Greetings,
A few weeks ago I bought a custom Gaming machine, the tower used for my custom was the "Lian Li O11Dynamic Evo RGB Gaming Case". Days after using the system, out of nowhere, the chassis fans began to operate at 100% speed at all times. I found other threads about the issue on the forum (listed in the Quote below), but no clear answer how to fix it, and opted to go direct to PCS tech support. Below is the original message I sent to them - I'm quite happy with the support I received btw, very fast response. It's just easier for me to replicate that text and repost it here so I don't have to totally re-write the same thing again, and to better elucidate my hang-ups with some solutions I discovered.
From here on, I'll acronym "Fan Control Box" to "FCB".
In short, the response I got to this was 3 initial options:
1) Check BIOS/UEFI fan settings (set to Auto/PWM, and generally tinker)
2) Physical fan connection (try re-configuring where they are plugged in, e.g. avoid the Lian Li FCB and plug directly into the mobo)
3) Lightweight software alternative (e.g. GetFanControl dot com)
A fair set of solutions. I tried Option 1, it didn't work; I even set the chassis fans to Silent mode, ensuring to Save & Exit BIOS, it still didn't work, the motherboard doesn't seem to have supreme control over the chassis fans anymore.
I looked at Option 2. I powered off the machine, using the power button to drain residual energy. I traced the chassis fan cable to an FCB adjacent to the PSU, it's very difficult to see because of PSU cables blocking visibility, but it's there. It seems the chassis fans connect to the FCB, the FCB to the SYS_FAN1 mobo socket. I didn't unplug or change anything, only looked because the PSU cable tidy was too dense to upset. I rebooted the computer, and the problem was fixed.
What fixed the problem? Either the BIOS settings finally kicked in, or a total discharge of energy somehow fixed it. Today, I've discovered it's almost certainly the latter.
Seemingly at random, the problem returned today; my computer started this morning with fans locked at 100% again. I tried BIOS, nothing worked, I actively tried powering off and discharging energy, waited about 2 minutes, and rebooted to find it's fixed again.
I still don't know what's causing this to happen, and why it's happening to other people with this case, but problems like this are irritating and I want to try and help others who are also dealing with the same issue. So sadly, what I have found isn't a solution but it is looking like a concrete, un-invasive work-around.
I will definitely post in this thread again if I ever work out what's overriding the fan control. I don't think it can be Windows updates because the fans lock at 100% from the moment I power on, which is not observable fan activity after a energy discharge cycle fix. Windows isn't operating 1 second after power-on, so it seems the FCB, or something else in the case, is exhibiting a lower-level control, which is at some point being mysteriously being re-set to take control, but which doesn't have access to the CMOS battery to maintain that control after a energy discharge cycle.
I'll also add that the cable between the SYS_FAN1 socket and the FCB is 4 pin but 2 wire, so presumably missing relevant signal cabling for PWM to even work? How this may reflect upon the issue, I'm not totally sure. I speculate the FCB is either getting confused about the lack of signalling (I suspect quite unlikely), or it's not supposed to get any signals from the mobo anyway and instead it is itself getting confused about how to control the chassis fans, somehow. I thought I'd mention this wiring thing anyway.
Basically, this whole thread may well hinge on my aversion to installing a 1GB software package by Lian Li (or really any software alternatives) to recreate a Fan behaviour which I know can observably exist in its absence - I do realise this
If anyone has any thoughts on this matter with respect to the source of the problem, I welcome them, cheers.
Best regards,
Nelafanji
A few weeks ago I bought a custom Gaming machine, the tower used for my custom was the "Lian Li O11Dynamic Evo RGB Gaming Case". Days after using the system, out of nowhere, the chassis fans began to operate at 100% speed at all times. I found other threads about the issue on the forum (listed in the Quote below), but no clear answer how to fix it, and opted to go direct to PCS tech support. Below is the original message I sent to them - I'm quite happy with the support I received btw, very fast response. It's just easier for me to replicate that text and repost it here so I don't have to totally re-write the same thing again, and to better elucidate my hang-ups with some solutions I discovered.
I recently purchased this custom machine and everything's fine, except recently the chassis fans have been running at (what I believe is) 100% constantly. For the first 3 days of PC operation, they were dynamically changing speed based on temperature levels in the case, but around day 4 my tower just began running them at max all the time.
I've found some threads over the past year describing the same problem, and they have the same tower case too:
LianLi case fans full RPM on startup and not appearing in L connect
Hello, I bought my PC from pcspecialist around a couple of months ago and it has been great. I shut it down yesterday and did a windows update with it (5 mins). All good. Started it up this morning and the case fans are going absolutely crazy, full RPM permanently. When opening L connect to...www.pcspecialist.co.uk
Case fans so loud at all times
Hello, Recently recieved my new build and love it overall, it's fantastic. However, as soon as I switch on the PC, even at idle or at gaming, the case fans are so loud, going crazy. Really not sure what to do or how to adjust them but it's bothering me a bit. This is my spec: Case LIAN LI...Icue Fans Going Crazy
Hi I have received my new PC build (spec below) and for the first day it was running just fine. Today, however, the side fans are going absolutely crazy. I have attached images showing iCue displaying my "sensor 3" on my GPU is 255 degrees. I have also attached one showing the fan speeds. I...
None of them really provide a clear answer as to what changed to cause the problem, nor how to suitably fix the problem. If the fans were able to dynamically operate without LianLi's "L-Connect 3" software, or the Gigabyte mobo software (and they did dynamically change before booting the OS), then there must be another solution? I'm reluctant to install near-1GB bloated software packages on an otherwise clean system as an attempt to remedy the issue.
Do you have any thoughts how to fix this less invasively? I thought I could live with a noisy tower but this type of fan sound isn't pleasant to have during all hours of operation.
Fwiw, I have seen suggestions to hard set the chassis fan speed in the BIOS but again, there must be a way to return to the prior functioning dynamic fan speed configuration.
From here on, I'll acronym "Fan Control Box" to "FCB".
In short, the response I got to this was 3 initial options:
1) Check BIOS/UEFI fan settings (set to Auto/PWM, and generally tinker)
2) Physical fan connection (try re-configuring where they are plugged in, e.g. avoid the Lian Li FCB and plug directly into the mobo)
3) Lightweight software alternative (e.g. GetFanControl dot com)
A fair set of solutions. I tried Option 1, it didn't work; I even set the chassis fans to Silent mode, ensuring to Save & Exit BIOS, it still didn't work, the motherboard doesn't seem to have supreme control over the chassis fans anymore.
I looked at Option 2. I powered off the machine, using the power button to drain residual energy. I traced the chassis fan cable to an FCB adjacent to the PSU, it's very difficult to see because of PSU cables blocking visibility, but it's there. It seems the chassis fans connect to the FCB, the FCB to the SYS_FAN1 mobo socket. I didn't unplug or change anything, only looked because the PSU cable tidy was too dense to upset. I rebooted the computer, and the problem was fixed.
What fixed the problem? Either the BIOS settings finally kicked in, or a total discharge of energy somehow fixed it. Today, I've discovered it's almost certainly the latter.
Seemingly at random, the problem returned today; my computer started this morning with fans locked at 100% again. I tried BIOS, nothing worked, I actively tried powering off and discharging energy, waited about 2 minutes, and rebooted to find it's fixed again.
I still don't know what's causing this to happen, and why it's happening to other people with this case, but problems like this are irritating and I want to try and help others who are also dealing with the same issue. So sadly, what I have found isn't a solution but it is looking like a concrete, un-invasive work-around.
I will definitely post in this thread again if I ever work out what's overriding the fan control. I don't think it can be Windows updates because the fans lock at 100% from the moment I power on, which is not observable fan activity after a energy discharge cycle fix. Windows isn't operating 1 second after power-on, so it seems the FCB, or something else in the case, is exhibiting a lower-level control, which is at some point being mysteriously being re-set to take control, but which doesn't have access to the CMOS battery to maintain that control after a energy discharge cycle.
I'll also add that the cable between the SYS_FAN1 socket and the FCB is 4 pin but 2 wire, so presumably missing relevant signal cabling for PWM to even work? How this may reflect upon the issue, I'm not totally sure. I speculate the FCB is either getting confused about the lack of signalling (I suspect quite unlikely), or it's not supposed to get any signals from the mobo anyway and instead it is itself getting confused about how to control the chassis fans, somehow. I thought I'd mention this wiring thing anyway.
Basically, this whole thread may well hinge on my aversion to installing a 1GB software package by Lian Li (or really any software alternatives) to recreate a Fan behaviour which I know can observably exist in its absence - I do realise this
If anyone has any thoughts on this matter with respect to the source of the problem, I welcome them, cheers.
Best regards,
Nelafanji
