fans PC Fans ramp to max ONLY when Windows boots Gigabyte Z490 Gaming X Aerocool H66F

[Darcrill]

Hi there

 

This has been an ongoing issue which I have seen a few threads on but with no answer.

 

To be clear, in BIOS, the fans operate normally, controllable as PWM fans, from their minimum to maximum speeds and tracking temperature.

Only when booting into Windows do they then ramp to max speed, then remain at max speed and can no longer be altered by fan controller software, nor do they track temperature.

 

There are no overheating issues, just annoying max speed fans.

 

Hardware involved:

Gigabyte Z490 Gaming X (F20d BIOS)

Aerocool H66F Controller (second unit provided by Aerocool (kindly for free) as initially I treated it as faulty, but apparently not)

 

The H66F comes with a remote, which used correctly, allows me to set the fan controller to the PWM setting, allowing the fans to be controlled in BIOS.

 

The pin configuration to each fan is a proprietary 6 pin connecter, which is a voltage controlled output with RGB operation, and the controller is connected to the PWM and Ground pins on the motherboard 4 pin header.

 

The tachometer pin and 12v pins are not connected, as per Aerocool's specification.

 

I have used a number of fan controller programs to try and get around this issue including the Gigabytes own Smart Fan/System Information Viewer apps.

 

None of these had any effect and none are installed presently.

 

I have gone through the process of resetting/reinstalling the BIOS, to no avail.

 

This appears to be an issue that only comes once Windows boots.

 

I hope someone can help, whilst this is not detrimental to the system, it is rather annoying.

 

Kind regards Tak (Darcrill)

[Kyle Xu]

is it just as the system is booting or is it basically always like this 

[Darcrill]

7 minutes ago, Dk SPYder said:

is it just as the system is booting or is it basically always like this 

The fans remain at max speed indefinitely.

[Kyle Xu]

6 minutes ago, Darcrill said:

The fans remain at max speed indefinitely.

thats weird check ur clock speeds 

[IkeaGnome]

7 minutes ago, Darcrill said:

The fans remain at max speed indefinitely.

What header are you using on the motherboard?

[Darcrill]

2 minutes ago, IkeaGnome said:

What header are you using on the motherboard?

The Sys1, header. A 4 pin header towards the top left hand corner as shown on the manual.

 

I have used different headers to ensure that no one header is faulty.

 

They all give the same result.

[IkeaGnome]

4 minutes ago, Darcrill said:

The Sys1, header. A 4 pin header towards the top left hand corner as shown on the manual.

 

I have used different headers to ensure that no one header is faulty.

 

They all give the same result.

Is the fan header set to DC or PWM mode in BIOS?

[Darcrill]

Just now, IkeaGnome said:

Is the fan header set to DC or PWM mode in BIOS?

It is set to PWM, and as mentioned in the main topic, the controller works perfectly in BIOS, which confirms that it is correctly set to PWM output.

 

The issue only arises once windows boots.

[IkeaGnome]

6 minutes ago, Darcrill said:

It is set to PWM, and as mentioned in the main topic, the controller works perfectly in BIOS, which confirms that it is correctly set to PWM output.

 

The issue only arises once windows boots.

If you turn the fans completely off, down to silent mode in BIOS, do they stay off?

I think without the sense wire windows is telling them to go full speed. If BIOS or Windows is seeing no sense wire when it's looking for one, it makes sense for it to go full speed. It'll push more air in case something is wrong thermally, it'll make more noise to get your attention. 

 

With no sense wire, the bios gets no feedback on how fast the fans are actually going. 

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

You have no fan control software installed? What you describe—that the fans operate according to the settings in the BIOS, and then change once Windows boots—is consistent with the behavior you would expect from fan-control software taking over control once Windows boots.

[Darcrill]

2 minutes ago, IkeaGnome said:

If you turn the fans completely off, down to silent mode in BIOS, do they stay off?

I think without the sense wire windows is telling them to go full speed. If BIOS or Windows is seeing no sense wire when it's looking for one, it makes sense for it to go full speed. It'll push more air in case something is wrong thermally, it'll make more noise to get your attention. 

 

With no sense wire, the bios gets no feedback on how fast the fans are actually going. 

In BIOS they can be turned down and off.

I agree with the lack of sense wire being an issue, but what service within windows responds to the sense wire pin without any fan controller software present?

 

Is there anyway to monitor PWM output from windows as it were?

 

Plus installed fan controller software which should take precedence, but they still are unresponsive to PWM control which does not require PWM feedback.

 

To be clear, I truly appreciate your response and am grateful for any advice.

[Darcrill]

1 minute ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

You have no fan control software installed? What you describe—that the fans operate according to the settings in the BIOS, and then change once Windows boots—is consistent with the behavior you would expect from fan-control software taking over control once Windows boots.

I agree, but there is no fan controller software installed and I cannot find any background service running to suggest that there is anything obviously controlling the PWM outputs.

Do you know of any way to monitor just what windows is controlling in terms on PWM output?

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

1 minute ago, Darcrill said:

Do you know of any way to monitor just what windows is controlling in terms on PWM output?

Windows will not control your fans itself. Gigabyte probably has software for controlling fans in Windows for your motherboard. There are also third-party options like FanControl that may work for you.

 

 

It's probably worth looking into these as a troubleshooting step at the very least.

 

[Darcrill]

1 minute ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

Windows will not control your fans itself. Gigabyte probably has software for controlling fans in Windows for your motherboard. There are also third-party options like FanControl that may work for you.

 

 

It's probably worth looking into these as a troubleshooting step at the very least.

 

As mentioned in the main topic, I have installed a few different softwares to try and get around this issue, but none have any effect.

 

The Gigabytes own software has many issues of its own, including compatibility with their own motherboards, and as such was ineffective at controlling the fans or executing a stable overclock.

 

Thanks for your suggestion, but it is one I have spent some time on.

[Mark Kaine]

reset cmos. maybe also then try booting up without any changes in BIOS just to see if the behaviour is still the same.

 

 

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

Do you have any standard 4 pin PWM fans?

 

You should try bypassing the controller to see if the error persists.

[Darcrill]

2 hours ago, Mark Kaine said:

reset cmos. maybe also then try booting up without any changes in BIOS just to see if the behaviour is still the same.

 

 

A good suggestion, but already tried, and reinstalled/updated the BIOS previously.

The issue stems from the windows boot process and something outside/superseding the BIOS control.

[Darcrill]

2 hours ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

Do you have any standard 4 pin PWM fans?

 

You should try bypassing the controller to see if the error persists.

There are 4 PWM headers on the motherboard, but the fans themselves are connected to the controller via proprietary 6 pin connectors.

 

Each of the PWM headers gives the same result.

 

It is possible however, to use the CPU header, as the CPU fan has a splitter.

This allows me to sync the case fans with the CPU fan, but not control them independently.

 

As I say, this is by no means a big problem, its just annoying.

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

The CPU fan is 4 pin PWM, and it works properly? Or does it alao go to max on Windows boot? Does it continue to work properly if you plug it into the header where the controller is plugged in now? Or does it go to max like the controller fans do?

 

Trying to eliminate the controller as a variable.

[Darcrill]

On 7/30/2021 at 11:47 AM, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

The CPU fan is 4 pin PWM, and it works properly? Or does it alao go to max on Windows boot? Does it continue to work properly if you plug it into the header where the controller is plugged in now? Or does it go to max like the controller fans do?

 

Trying to eliminate the controller as a variable.

The CPU is 4 pin PWM, and set to PWM in BIOS, works perfectly. 

 

I do not believe the controller is "Faulty", but that the lack of a sense wire maybe at the root of it all.

 

Which there is no solution to other than replace the whole set of fans, given the proprietary nature of the plugs.

 

Looking at other off brand controllers, they appear to all come from the same factory and use only two wires to the PWM header.

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

11 hours ago, Darcrill said:

The CPU is 4 pin PWM, and set to PWM in BIOS, works perfectly. 

 

I do not believe the controller is "Faulty", but that the lack of a sense wire maybe at the root of it all.

 

Which there is no solution to other than replace the whole set of fans, given the proprietary nature of the plugs.

 

Looking at other off brand controllers, they appear to all come from the same factory and use only two wires to the PWM header.

Well if you can plug a regular 4 pin PWM fan into the same header, and the issue is resolved, then it's the controller at fault.

 

Last thing I'll leave you with since it might be relevant:

 

I had an issue with the fan controller that came with my Phanteks case where if the PWM signal got too low—less than 20%-25%—the controller would ramp the fans up to 100%. Phanteks replaced the controller for me, but I never determined if the replacement worked properly because I just ended up using splitters and that was a more elegant and straight forward solution.