How to turn down cpu fan speed?

Every PC and laptop has built-in fans that blow off the heat generated when a process is running through. While running multiple applications on Windows OS or tabs on chrome you might feel hot air coming out of your system.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a high-end gaming rig or gaming laptop you will hear a CPU fan noise when you boot up your PC and sooner the startup process completes the noise goes on to decline.

The problem only starts when you constantly hear CPU fan noise or nothing at all when running tasks.

The method to control the fan speed on a laptop and PC is highly dependent upon how your PC fans are powered.

You can also check the end of the fan cable to know if you can control the fan speed on the PC.

The purpose behind the CPU fan is quite simple. They regularly check your PC’s temperature and adjust the CPU fans peed by turning them on and off accordingly. Every PC case has air vents to allow the heat to escape.

If you find your CPU fans to be running constantly, it’s a sign that your system is overheating and that may cause problems with your power supply. Thus, it can be very important to maintain a balance with the CPU fan speed while also keeping your PC’s temperature in check.

To check, control, change, monitor, or increase the fan speed on Windows 10 PC or laptop, apply the below-mentioned methods. If you have a gaming laptop you should keep a close eye on your CPU fan RPM.

Use a built-in laptop fan control Windows feature to change the fan speed. Open your Control Panel and follow the instructions for laptop fan control.

The second best method to control the fan speed on Windows 10 PC is using BIOS. Depending upon your PC or laptop model and motherboard manufacturer they have fan control settings in the BIOS/UEFI.

To do that you have to dive into the BIOS, and follow one of these two methods.

How to open BIOS settings

How to change fan speed in BIOS Windows 10?

Alternatively, you can also find fan control settings in the BIOS here,

Locate the Hardware Monitoring screen or Advanced Tab then find PC Health Status. Here you will find

In the BIOS typically you can adjust the optimal CPU temperature range at which the fan will speed up, and often the speed itself.

Among other best fan control software, the SpeedFan is the most popular and easy-to-use tool. It searches your computer for informative chips and puts up voltages, speeds, and temperatures on display. SpeedFan uses S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) sensors that run through your motherboard and video cards to extract accurate relevant data.

Here’s how you can use it.

SpeedFan is the best third-party solution to control the fan speed on Windows 10 PC and laptops. While Mac users can download smcFanControl software to monitor their mac fan speed.

This PC fan control software lets you check accurate CPU temperature readings. You can also see your current fan RPM. You can manually control and increase the fan speed on a laptop with these tools.

Another disadvantage of this fan speed control for windows 10 is that it only supports built-in CPU and Case fans.

If SpeedFan not detecting fans then you might have additional PC fans in your system. This fan control software doesn’t control them.

If PC fan controller software doesn’t let you control, change, or increase the fan speed on a laptop PC then don’t worry you have a plan B.

Most of the software that increases fan speed only support built-in CPU fan and case fans. What if you have installed additional aftermarket PC fans. Buying an external fan controller for the PC will be the best option in this case.

Of course, this method is only applicable on a desktop computer because the laptop doesn’t support fan speed controllers. For laptops, buy the best laptop cooling pads.

Here’s our list of the best PC fan controller hubs that you can currently find. These hardware components fit in the computer drive bay and have knobs that allow you to manually control the fan speed on the PC. You can increase the fan speed up to 100% or lower.

You can also see the current PC fan RPM but you can’t monitor CPU temperature or GPU temperature on these devices. For that, you should download the best CPU temperature monitor.

The CPU Fan error is usually triggered when you’ve turned on your PC. As such, the fan error on the boot occurs due to some hardware issue, and It may not be due to CPU overheating. The most common cause why a CPU fan would run at full speed is that its sensor is not working properly. The solution here is to replace the fan itself. But you need to see that the processor is not always hot.

• Set the fan to your fan type (DC or PWM).
• Select what mode you want the fan to run at. Examples might include Full speed, Performance, Silent.
• Set a temperature threshold.

Fan Control is an all-in-one solution to system cooling management, and though it's a little complicated and assumes a certain level of expertise, it's still relatively easy to learn with a little help. That's where we come in: Here's how to use Fan Control to manage all of your system's fans.

Note: This particular software is available on Github and is developed by an independent developer. We used it for a couple of weeks on a desktop PC running Windows 10 and didn’t face any concerning issues. Having said that, we do not take responsibility for any potential damage that it may cause to your system. Please download and use this software at your own risk.

Fan Control is available free of cost from its release repository on Github. According to the developers, the drivers and the backend portion of the tool have not been created from scratch. Instead, they have managed to repurpose a bunch of existing hardware libraries and simply added a user interface on top. Thus, any hardware compatibility issue completely depends on LibreHardwareMonitor and NvAPIWrapper.

Step 1: Download Fan Control from the official Github release repository. Unzip the package and store all the files in a folder. To run the tool, open the FanControl.exe file.

Step 2: The main home screen of the software is divided into two sections: Controls and Speeds. Each card under the Controls section corresponds to a card in the Speeds section. For instance, the first card, Fan Control #1, should be the control for Fan #1. If you have connected the CPU cooler or a liquid cooler pump to the CPU fan header, it should be Fan #1 by default. The rest should be all additional case fans along with a dedicated card for the GPU fans.

Step 3: Test each fan to ensure that it is performing the correct action by sensing the change in fan noise and airflow. This can be done by controlling the fan speeds manually. Select the Three-dot menu on each fan control card, enable the Manual control option, and then click on the toggle to enable the slider. Use the slider to increase or decrease the fan or pump speed, which will be denoted in the corresponding fan speed card below.

Step 4: Once you have checked all the fans, rename them for ease of identification. Click on the title of each card and assign names accordingly. You might also see some additional cards under the Controls section, which are basically the headers on your motherboard that are not in use. You can hide these by selecting the option from the Three-dot menu on the top-right corner of each card.

Step 5: Remember, running your PC fans at their maximum speed might sound like a good option to increase cooling potential, but there are some drawbacks. Increasing the speed of your fans is going to make them noisy, and it affects the overall life cycle of the fans. Additionally, if you have any intake fans, you also bring in more dust, and we know how bad that can be for any electronic item.

Step 6: Apart from manually controlling your fan speeds, you can also create your own fan curves. Fan curves are graphs that show how fast your fan spins when your PC hits a certain temperature, making it easier to customize your cooling based on temperature and noise levels.

To add a fan curve select the Plus button on the bottom right to reveal a bunch of fan curves and temperature sensor options. The Graph fan curve option is the easiest as you can simply assign what percentage of the total fan speed a particular fan should run at a certain temperature.

Step 7: Once you select the Graph fan, a card should appear under the new Curves section. To configure the curve, we first need to select the source. Select the Temperature source option to reveal a menu with a variety of sensors that are embedded into your motherboard and other connected parts. Considering that the CPU and GPU are typically the hottest components in your PC, it is best to optimize airflow and create fan curves based on either of the two. Learn more about monitoring your CPU temperatures here.

Step 8: To create a CPU fan curve simply, select CPU package denoted under the Temperature source drop-down menu. The graph can be configured by selecting the Edit button. A new pop-up window should appear where you can tinker around by adding points on the graph or just entering the parameters at the bottom. Assign a particular percentage of the fan speed corresponding to the temperature. Once you are satisfied with your fan curve, select OK to save it. Similarly, you can create a GPU fan curve by selecting your GPU as the temperature source.

Step 9: After creating the fan curves, you can now assign them depending on the fans in your system. Disable manual control, and the option to select a curve should appear. Assign the correct fan curve for all your fans. The fan(s) on the CPU cooler or radiator and the watercooling pump should be assigned to the CPU fan curve so they behave according to the changes in CPU temperatures. If you have additional fans that pull in fresh air or exhaust hot air away from the GPU, it is best to assign them the GPU fan curve. By doing so, the fan(s) can automatically ramp up when the GPU is under heavy load, especially while gaming.

Step 10: The final step is to save all the configurations you made. Open the Three-dot menu on the top right of the software and select Save configuration. The software will create a configuration file with all your settings that can be easily imported or exported. This is an important step if you don’t wish to lose your settings.

Step 11: There are also some UI options that you can play around with by selecting the Hamburger icon on the top left of the software. It includes settings for colors and themes, enabling column mode, automatically running the software with Windows, and more.

Now that you've got your fans all set up, why not try your hand at custom liquid cooling? It's not as difficult as you might think.

This article explains how to take charge of CPU fan control in a Windows 10 computer. This involves going inside the PC case, so wear an anti-static wristband. Alternatively, touch something metal like the PC case before and periodically during your investigation. This grounds you and prevents static from shorting out any components.

Before you can officially take control of your CPU fan speed, you need to make sure that its connector lets you do so:

The end of that cable will tell you everything you need to know. If it's a chunky, four pin connector that plugs into a similar looking cable before routing to your power supply unit (PSU), it's plugged in using a two or 4-pin Molex connector. If it's a thinner cable that runs to your motherboard with a 3-pin female connector on the other end, it's a DC fan. If it runs to a 4-pin female connector, it's a PWM fan.

Here's a quick explainer about those different types:

The easiest way to adjust CPU fan speed is through the BIOS.

Every BIOS is different, so instructions may differ from computer to computer, but you need to look for a tab or screen associated with Hardware monitoring. In the screenshot below, it was listed as PC Health Status.

Look for a section to do with the CPU Fan. Once there, try some of these settings below to see what adjustments you can make.

If your motherboard can dynamically control fan speeds, then you may be able to make more in-depth adjustments with Windows software. One of the most popular and long-lasting software suites is Speedfan.

If you want more control over your CPU fan and other aspects of your system, a fan controller is a good bet. Cases like NZXT's H-series i versions have a built-in link box which gives you software control over your CPU fan in much the same way as Speedfan, but in a more intuitive manner. It also adds support for RGB lighting and multiple fan configurations, profiles, and fan curves.

Standalone fan controllers can give you more tangible controls. Some, like the Thermaltake Commander FT, gives you touchscreen controls for your system's various fans, where others have physical knobs and dials you can use to control them.

You'll need to follow the included instructions for those, as their setup and management are unique to their respective designs.

If your PC is working just fine and you're happy with how loud its fans are, you don't need to adjust your CPU fan settings. Controlling the CPU fan speed in your PC (or all the fans, in fact) is a way to give you more control over your Windows 10 experience. You can make sure that the system isn't too loud, with the fan only spinning up faster when your PC gets warm. Or you can have it cranking away at full tilt all the time to make sure your CPU stays cool, potentially giving yourself some headroom to overclock the CPU.

Fan speed control is about choice. If you want it, here's how to get it.

The mechanism of CPU fans is pretty straightforward. They keep a periodic check on your PC’s temperature and get turned on and off accordingly. Every PC has air vents to allow the heat to escape. If you find your CPU fans to be running constantly, it’s a sign that your system is overloading and that may cause problems with your power adapter too. Thus, it can be very important to maintain a balance with the CPU fan speed while also keeping your PC’s temperature in check.

You can check, control, increase, monitor or change the CPU Fan Speed safely in Windows 11/10 by following these steps. Here, we will be primarily discussing how you can keep your CPU fan speed in check using the Control Panel, your PC’s BIOS control, or a third-party fan controller SpeedFan.

Here’s how you can access fan control settings in your Control Panel:

Save these changes by clicking on Apply and you can then exit the window. The System Cooling option is absent in Windows 11 computers, so if you’re using that version of the Windows OS then you should go for the second and third ways.

Read: Best Laptop cooling software.

The Advanced Startup option BIOS has fan controlling settings in it which may differ based on your computer. Here’s how you can access and modify those settings:

How to open BIOS settings

How to use BIOS

Read: Best practices to keep your computer cool.

The free app SpeedFan can help you find the cause behind a heightened CPU fan speed with ease. It searches your computer for informative chips and puts up voltages, speeds, and temperatures on display (things that your BIOS may fall short on). SpeedFan’s technology known as S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) runs through your motherboard and video cards to extract relevant data. Here’s how you can use it.

The Response curve plots down the PC’s temperature and the relevant fan speed. The upward-sloping graph suggests that higher temperature leads to higher fan speed, but you can configure that to your liking.

There are several free fan speed controller software to SpeedFan like HWinFo, so if you don’t find its interface or control effective enough, you have got other options. If you’re looking to go overboard, you can always purchase an external fan hub (for your desktop) or a cooling pad for your laptop.

Note: The CPU Fan error is usually triggered when you’ve turned on your PC. As such, the fan error occurs before Windows 10 OS boots and is probably caused due to some hardware issue, and It may not be due to overheating. The most common cause why a CPU fan would run at full speed is that its sensor is not working properly. The solution here is to replace the fan itself. But you need to see that the processor is not always hot. You can use third-party applications for this purpose. These posts will help you if a CPU Fan Speed Error is detected or your CPU Fan runs at full speed always. You may want to also to check your PC’s total power consumption.

There are mainly three different ways to adjust your fan speed on your computer. For example, you can do that using Control Panel, BIOS/UEFI, and third-party software. In case you want to use a third-party tool, you can opt for SpeedFan. On the other hand, you need to look for the Processor power management setting in the Power Options to get the job done.

One of the main reasons a PC overheats is internal fans not operating at required speeds. This is often due to the automatic fan controller not functioning correctly. Luckily, you can adjust your fan speeds manually using a few different methods. Manually adjusting your fan speed is also an essential step in overclocking a CPU. This guide covers how to manually adjust your CPU fan as well as any other case fans.

Before making any adjustments, you’ll need to check what type of fans you have. CPU fans will always be adjustable, but other fans in your PC may not be so flexible. The easiest way to identify a fan is to check the connector. There are three types of fans: Molex, DC, and PWM.

Molex fans are characterized by their flat four-pin connectors and their direct connection to the power supply. Unfortunately, because these fans bypass the motherboard, Molex fans are impossible to adjust manually.

On the other hand, you can manually adjust the two remaining fan types, which are DC and PWM. To spot a PWM fan, look for a connector that is small, four-pinned, rectangular in shape, and plugs directly into the motherboard.

DC fans are almost identical to PWM fans with one exception. DC fans have a three-pin connector instead of a four-pin. The extra pin in PWM fans makes them more power-efficient, giving the fan better performance. That being said, you can adjust PWM to run in DC mode, but it’s not recommended and is a downgrade in most cases.

The best way to adjust your PC’s fan speeds is through the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). Of course, every UEFI is different, but the steps listed below are similar on every motherboard.

The fan curve can look confusing at first, but it’s simple once you get the hang of it. On the left side of the graph is a number denoting the fan speed, and below the graph is the temperature in celsius. When the temperature inside the case reaches the designated temperature, it will cause the fan speed to increase.

If you use an older PC without a UEFI or want a more straightforward solution, you can use third-party programs to achieve the same effect. The program used in this tutorial is SpeedTemp. However, programs like SpeedTemp may be unable to access your CPU fan depending on your motherboard manufacturer, so using the UEFI is superior in many cases.

Once you’ve set your fans to your desired speeds, you should check them to ensure everything is working as intended. The simplest method to check is to use the UEFI. To do this, open your UEFI and head to the Monitor section. From here you can inspect the fan speeds and temperature.

For more advanced testing, like monitoring a CPU under load, you can employ a temperature monitoring tool. A helpful tool for monitoring your PC’s temperature and fan speeds is Open Hardware Monitor.