion is we rebuild the system from the reinstall disks shipped with the computer, implying that something might be wrong with the factory image. My other choice is to disable the RAID and go to a two independent disk system. In other words, just write off a key feature (RAID) that I bought the computer for. I'm a one-person business and frankly this issue has cost me hours of time and I've probably lost as much money in work I could have been doing as it would have cost to just buy another system. Consequently, I'm going to cut my losses and revert to a two independent disk system. I give up.

I did ask what it takes for Dell to decide your system is bad and give you a new one. Apparently that takes diagnostic evidence that some hardware components are bad and need to be factory replaced. It's not enough to have a key feature you bought the computer for not work.

As for the fan, I'm still running the Nexus and monitoring temperatures. I've only heard it kick into high gear twice and then for only a minute. So far everything is okay, but as everyone says, it's not summer yet. I keep my house a cool 64 degrees in winter. In summer, it can reach 88 degrees (I don't have air conditioning). I may just have to open up the case. I am thinking about buying one of the slot fans and trying that. Maybe I'll drill a lot of vent holes in the case and postion a room fan in front of the computer.

I'm really trying to love this system. Perhaps someday it will love me back.

It's just always a compromise to shift more air without making more noise.

I looked at the "Thermaltake A2414" at the weeked (dual slot, 10 CFM, 16 dB) but that has a similar specification to the "Antec VGA Cooler" I've already got, on a "Low" setting, and I thought I'd need its "Med" and "High" settings when playing games or during summer. I don't mind wearing headphones at all when gaming, but not when working.

I also tried a stock "Antec Cyclone Blower" (single slot, 22 CFM, 28 dB) but found that was too noisy for normal work, in my quiet surroundings.

I hadn't seen the "Thermaltake A2426" mentioned (single slot, 22 CFM, 21 dB) but ultimately it's just a personal decision to find one that gives a high enough CFM, but without too much dB. I hope you find an acceptable solution.

What’s up with Dell ? I have purchased 3 Dell Laptops for my kids without any problems - returned 2 for different models - no issues. I am now ready to buy a new system for me.. purchased the Studio XPS 435MT - the day when the new one came out - but I got the Studio 435MT - then started reading all the posts about loud fans.. man I hate loud fans.. The day my monitor arrived Dell had a sale on it for $20 less.. this was a few days back (2/30/09). Dell gave me the $20 credit - today, a 10% coupon - which was another $50 off. I called in - got the hassle of my life - 1 hour on the phone, 6-7-8 different transfers.. they could not credit me the $50, -said I had to return the monitor and buy the one on-line. This made no sense. AND THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME A 15% restocking fee.. did not sit well with me. After an hour, I got another $25 off the monitor and ended up canceling my 435MT - partly due to the fan issues stated here - mainly because dell customer service has fallen apart. They are not seeing the big picture.. I'm looking at HP, or other options.. Yes, some will have great success with Dell .. I did not. Not sure I’ll buy from Dell again.. but we’ll have to see after I settle down and dell offers another 20% off then new 435 studio.

Just beware - dell is changing! - not for the better.

Scott

No offense, but you sound like the kind of customer no company wants. You buy a computer and it arrives at your door and then you want that day's offer, not the offer that was current the day you bought the computer. I would say that Dell was nice to give you the time of day.

Now the fan, that is a big deal. I don't think Dell thought through the cooling of this particular model. Particularly if you bought the higher performing (hotter) graphics cards. That is something to complain about. My suggestion is that people order a Silenx Ixtrema fan. It's 14 dBA at 42 cfm. That's close enough to the cfm of the original fan for me and way quieter. Yes, Dell goofed. But it's a cheap fix. And the computer is awesome in terms of performance. It should keep people smiling for another five years or so, once you quiet it down.

Hi Chris,

It's been 6 weeks since you started looking into this issue and I was hoping you could you provide a status update regarding your investigation of the nosiy fan reported by Studio XPS owners.  Specifically:

What is Dell's official position on addressing this issue and is there a "fix"??

Has it been isolated to a certain batch/lot of fans and/or XPS Studio batch/lots?

Are Studio XPS system that are shipping now equipped with the same fan?

Has the noise problem been reported on the newer Studio 435 model?

Any additional details or updates you you can provide would be greatly appreciated?