How do I use BIOS settings for

[david2.green]

This is my first time here. Hope someone can help me, even though this is a question about a non-self built PC!:o

The CPU[1] fan in my new computer runs continuously at high speed, and it's too noisey. I intend changing it to a 'smart' fan which uses PWM. The motherboard[2] has a 4-cable connector and the Award BIOS provides Smart Fan Control settings which mention PWM, so I'm assuming I should be able to modulate the fan speed.

Unfortunately the motherboard handbook does a very bad job of explaining the significance of the 'Smart Fan Control' BIOS settings, and gives no hints of how they should be used together to make the fan 'smart'. Please can anyone advise me what the following settings mean, and suggest values I can try to slow that fan down when it's idling?

The 'Smart Fan Control' settings are:
--CPU tolerance temperature (currently 15)
--Low CPU temp (currently 20)
--Low CPU fan PWM duty (currently 20)
--CPU Slope PWM (currently 7)
--CPU Fan Full loading temp (currently 40)

In the Phoenix Award BIOS setup, the 'PC Health Status' section is currently reporting these values when the machine is idle:
--Smart fan Control ENABLED
--CPU temp warning DISABLED
--CPU temp 21 degrees C
--System temp 32 degrees C
--CPU fan 2480 RPM

[1] Intel Core 2 Duo E6400. I understand that this CPU is unlikely to exceed 55 degrees.
[2] ECS Elitegroup P965T-A

TIA

David Green

[Rob]

Hi, David:

Sorry, I don't know anything about this. I did some googling (turning up your post on the Hexus forum as the first hit! - good move trying multiple sources) and also found this post which may be of interest on yet another forum.

http://forums.techarp.com/showthread.php?p=287511


You might also try contacting the Phoenix customer support. They make the BIOS so they may be able to help.

http://www.phoenix.com/en/Learn+About/BIOS_CSS/default.htm

[david2.green]

Rob,

thanks for the quick reply. That forum thread you sent me is very useful.

When I contacted Phoenix they just told me to contact my motherboard manufacturer (ECS). I was disappointed that they aren't prepared to answer simple questions about their own product!

In your SuperPC build instructions I couldn't see anything about tweaking BIOS settings for the CPU cooler. Is that because it doesn't use PWM or because BIOS defaults are fine, in your case?

David Green

[Rob]

My assembly steps do describe how to check fan speeds and temperatures as part of verifying you have a good computer build. But I haven't gone into any detail regarding monitoring fan speeds and temperatures, which would mean describing supporting software more thoroughly and setting up alarms to signal trouble. But I will have it with the AM2 build I have in progress since it is a worthwhile topic.