Dell Precision M6700 Owners Thread

EDIT
Marginal results in Windows with vBIOS mod, GPU fan trigger point is still reached under light use, once in 3 minutes vs. once every minute without the mod. YMMV, I'd try other approaches (laptop stand, software underclock, prayer) before attempting a vBIOS mod.

In Linux, on the other hand, having very good results so far, pretty shocked, and feeling fortunate.

ORIGINAL
Monitor CPU & GPU temps -- I'll bet it's the latter, the Nvidia chip, and I'll guarantee it if you have a multi-monitor setup.

Running Linux here on an M4700 with K1000M, AKA Nvidia's roadside trash, which you can't do much with to over/underclock even in Windows at software level.

On-off fan noise was driving me nuts, is it really necessary for the card to be bios forced into performance mode with multiple displays connected? Staring out the window doing nothing and hearing the click-whirrr fan cycle 2X per minute is highly annoying.

I wound up flashing the vBIOS (proceed with CAUTION, unlike software mod'ing the card, flashing the vBIOS can brick it) -- using NVflash, GPU-Z, and KBT (Kepler BIOS Tweaker) -- and now I basically have a passively cooled machine: fans have not turned on once, GPU at or below 50c, compared to before when it would climb, at idle, to 57c, then click-whirrrr for 10 seconds, cool to 40c, then start climbing right back up again.

Nvidia's forced power mode for multiple displays is a defect, IMO, makes for a horrible work environment.

 

Try the passive route first ladies and gentleman. If you're getting constant fan throttling then you may want to alter the surface and/or raise the rear. That alone makes a noticeable difference. However it all depends on how stressed the laptop is. Still, I think the idea that the fan is disturbing is a personal one.

Even when computing on my warmest surface the fan noise/cycling is negligible. Although some people may have a hyper sensitivity to this.

In that case, a cooler at low setting (virtually silent mode) may help--although you can hear any fan if its quite enough. Not to mention some surfaces and environments are more noise reflective than others.

 

I edited my post to reflect the dangers in taking it to the hardware level -- although, with these machines even if you temporarily brick the dedicated Nvidia chip, the integrated Intel chip is your backup; can just reflash the saved OEM vBIOS and Nvidia chip is back up & running (NVflash is made by Nvidia for their engineers to safely flash/unflash the vBIOS, thankfully they provide it to the community at large).

As for dealing with fan throttling outside of vBIOS layer, good luck: from day one my machine has been on a laptop stand, running a low-GPU-resource window manager in Linux. GPU fan cycled on-off every minute, click-whirrr, click-whirrr, really gets on the nerves. Tried MSI Afterburner in 2ndary drive Windows 7 with marginal results with max underclock settings, perhaps delayed GPU fan kicking on by 30 seconds.

If you're not bothered by the fan noise (under light load I should point out) then more than likely you're not running multiple displays; otherwise, lend me your ears

Fans haven't turned on since I flashed the vBIOS, completely silent -- when I put the machine to work, compiling source code, sure, fans blow hard, to be expected; otherwise, under light load it should remain silent, and now it does with fixed GPU power management in place.

 

My concern is that someone may read this and get the idea that the unit is defective somehow. Its not. At least not any more so than any machine since virtually all complex machines have motors and/or fans that emits some kind of noise.

Can I hear the fans when they come on? Yes. Is it disturbing? For you maybe (and no one can dispute that), but for me, not at all. To me, its background noise; and I find it no more disturbing than the occasional nature sounds or even my own home A/C unit when it cycles on and off. As an appliance, its likely the quietest one I own.

I don't run multiple displays...yet. But I do render (CPU @ 100%). Even so, I can continue to edit, surf or whatever without any vices.

Great! I'm glad you found a solution. As a contrast, mine had been set to high power state since day one--and on a "hot" surface. Under the aforementioned conditions, the fan cycles once every 20~ min or so. Raised, they don't come on at all.

 

I edited my post again, this time after booting into Windows and seeing only a 2 to 3 fold gain in time-before-GPU fan kicks in -- probably not worth the risk doing a vBIOS mod with those results.

In Linux the vBIOS mod has been a success so far, will keep tabs on it in the coming days.

BTW, I don't agree with the it's-normal-for-machines-to-make-noise sentiment, certainly not for laptops under light load with sufficient passive cooling (which the relatively spacious Precision series chassis provides). There's no need for GPU temp to ever reach 57c fan trigger point when typing an email, similarly for CPU temp -- if trigger point temps are reached under light load, it's either scorching hot "outside", or too much power is being consumed by the system; i.e. too much heat is being generated for passive cooling alone to dissipate.

Nvidia's blanket max power mode policy is the culprit, i7 power management keeps the CPU cool just fine. When all applications are closed with a system load of .01, and CPU is at 40c and GPU climbs to 57c over & over & over, something isn't right.

 

This is especially annoying if the fan squeaks/squeals/chirps at spin-up. Probably comes from where the metal shaft meets the plastic.
They don't all do this. Ask Dell to replace the fan.


***Edit Addendum,

Krane has a point, compressed escaping air is always going to make some noise even if the motor gets quieter.

Maybe this, but still: The fanless heatsink: Silent, dust-immune, and almost ready for prime time | ExtremeTech

 

My point was your expectations may be unrealistic. Especially when it's something that's so unique to a few.

The specifics of when your machines cycles are a totally different matter, and one that cannot reach a conclusion without more scientific analysis. We have no data on where you're computing from.

For example, under your light conditions, when I'm indoors I'm in a climate controlled room at 70-72 degree Fahrenheit on a laminate wood "hot" table (54-57). When I'm outdoors, the temperature 72-78, humidity 57, but the computer is on a wide grate table (outdoors furniture) where it has maximum air flow. (50-51C).

 

About screen resolution- I know everybody's going to say, "why would you want to do THAT?"- but I have the full HD display and may want to lower the resolution at times. (because everything is so freaking tiny) Will this display not do this? I just get a letterbox effect. I have the Firepro graphics.

 

Why would you want to do that?

Couldn't resist

Why not right click Desktop /Screen Resolution, make text and other items larger or smaller. Otherwise things can get kind of weird looking.

You can also use Magnifier!

 

Well no wonder you're not bothered by the fan noise! Once every 20 minutes, give me a break ;-)

Connect an external monitor, run that setup for a day and post back here re: how not-bothered you are by the every-minute click-whirrrr fan cycle.

I'm saying connect an external monitor, boot into Windows, open up a web browser, email client, etc. Drink coffee, reply to emails, surf the net (i.e. let the machine warm up from cold start). Once the machine has warmed up, close any running applications and open up GPU-Z, MSI Afterburner, or other application with GPU monitoring capability; you should see the GPU temp climbing upward while the CPU temp remains the same or drops.

Once 57c GPU fan-on trigger point is met, click-whirrrrrr fan cycle for 10 seconds or so (GPU cools to mid-40s), and then watch the GPU temperature climb back to 57c. Rinse, repeat every minute or so without end, even at idle with the screens turned off the GPU heat-fan-cycle will keep going, not good.

This is life on the M4700 with a multi-monitor setup -- maybe on the M6700 it's a different story, the larger chassis might provide better passive cooling, but I doubt it, at least a couple of other M6700 owners have mentioned the fan cycling issue.