Precision M4800 CPU upgrade, TDP concerns

The thermal pads are more important that I thought..its literally the last thing I had on my mind that would cause the issue I had.
So far the computer has been very stable and I converted 25 videos yesterday for server upload and the fans has not revved up as much as it did a few months back.
The pads were a little fragile but still a little soft so I can keep them for at least two months but I will replace them next month and with the 11w/mK pads I suggested that even matches the cooling paste conductivity thermals will probably improve a lot while some cheaper thermal pads tops at 4 or 5w.

Download the HW info and intel xtu and look at thermals when running a stress test.
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/24075/Intel-Extreme-Tuning-Utility-Intel-XTU-
If the core temps all look good there is a chance the intel software might warn that the power delivery is overheating as it was in my case.
I had new thermal paste on my cpu and all but did not smear anything on the caps left to the cpu and still the AVC fan could not lower the temps and the intel software flashed a warning that the power delivery is choking while running a cpu stress test causing the system to underclock and then clock back up when the temps was low enough again.
And this could explain why my cpu fan revved up and down up and down when it was working.
While the AVC might be able to keep up now with the power delivery being fixed the cpu core temps was still high at 88c and revving very high, higher than the Delta fans do to keep the temps low enough.
So I still find it good that I replaced the cpu fan that is three times more powerful.

The fan speed is more connected to running processes than some other computers.
Open the task manager and go to processes tab and Monitor and sort the list by CPU
if there is any processes using the cpu cycles when the fan starts revving for no apparent reason.
Or a more powerful fan might be the right decision if your laptop has the cheaper AVC or Sunon.

It is very common for Dell parts to be mislabeled and sellers always mix up the cpu and gpu fan!
I hate this. But there is an easy way to know which is which.
The gpu fan is small and the cpu fan is larger and if you compare the images if the part number is faulty too then its the quickest way to know.
You have to look at the images because the sellers might still name their ad as fan smaller or fan bigger and then its not whats in the picture and always ask the seller if the image is what the seller is actually selling.
And you can image where the fan is placed, right or left and look at your laptop for reference because the two fans only fit one way.
But anyway, you actually found a Delta gpu fan...now that is something I'm still trying to do with the M4800..impossible.

I completely understand your lack of knowledge that there is different set of fans.
I'm coming from Thinkpads which has the most detailed service manuals and part numbers, FRU and user replaceable parts and you can buy the parts anywhere years after the model is discontinued.
Dell is keeping everything secret and rely on their on-site service to repair your computer and you just watch the repair guy swap some parts and your pc will be up and running in an hour and they charge you writing replaced part "Main board" or "cooling fan" on the invoice because they think you don't give a damn about the technical stuff anyway.
There is a service manual but it is the basic of the basic manual I've ever seen..a few pictures and a little description is all you get.
There is no manual or list for parts either in a PDF or on the M4800 support site equivalent of Lenovo FRU Field Replacement Unit.
Going to spare parts on Dell website will only get to to a accessory page with a charger and mouse pad.
The fans all share the same DP/N with slight variation on the additional strings you find under the main part number.
And if you google any of these you get nothing but a low res image of the AVC fan.
If you google the model number you only get the Delta fan model, and this reference model fan has been used on many laptops from Acer, Asus and MSI and other gaming laptops with quad core cpus.
My point is that while I love the build quality and the simplicity of taking the Dell precision down to bits where the Thinkpads just gets a crack in a plastic detail when tearing it down the resources for their products are zero and if you find the part you need its damn expensive.

 

I purchased what I am pretty sure is a Delta CPU fan. They had an actual picture of the product in the listing, it was missing the "Delta" sticker but the fan blades and everything else looked very much like the other Delta ones that I have seen. So, now I have both a GPU and CPU fan on the way (both from China). We'll see what shows up in a few weeks. I have requests out to a few other sellers on both sides asking if they specifically have stock of the Delta version of the fan, and may double-order one of them if I get a definite positive result to be sure.

My complaint about the fan revving is more when the system is running at an idle workload rather than when the system is running at a full workload. I have no complaints about its performance at full workload. It is just at idle or light workload that it likes to turn the fan up and down regularly. It is like there is some temperature threshold and once the CPU passes it, it turns the fans up a level for perhaps two minutes to cool it off and then shuts them down again, and after that the temperature begins to creep back up again --- it is just a never-ending cycle. Online there are tons of people complaining about this with this model (and also M6500/M6600); they seem to have fixed it with M4800/M6800 and up, the fan speed adjusts more gracefully. Not sure if swapping in a Delta fan will change anything with regards to this, but it's cheap enough to try and it can't hurt in any case.

Unlike the M4800, the M6700 actually has heat pipes running from the GPU to both fans so swapping them both might help me push the GPU clock a bit higher, if they actually do perform better.

 

They always remove or cover up the sticker and never mention the brand in the ads.
This is to prevent being sued by the company for reselling parts.
Now a similar thing happened recently when Apple decided to stop Louis Rossmann imported parts as pirated goods even if its the real deal.
Watch more here:

 

I'm not sure what GPU fan I will receive (they had a photo of a Delta fan with a disclaimer that they might send a different compatible part) but I am 99% confident that I am getting a Delta CPU fan after communicating with the seller.

I found this site which has an assortment of fans and lets you pick which one you want specifically. (They appear to also sell their stock on eBay, that's how I found them.) Delta costs way more than the other choices for M6700 GPU fan.
http://www.cmyhub.com/Search.aspx?key=cj0rw (Two different Sunon fans in the mix, as well...)
Depending on how the CPU fan performs, I might buy this GPU fan if the one that I get in the mail doesn't turn out to be Delta.

Looking at M4800 GPU fans, one of them is listed as "Delta Electronics" but from the single picture it is hard to tell if that is really accurate?
http://www.cmyhub.com/Search.aspx?key=2k3k7
http://www.cmyhub.com/proinfo/Dell-...000DDDL-GPU-Video-Card-Cooling-Fan_11725.aspx

 

You can look at the two sunon fans, first is rated at 1,65w and the other 2,0w so they do correspond to one being more powerful than the other.
But even these look to be cpu fans and not gpu fans, they are large and has lots of fins on the impellers where the gpu fans has less fins and are smaller.
I don't have resources for the x700 series so I don't know what part should look like what image.
But it looks off, the image looks like the cpu fan not the gpu fan.

Look at this AVC image, http://www.cmyhub.com/upload/picture/86767740613070.jpg
It spec says 9,7 cfm which is very much for a gpu fan but I could be wrong.

About the M4800:

The image that suppose to be the GPU delta fan is incorrect
http://www.cmyhub.com/proinfo/Dell-...000DDDL-GPU-Video-Card-Cooling-Fan_11725.aspx

This image shows the cpu fan
http://www.cmyhub.com/upload/picture/55725281219489.jpg

But in the description are two links, one to the AVC and one to the DELTA

And this one is correct, both the title and the image matching the GPU Delta fan
http://cmyhub.com/proinfo/Dell-Prec...M90-00WGVF-DC28000DEDL-Cooling-Fan_11726.aspx
Scratch that, the image is correct but the title is wrong.
This is not the cpu fan, it is the gpu fan....jeez can you belive this.
The facts and specs on Dell precision line is just all wrong.


I might contact them and see if the can confirm both the details and if shipping is possible to my location.
Thanks for the links

 

They're definitely GPU fans, the shape matches the GPU fan that I have in my M6700 (and it is the same across all four of them). The CPU fan is even larger than that.

 

Thanks, I also edited my post above about the M4800.

The specs are the total opposite.
The GPU fans they have advertised are the CPU fans and the CPU fans they have advertised are the GPU fans...

 

I'm in the market for an M4800 at the present time (had someone offer me one fully specced out for like $275 with 32GB of RAM in it, w00t) and I have to say that post you made is extremely helpful so thanks for doing that. I'm now doing research into that Delta fan and if I do end up grabbing the M4800 then I will most certainly be putting that info you provided to good use.

 

I gave 350 for mine but imported from the US because locally used starts at 1200usd and that is with a dual core and the K1100m and 4GB ram.
That is an excellent price for a used M4800 if its in good condition. If the price is that low it might be for a reason.
Many M4800 are used in the oil industry and other heavy industries so they might be very dirty and grimy or bent as they sat in trucks being a part of a vehicle or workshop.
Mine was covered by a thick layer of sticky gunk but it washed off, I know where many of the Dell precision are deployed so I knew the risk of importing it, only part I replaced was the keyboard with a brand new backlit model.
First thing I did was to make sure it booted up then I teared it down to bits and cleaned every part in it before assembling it.
Another big customer is the us government but I don't think they sell their laptops but rather destroy them.

 

My eBay seller has "confirmed" to me that the GPU fan that was shipped is indeed a Delta fan (got the message a couple of days after the part shipped). I'm still a bit skeptical, but hopefully it is correct so I don't have to spend $35+ on a "confirmed" Delta fan. According to tracking, it made it to the U.S. early this morning, so maybe I'll have it later this week (probably will sit in customs for a couple of days)... That would be quick turnaround. CPU fan still hasn't shipped yet...