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TESTING
Test Setup:
Measurement and Analysis Tools
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Our test bed. Yes, the heatsink is installed backwards. Don't freak out.
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THE FAN CONTROLS
To test exactly how the different fan profiles affected fan speed behavior,
we used an incredibly complex technique called 'stopping the fan.' Unfortunately
our specialized fan stopping tool was in the shop for repairs so we used a SATA
data cable wedged in-between the fan blades instead. With the fan stopped,
the CPU was allowed to heat up , and at specific temperatures
we released the fan to see fast Q-Fan decided it should spin. We used
a ZeroTherm BTF90 heatsink/fan which tops out at approximately 2500RPM to cool
our E6400 processor. When cooled passively on the open testbench system, the CPU temperature stabilized
at 69°C.
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CPU Temp
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CPU Fan Speed (RPM)
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Silent
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Optimal
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Perf.
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30°C
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830
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820
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900
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35°C
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830
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820
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900
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40°C
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830
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820
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1360
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45°C
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840
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1000
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1590
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50°C
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840
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1320
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2220
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55°C
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1080
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1730
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2450
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60°C
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1320
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2160
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2450
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65°C
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1880
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2480
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2450
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69°C
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2160
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2410
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2450
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As expected, the Silent profile waited the longest to spin up and spun up the
least, never reaching the fan's maximum speed even at 69°C. The Performance
profile behaved much more aggressively, beginning to ramp up between 35°C
and 40°C, and reaching maximum speed at 55°C. The minimum speed was
also slightly higher. The Optimal profile had the smoothest increase in fan
speed, gradually picking up at around 40°C and topping out at 65°C.
These profiles should satisfy most users.
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SpeedFan's Readings screen.
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For those looking for complete, customizable control, we loaded up SpeedFan
to see what could be done. CPU0 Fan and Speed02 correlated to CPU_FAN, AUX0
Fan and Speed01 to CHA_FAN1, and Sys Fan to PWR_FAN (no speed control available).
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'Manual PWM Control' is what you want for manual control.
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To enable manual fan control of the CPU and case fan headers, we had to set
PWM 1 and 2 mode to "Manual PWM Control." While the case fan header
had a full range of control, the CPU fan header had a lower limit — it
stopped decreasing the fan speed at approximately 30%. In addition, this header
could only control 4-pin PWM fans.
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PC Probe monitoring.
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Asus' PC Probe also offered an extensive range of fan speed, temperature, and
voltage monitoring data, as well as adjustable threshold limits.
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