Fan silencing a 32GQ950-B

[TommyH]

Purchased a LG 32GQ950-B monitor that does so many things right, but there's a fan built-in that gives a constant high-pitched and warbling whine that's just incredibly annoying to be around. Anyone have suggestions for how to silence this if mods are on the table?

I can disable the inbuilt fan from spinning and verified there's no coil whine, but without the fan running the display shuts itself off after about 30 seconds. Best guess is that it's checking whether the fan is spinning and not the internal temperature, which should be low the way it's being used. That makes it difficult to work around and I'd appreciate any suggestions others might have.

Like I said the combination of size/resolution/ATW is awesome, but I'll have to return it if I can't get it to be quiet. If there's something on the horizon with similarly good viewing angles I'm up for waiting a few more months.

 

[IT Troll]

I recently bought this monitor and can sometimes hear the fan. The room has to be very quiet and I have to listen for it. How did you stop the fan? Did you open up the back and physically disconnect it?

It is possible to decrease the fan speed in the hidden service menu. I found that reducing from 45 to 35 was enough to silence the fan in a quiet room. However, this setting is a pain to get to and resets to 45 when the monitor is powered off.

If the fan connection is accessible, perhaps fitting an inline 20% reduction cable would do the trick.

 

[TommyH]

I recently bought this monitor and can sometimes hear the fan. The room has to be very quiet and I have to listen for it. How did you stop the fan? Did you open up the back and physically disconnect it?

It is possible to decrease the fan speed in the hidden service menu. I found that reducing from 45 to 35 was enough to silence the fan in a quiet room. However, this setting is a pain to get to and resets to 45 when the monitor is powered off.

If the fan connection is accessible, perhaps fitting an inline 20% reduction cable would do the trick.

Thanks for the suggestions. Here's what I've tried so far:

I opened it and both unplugged it and stopped it mechanically from spinning. In both cases the display turns itself off after about 30 seconds. The fan is PWM so the controller is looking for something to show it's operating.

I have inline reducer cables, but this fan uses a much smaller 4-pin connector that I've not seen before. It's only about 5-6mm wide and 2mm tall. Would require me to splice the reducer in, and I'm not prepared to go that far yet without knowing it would succeed and not trip-up the fan detection.

The hidden service menu on this particular model does not seem to have a fan speed setting like some other LG displays do. Agreed that it would not be a real solution anyway because it resets so easily.

I'm really not sure why the fan is in there though. It's a low-profile blower like you'd see in a laptop, but just empties into a large empty cavity in the back and is not directed over any particular components nor any fins or other things to assist with heat transferal. In fact several parts of the main board have silicone (I think) thermal pads, but are taped-over with something that looks like it would reduce heat transfer. There's no direct thermal connection of components with the metal mainboard backing nor the metal backing of the LCD panel itself where the air reaches, the latter of which is also not cooled at all by the fan. If the fan is meant to cool something in the monitor, there's no way it's doing this effectively. It would be like trying to cool a CPU by attaching a flat metal plate to the top of it and relying on only the case intake fans.

 

[IT Troll]

The hidden service menu on this particular model does not seem to have a fan speed setting like some other LG displays do.

It does. You first have to enable "Aging" then exit the service settings. Then open the service settings again and you have lots of extra option including the fan speed. However, as I said, the fan setting is not retained once powered off. But it does at least allow you to test running with lower fan speeds. One oddity I noticed is that with Aging enabled you always get the power-on beep even if this is disabled in standard settings.

Is the fan just trying to encourage some airflow from the bottom, across the mainboard and out of the top vents. Molex Pico-EZmate connectors are sometimes used in cases like this. I think there are number third-party clones. Did it look like this?

https://www.molex.com/molex/products/family/picoezmate

LG often use a Sunon EF60151S3-1C010-S99 blower in their displays. Not sure if that is the case with this monitor.

I guess splicing in a resistor would do the job. What rating and which wire (if not colour coded) are beyond my knowledge though.

 

[TommyH]

It does. You first have to enable "Aging" then exit the service settings.

Ah, ok. I did not find a description of that process elsewhere.

Is the fan just trying to encourage some airflow from the bottom, across the mainboard and out of the top vents. Molex Pico-EZmate connectors are sometimes used in cases like this. I think there are number third-party clones. Did it look like this?

https://www.molex.com/molex/products/family/picoezmate

LG often use a Sunon EF60151S3-1C010-S99 blower in their displays. Not sure if that is the case with this monitor.

Similar, but it's a Sunon EF60151S3-1C020-S99. Yes, looks like it's trying to get some airflow across the mainboard, but that's a LOT of airflow for something that's only pulling ~45W total under high frame rates and HDR during normal use. A large cavity like that probably also won't do heat transfer any favors, nor do the multiple layers of plastic over and around it. Might not be better than an entirely passive convective layout in the same form factor.

Here's what that fan connector looks like.
https://imgur.com/a/BlkhKet

 

[IT Troll]

Ah yes, I've found the LG part now: EAL61800805

It is possible to buy tiny fan simulator boards which will spoof a 12V PWM fan (used for passive CPU cooling). Not sure if running the monitor without any fan is a good idea though.

That connector is a tricky one, I've looked at a number of manufacturers but haven't found an exact match.

Connector identification online - The electronic connector book

connectorbook.com

Here is an interesting project; an Asus monitor with two Sunon fans. The owner fitted a fan controller!

Reddit - Dive into anything

www.reddit.com

 

[ServerlessMonkey]

Damn. I was dead-set on getting this monitor over the Alienware QD-OLED but reading this post gives me pause.

Maybe wait for the new 27" ASUS OLED instead...

 

[The Mad One]

Mine is due to arrive Thursday, TBH I didn't realise it actually had active cooling, so this is a little worrying. My usage will be 60/40 productivity/gaming as I work from home so I hope the fan isn't too bad, I'll be trying the service menu trick if it is. (how do you get into the service menu?)

The reddit post says the Asus one runs at 100% all the time is that the same for the LG? or does it run a fan curved based on temperature?

 

[IT Troll]

Damn. I was dead-set on getting this monitor over the Alienware QD-OLED but reading this post gives me pause.

Maybe wait for the new 27" ASUS OLED instead...

Depends on the use case. If it is primarily for gaming or movies then I would say go OLED. Unfortunately, the subpixel structure on most OLEDs is not best suited to desktop/productivity use (and not 4K yet in the smaller sizes). I would say the LG 32GQ950 is still one of the few good monitors for a mix of productivity and gaming.

I didn't realise it actually had active cooling, so this is a little worrying. My usage will be 60/40 productivity/gaming as I work from home so I hope the fan isn't too bad, I'll be trying the service menu trick if it is. (how do you get into the service menu?)

It seems to be the trend now for monitors to have cooling fans, especially if they are high-refresh rate HDR. The fan noise on mine is barely noticeable; it has to be very quiet conditions to hear it (the buzz from my dimmable LED room lighting is more annoying). I'll only take action it gets louder with age. As far as I can tell the fan speed is fixed to the value set in the service menu (45 by default).

Entering the service menu: power the monitor off with the control stick, then while the monitor is off, click the stick to the left three times, to the right one time, then click in to power on. Once it's on, click to show the OSD and then once to the right towards settings. The monitor will then show the service menu instead of the settings menu. Be careful on this menu as it is easy to accidentally change other service settings. To reach the fan setting you first have to enable "Aging" then exit the service settings. Then open the service settings again and you have lots of extra option including the fan speed.

To restore the standard settings you have to switch the monitor off and back on. Unfortunately this will also reset the fan speed setting.

 

[TommyH]

Ah yes, I've found the LG part now: EAL61800805

It is possible to buy tiny fan simulator boards which will spoof a 12V PWM fan (used for passive CPU cooling). Not sure if running the monitor without any fan is a good idea though.

That connector is a tricky one, I've looked at a number of manufacturers but haven't found an exact match.

Connector identification online - The electronic connector book

connectorbook.com

Thanks for the detective work! I've looked for a matching connector as well and couldn't find one, though it doesn't look particularly non-standard. I'm just not sure what to search for there. At least maybe the 4-pin wires are the standard arrangement for splicing.

I would not hesitate to run it without the fan at any normal brightness levels. During normal use (35% brightness) the entire monitor pulls about 43W, and at max brightness 67W. That's at 144Hz and HDR doesn't change the numbers much. The controller really can't be pulling much power. Yes, there's the consideration of heat density for some components, but from what I've seen cooling this device was an afterthought and multiple layers of insulation surrounding the controller were designed-in. Not saying it was a good design, but that heat control was not a priority.

Would you be willing to share a link to those fan simulator boards?

 

[TommyH]

Damn. I was dead-set on getting this monitor over the Alienware QD-OLED but reading this post gives me pause.

Maybe wait for the new 27" ASUS OLED instead...

Mine is due to arrive Thursday, TBH I didn't realise it actually had active cooling, so this is a little worrying. My usage will be 60/40 productivity/gaming as I work from home so I hope the fan isn't too bad, I'll be trying the service menu trick if it is. (how do you get into the service menu?)

The reddit post says the Asus one runs at 100% all the time is that the same for the LG? or does it run a fan curved based on temperature?

The fan is fixed speed and always on. I tried various settings and it did not change in pitch, volume, or apparent speed.

If you're ok with the fan noise and coil whine from something like an average gaming PC you may be ok with this monitor. At least the copy I have has a pretty high-pitched wavering fan whine that permeates the room, but from experience I'd expect not everyone can hear it. The lower-pitched component of the fan noise is not as bad, but still very obvious next to a machine I've tuned for quietness (not a silent machine, but quiet). To its credit I did not have any coil whine from the monitor. To me personally it's not acceptable because of the fan.

The panel itself is very nice. A little grainier than I'd prefer coming from a display with no coating, but IPS glow is almost zero and helps keep contrast in the corners much higher than other displays in the 27"+ size. Probably the visually best LCD overall I've seen, which is why I'm even bothering to look into fixing it.

 

[IT Troll]

Would you be willing to share a link to those fan simulator boards?

It is against forum rules to post competitor links. But if you search for "12v fan simulator" on auction sites or large China-based marketplaces you will find them. They are sold either as basic modules or with a cable and connector attached (sadly not the required connector). I wonder if a standard 4-pin connector, without the latch, would actually fit?

 

[IT Troll]

I've just been calibrating my 32GQ950 for photo use. What is a little odd is that in the sRGB, Calibration1, or Calibration2 modes you don't seem to be able to change the Response Time from the default of Fast. Most online reviews recommend using Normal Response Time for best motion clarity. I ended up calibrating Gamer1 mode which doesn't have this restriction.

The following gave really good initial results; Gamer1 with Brightness 28, Contrast 70, Gamma Mode 2, and Color Temp Manual W1. With just a few small final tweaks required via a calibrator generated ICC profile for excellent results.

 

[EsaT]

Damn. I was dead-set on getting this monitor over the Alienware QD-OLED but reading this post gives me pause.

Maybe wait for the new 27" ASUS OLED instead...

Acer X32 FP would be possible option with FALD for local dimming.
Though jury is still out if Acer has gotten most firmware issues solved, like proper tuning of overdrive.
(because of use of VRR locks overdrive)

OLEDs are still meh for PC use with lowish resolutions and weird and weirder subpixel layouts along with fragility for risk of image burn in, or really uneven burn out of pixels from static content.

 

[GoRedwings19]

I got my LG yesterday. It has been years since I have used one as a Primary monitor (2016) and I am just not liking it at all. i wonder if any of you guys have settings or ICC profile I could try out.

 

[Bluecube]

It is against forum rules to post competitor links. But if you search for "12v fan simulator" on auction sites or large China-based marketplaces you will find them. They are sold either as basic modules or with a cable and connector attached (sadly not the required connector). I wonder if a standard 4-pin connector, without the latch, would actually fit?

OCUK don’t sell fan simulators so it’s perfectly ok to link to eBay, Aliexpress, etc, etc

 

[IT Troll]

I got my LG yesterday. It has been years since I have used one as a Primary monitor (2016) and I am just not liking it at all. i wonder if any of you guys have settings or ICC profile I could try out.

That is surprising, in what way? HDR is not great, but otherwise it is one of the best. There are a lot of modes to try depending on your preference. For colour accuracy, I found the following was really good; Gamer1 Mode, Brightness 28, Contrast 70, Gamma Mode 2, and Color Temp Manual W1. Response Time set to Normal for best motion clarity with minimal overshoot. ICC profiles are specific to the monitor and room lighting so not very transferable. However, Rtings shared theirs in their review.

OCUK don’t sell fan simulators so it’s perfectly ok to link to <snip> etc, etc

Not if you check the rules.

 

[GoRedwings19]

That is surprising, in what way? HDR is not great, but otherwise it is one of the best. There are a lot of modes to try depending on your preference. For colour accuracy, I found the following was really good; Gamer1 Mode, Brightness 28, Contrast 70, Gamma Mode 2, and Color Temp Manual W1. Response Time set to Normal for best motion clarity with minimal overshoot. ICC profiles are specific to the monitor and room lighting so not very transferable. However, Rtings shared theirs in their review.


Not if you check the rule

I use to be an long term user and advocate of using IPS panels many years ago. I then made the switch to using Oled as my preffered display platform as I got tired putting up with ips glow and backlight bleed. So after 6/7 years since using IPS as a primary display I decided to take a punt on the LG. While for the most part it has minimised ips glow and backlight bleed I feel it still has the limitation of the tech. That black or dark parts of scenes still exhibit a greyish black.

But's not really a fault of the LG. I guess I am too use to my Oled and g7 neo. With the exception of black levels I do love everything about the LG. Even the stupidly inadequate 32 edge lit dimming zones didn;t bother me that much as there are only certain times that I will use HDR for gaming or watching content.

I did see your post and tried them. I liked them for the most part although I prefer a slighly cooler picture quality. It actually gets brighter than my g7 neo in SDR. But once HDR kicks in the g7 neo all the way.

I have been using my LG C1 for a while but have decided to have a change. So I got the Neo g7 and the LG in to see which I liked more. Suprsingly I liked the neo g7 more even for the past several years I have had Lg monitors as secondary monitors and no other brand.

 

[IT Troll]

That black or dark parts of scenes still exhibit a greyish black.

Yeah, IPS is never going to beat VA or OLED for contrast. They are still the best option for gaming or movies. I would have gone for the G7 Neo if they did a flat version. I love OLED but the size, resolution and pixel layout just isn't ready yet for desktop and productivity. With IPS, "blacks" look better at lower brightness levels and using the rear LEDs as a white bias light helps with perceived contrast.

I did see your post and tried them. I liked them for the most part although I prefer a slighly cooler picture quality.

I was calibrating mine to DCI-P3 for accurate natural tones.

 

[GoRedwings19]

Yeah, IPS is never going to beat VA or OLED for contrast. They are still the best option for gaming or movies. I would have gone for the G7 Neo if they did a flat version. I love OLED but the size, resolution and pixel layout just isn't ready yet for desktop and productivity. With IPS, "blacks" look better at lower brightness levels and using the rear LEDs as a white bias light helps with perceived contrast.

I was calibrating mine to DCI-P3 for accurate natural tones.

I agree with all the points you raised, I now want a 32 inch Oled 4k display but I am waiting for them to find away to raise the brightness. Or a flat g7 neo wihtout the sucky viewing angles.