FAN settings in BIOS

[Oryx]

Hi all,

In the BIOS setting for the Gigabyte AORUS ULTRA…
What are the “Fan Control Use Temperature Input” and the options are:

System 1
System 2
PCIEX16
PCIEX8
EC_TEMP1
EC_TEMP2
VRM MPS
CPU (this is the CPU so that’s easy)

As I need to set the FANs to one of these.

Fans on the m/b or BIOS are assigned (see image):
CPU_FAN = CPU : AIO

CPU_OPT ??? (what is is one for and can I use it for say another 80mm exhaust fan?)

SYS_FAN1 = 80mm exhaust (E1)
SYS_FAN2 = 120mm intake (S2)
SYS_FAN4 = 120mm intake (B2)

SYS_FAN5_PUMP = 120mm intake (S1)
SYS_FAN6_PUMP = 120mm intake (B1)

So I’d like to know what “Fan Control Use Temperature Input” to set each fan to and if they should be AUTO or PWM and also FAN Speed is Auto or Normal…etc.

I just want to check that my Fans are setup correctly… as I don’t think they are because if I open say Google Chrome one or two of the Fans goes much faster and noisier.


Case: Lian-Li PC-O11 Dynamic

Mobo:
Gigabyte X570 AORUS ULTRA (AMD AM4) rev 1 (BIOS vF4h & AMD Chipset vv1.07.29)

FANS:
4x Noctua NF-A12x25 (120mm)
1x Noctua NF-A8 (80mm)
All PWM FANS (4 pins)

CPU Cooler: Kraken x72


The AIO is at the top of the case (exhaust).
The two side fans are intake
The two bottom fans are also intake
I’ve added a 80mm fan to the back of the case acting as an exhaust.


Thanks In Advance ... and sorry for the long message.

 

[LuckyBenski]

So my understanding of the "Fan control use temperature input" is it can monitor different temperatures e.g. system 1, system 2 and probably VRM MPS will be sensors on the motherboard. EC_TEMP1 and 2 are inputs on the motherboard for a 2-pin thermistor (temp sensor on a wire). Etc. The manual will probably elaborate.

In general the motherboard manual will explain most of this. You can attach any fan to any header but obviously some logical pairings make sense e.g. CPU cooler fan/s to CPU and CPU OPT headers. Consider putting the AIO on a pump header unless you really want the feature of pump speed being associated with CPU fan. This might be for example, if you want the CPU fan alarm to shut the PC down if the pump doesn't start.

Your fans are all PWM so can be controlled with headers in PWM mode. This might allow lower overall speeds and less heat produced on the motherboard. However they will still work in DC mode and it may prevent ticking noises if you notice any. Experimentation is ok here.

Personally I would set custom curves for all my fans, so not AUTO mode for fan speed. I would base it mostly off of CPU and GPU temperatures if possible. Maybe the VRM temperatures too. You may find some fans don't need to go to full speed, and some might never need to change speed at all. So a curve for each fan is good.

CPU temperatures tend to jump a bit when under load, and settle down as soon as load is removed. So it might be that under a light load, the fan curve is triggered because it's too steep a curve. Try this: set the lowest speed you want for 30°C, and the highest speed you'll accept at the highest temperature you'll accept. Say, 80% fan speed at 75° CPU. Then make a straight line or smooth curve between those points.

 

[Oryx]

> In general the motherboard manual will explain most of this.
Nope, not really. That's why I asked here

> Consider putting the AIO on a pump header...
Thanks, I'll add my Kraken X72 to a FAN_PUMP header instead and set “Fan Control Use Temperature Input” to CPU. Can I also set the Kraken X72 to PWM or Auto?
And just re-assign the CPU_FAN to monitor something else with another FAN.

CPU_OPT header can also be used by any FAN? I can use that as well then.

> Personally I would set custom curves for all my fans...
Still getting the hang of this... I've not updated my motherboard almost 7 years. So there's some new stuff


Thanks for your time and advise.

 

[LuckyBenski]

> In general the motherboard manual will explain most of this.
Nope, not really. That's why I asked here

> Consider putting the AIO on a pump header...
Thanks, I'll add my Kraken X72 to a FAN_PUMP header instead and set “Fan Control Use Temperature Input” to CPU. Can I also set the Kraken X72 to PWM or Auto?
And just re-assign the CPU_FAN to monitor something else with another FAN.

CPU_OPT header can also be used by any FAN? I can use that as well then.

> Personally I would set custom curves for all my fans...
Still getting the hang of this... I've not updated my motherboard almost 7 years. So there's some new stuff


Thanks for your time and advise.

Yep, CPU OPT is for an optional second fan AFAIK, as some coolers have two.

I'm not 100% but I think the Kraken coolers control pump speed using the USB connection and CAM software. Radiator fans might be controlled by the Kraken too but obviously you can just plug them into the motherboard directly.

Airflow, temperatures and noise are a very analog thing, it's good to experiment and see what works best for you Personally I go for full on stress testing, full CPU and GPU load to find worst case temperatures and fan speeds.

 

[Oryx]

Just doubled checked the Kraken x72... it's a 3 PIN connector. So I'll keep it on the CPU_FAN header as described in the manual. As you mentioned it's controlled by the CAM software so it'll be fine on that CPU_FAN header (4 PIN).

> Airflow, temperatures and noise are a very analog thing, it's good to experiment and see what works best for you...
Yep, that's my next few days testing all this


Thanks