Need to upgrade fans in my Dell Studio XPS 9100.

xybernauts · Jan 19, 2015

I have a Dell Studio XPS 9100 (Mid 2010) desktop system. I primarily use this PC for gaming. My problem is my CPU keeps on getting really hot. The CPU cores are about between 50 degrees c and 55 degrees c when idle and reach up to 75 degrees when I'm actively using the PC. When gaming, the entire PC gets very hot as well. The internal temp reaches up to 70C and this i turn raises the GPU temp. From what I've read this seems to be a common problem for this PC. I need help purchasing fans that will help keep my PC and the CPU quieter and cooler.

I've gathered some info from this and other website, forum threads etc. I know the Studio XPS 9100 uses an Intel X58 Chipset which supports a LGA 1366 Socket according to Wikipedia. (Although you can double check just to be sure.) And I read that my PCs case is around 197mm wide.

Height: 19.4" (49.3 cm)
Width: 7.8" (19.8 cm)
Depth: 20.7" (52.8cm)

I was thinking of using the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus - CPU Cooler with 4 Direct Contact Heat Pipes (http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-Plus-RR-B10-212P-G1/dp/B002G1YPH0/ref=pd_cp_pc_2?tag=donations09-20) for the CPU although I've read posters recommend the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=lp_11036281_1_1?s=pc&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1421684062&amp;sr=1-1) in other forums. The thing is I'm not sure if the Cool Master Hyper 212 Plus or Evo can fit in my system? From what I read it shouldn't. Please tell me I'm wrong. This YouTuber succeeded in fitting a Coolmaster into his 9100 XPS case, but not sure if it's the evo. He recommended the Evo in the comments section to a poster having problems similar to mine. If he did put the evo into his PC, not sure if he did other mods to make it work, or if it fit inside the PC naturally. Tried to contact him, but no response yet.

Also I read a poster on another thread recommend the Noctua NF-F12 PWM Cooling Fan (http://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NF-F12-PWM-Cooling-Fan/dp/B00650P2ZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1421686399&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Noctua+NF-F12&amp;tag=donations09-20) for case fan upgrade. Would this work for front and back fans and is this the best option?

hwc1954 · Jan 19, 2015

I spent the afternoon installing a Noctua NH-U9B SE cooler in my Dell XPS 7100. It's a Micro ATX size mini tower so the Noctua cooler with 92 mm fans was the size that would fit. With an AMD processor, I didn't really need cooling for overclocking.

Install was a piece of cake. Really nicely engineered product. Foolproof installation, especially on an AMD which already has the backplate in place. Just remove the old cooler, clean off the CPU, put a dab of thermal compound (included with the cooler) on the CPU, and tighten two screws to attach the cooler. The actual mounting force comes from two springs on the bolts, so you can't even under or overtighten it.

The fans in the Dells, both the CPU fan and the chassis fans, are automatically controlled. So the better CPU cooler has two effects: it lowers CPU temps and it reduces the speeds all of the fans run (as the auto circuits adjust to lower CPU temps).

So far, I'm seeing about a 5 to 10 degree reduction in CPU temps (at idle and tesing load) combined with a 200 rpm reduction in fan speeds, across the board. It's a little misleading because the CPU used to hit the thermal limiter on Prime95 testing. Now, it stays below the thermal limit and the fans never get ramped up to their max, even at that.

Since you have more room for a taller cooler, I would think that either the U12S or the U14S would be a great choice. Since you can't overclock the Dell, I can't imagine that you really need more than the U12S. The fan header on the Dell is PWM controlled, it would be a simple swap with the factory cooler.

xybernauts · Jan 20, 2015

Thanks for replying. The U12S and the U14S look nice, but they aren't compatible with my CPU socket. My PC has lga 1366.

hwc1954 · Jan 20, 2015

Noctua will send you a free kit for the LGA1366 socket. From the U12S FAQ:

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=faqs&step=2&products_id=63&lng=en#16

Is the cooler compatible with LGA775 and LGA1366?
The cooler does not support LGA775 and LGA1366 out of the box, but can be made compatible using the NM-I3 mounting kit. Noctua provides the NM-I3 kit free of charge if a proof of purchase (scan, photo or electronic copy of the invoice) of the cooler and an LGA775 or LGA1366 motherboard or CPU are presented. In order to install the cooler using the NM-I3 kit, please first unscrew the center screw of the original one-piece fastening bracket (you can reach through the fin stack using the long screw driver supplied with the cooler) and remove it. Then install the two fastening brackets of the NM-I3 kit as described in the NM-I3 installation manual.]

Here's the link to the kit with photos and instructions:

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=30&lng=en

There kits and mounting adaptors are awesome. Really nicely made, effortless install. Your Dell would be just a bit harder than mine. My AMD Dell already had the backplate installed, so I could screw everything in from the top. Intel installations require getting to the back of the motherboard to install the backplate. Some cases have pop-off side covers. More than likely, you'll have to remove a half dozen screws and lift the motherboard up out of the case to install the backplate. No big deal, but probably an extra 15 minutes, mostly because you'll have to unplug all the back panel cables and remove any expansion cards. Might make the whole job 45 minutes instead of half an hour. Without needing to install a backplate, I would say that replacing the stock cooler with the Noctua was much easier/faster than replacing or adding a hard drive to any Dell I've done it on.

If you don't want to wait for the free kit, you can order it for $6 from Amazon when you order your cooler:

http://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NM-I3-Mounting-Kit-Coolers/dp/B002N38S6U

hwc1954 · Jan 20, 2015

Here's a YouTube of a different Intel installation. Yours would be pretty much the same, once you've installed the backplate. Just ignore the part about spreading the heatsink compound. Just put a 5mm glob of it in the center of the CPU. The heatsink pressure will spread it out.

[video="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqhGX5GThc0"][/video]

Here's the LGA kit. The black piece is the backplate. Everything else mounts from the top:

[video="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSg4CvvXDoM"][/video]

xybernauts · Jan 20, 2015

I placed the order. Thanks so much for this recommendation. I was so happy to learn about the mounting kit. I'll post back after I've gotten the fan and installed it.

hwc1954 · Jan 20, 2015

I was in the same boat. The U9B SE installed the "wrong" direction for my Dell on an AMD mount. Then, looking a little closer, I saw that Noctua offered an adaptor kit to flip it 90 degrees. Problem solved. The kits are just a different set of mounting brackets that install instead of the ones shipped with the cooler.

xybernauts · Feb 5, 2015

hwc1954 :

So I purchased the Noctua NH-U14S CPU Cooler, Noctua NF-F12 PWM case Cooling Fan, and the Noctua NF-A9x14 92 x 14 mm. Unfortunately the Noctua NH-U14S CPU Cooler didn't fit in my case. Instead of sending back the CPU cooler in just purchased a new pc case. I was dissatisfied with the Dell Studio XPS 9100 case. I believe the way it is designed contributed to the overheating my pc has been experiencing. I replaced the Dell case with a Fractal Design Define R5 case. It was big enough to fit my Dell Studio XPS mobo, all the Noctura fans, and in addition it came with two Fractal Design fans and on top of that I was able to add two fans from the Dell XPS case as well. So now the pcs temp and CPU temp is down to about 40 C when idle and about 60C when active which I believe is within acceptable operating range.

kamcknig · Jun 19, 2015

xybernauts :

On amazon, these to fans show that they come with mounting kits to make them fit the 1366. Did you try these or find a fan replacement? I'm looking to get one too.

xybernauts · Aug 3, 2015

kamcknig :

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I didn't see the message until today. Yes they fit the motherboard with the mounting kit. But like I said above while they fit on the motherboard socket they couldn't fit in my PC case so I had to purchase a whole new case altogether, but they should fit on that motherboard.

dg27 · Feb 27, 2016

hwc1954 :

Noctua will send you a free kit for the LGA1366 socket. From the U12S FAQ:

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=faqs&step=2&products_id=63&lng=en#16

Is the cooler compatible with LGA775 and LGA1366?
The cooler does not support LGA775 and LGA1366 out of the box, but can be made compatible using the NM-I3 mounting kit. Noctua provides the NM-I3 kit free of charge if a proof of purchase (scan, photo or electronic copy of the invoice) of the cooler and an LGA775 or LGA1366 motherboard or CPU are presented. In order to install the cooler using the NM-I3 kit, please first unscrew the center screw of the original one-piece fastening bracket (you can reach through the fin stack using the long screw driver supplied with the cooler) and remove it. Then install the two fastening brackets of the NM-I3 kit as described in the NM-I3 installation manual.]

Here's the link to the kit with photos and instructions:

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=30&lng=en

There kits and mounting adaptors are awesome. Really nicely made, effortless install. Your Dell would be just a bit harder than mine. My AMD Dell already had the backplate installed, so I could screw everything in from the top. Intel installations require getting to the back of the motherboard to install the backplate. Some cases have pop-off side covers. More than likely, you'll have to remove a half dozen screws and lift the motherboard up out of the case to install the backplate. No big deal, but probably an extra 15 minutes, mostly because you'll have to unplug all the back panel cables and remove any expansion cards. Might make the whole job 45 minutes instead of half an hour. Without needing to install a backplate, I would say that replacing the stock cooler with the Noctua was much easier/faster than replacing or adding a hard drive to any Dell I've done it on.

If you don't want to wait for the free kit, you can order it for $6 from Amazon when you order your cooler:

http://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NM-I3-Mounting-Kit-Coolers/dp/B002N38S6U

I'm a little confused about installing the Noctua in an Intel Dell 9100: If you use their adapter kit, do you still need to remove the motherboard to install a backplate? Removing the motherboard seems very scary...the OEM heat sink/fan assembly just sits on top of the processor.

xybernauts · Feb 27, 2016

dg27 :

The Noctura mobo fans I tried to use didn't actually fit in the Dell XPS 9100 case. You can place it on the motherboard and in the case, but you won't have enough room to close the case. In the end I decided that it was better to just change PC's case altogether. The case Dell provides isn't designed well in my opinion. It seems to restrict airflow causing the PC to overheat. This is the thread I started about transferring the Dell mobo to another case. http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/2498868/last-read

Or you can just get fans that fit, but I'm not sure if that'll fix the problem. That's why I chose to change the case. I saw a YouTube video where an owner of a Dell 9100 PC showed the remains of his PC. The PC was burnt because it caught of fire from the heat. I decided dropping a few coin on a case was a good investment considering. I didn't want to lose my PC and all its components in a potential fire.

Also to answer your question, yes you' shave to remove the motherboard to install the plate. It really isn't the hard. Just be careful. Im sure there is a YouTube video that'll walk you through the process.

dg27 · Feb 27, 2016

Thanks for clarifying. I'm really not thrilled with moving to another case...will have to give this some thought.

If I could find a drop-in PSU cooler that'd be my preference.

xybernauts · Feb 27, 2016

dg27 :

Another really bad aspect of the Dell XPS 9100 case design is the PSU is located right next to the CPU! I'm pretty sure the PSU gets pretty hot so its proximity to the CPU just makes it that much harder to keep the CPU cool.

Personally I think Dell designed this PC this way to shorten the life of the PC. This way they force customers to purchase another pc in the near future. This is why I'll never buy a Dell PC, or any premade PC again. Better off just building one.

dg27 · Feb 27, 2016

xybernauts :

Thanks for weighing in.

My core temps are consistently around 52C; not sure whether that's a major concern.

I may just replace the case and exhaust fans and see whether that helps.

I read that this is compatible cooler, but have no idea how it would mount:

Thermaltake NiC C5

xybernauts · Feb 27, 2016

dg27 :

http://youtu.be/SenITZKR_nQ This video shows its installation. I think that what mounting plates you use will depend on the type of processor you have. It's possible the fan will be compatible with mounting plates already installed on your PC, but if they aren't you'll have to remove the motherboard in order to place compatible plate. The case you see in the video is a special case that allows you to open the PC on both sides, left and right. These guys don't have to remove the mobo because there is a small opening in the case that lets them easily access the back of the mobo. Because of the way the Dell PC is designed if your current backplate isn't compatible you'll need to access the back of the board to replace the current backplate with a compatible backplate.

But make sure, the fan fits in the case. When they say it's compatible it means it'll fit on the CPU, but you have to also worry about whether it'll fit inside the case which is a separate issue.

dg27 · Feb 27, 2016

xybernauts :

Thanks--this is all very helpful info.

One thought: The Dell fans are legendarily bad. Is it possible I can keep the same heatsink assembly and just replace the fan?

xybernauts · Feb 27, 2016

You could replace the fans in the heatsink, but I honestly don't think it'd make a difference. You'd have to open the heatsink and take out the fan inside and replace it with fan similar in size, but again, I wouldn't expect to see a change. The way the Dell heatsink is designed is ridiculous. The problem isn't just the fan, there's a problem with the actual design of the heatsink as well.

http://i.imgur.com/I72kGDB.png

Here's your heatsink. The hot air from the CPU flows up and out of the cup-like opening. Quality heatsinks like the Themaltake you showed me usually push the air to the back of the PC so it can go out through the case fan blowing air out the back vent. The Dell heatsink pushes the air to the left of the case towards the cover. The problem is when it's installed in the Dell PC, there's no place for the air to go. Once you've placed the cover back on, the cover blocks the top of the cup impeding the airflow so the hot air gets trapped in the cup.

dg27 · Feb 28, 2016

xybernauts :

Thanks--I'm familiar with the heatsink. One thought: This PC is in a desk with a desktop compartment (think like a little PC "garage") that's only about 2" wider than the case. It's open on the back. The width rules out a lot of cases since these days most are 9.5" minimum.

Would there be any harm in leaving the side panel off to allow for better ventilation??

xybernauts · Feb 28, 2016

dg27 :

You shouldn't leave the side panel open because that will make it easier for dust to get into the PC. Dust can damage PC components by insulating components thus making them run hotter.

Plus some people say their pcs can run hotter when side panels off. I think it depends on external temperature.

A computer case is built to maximize air flow while the case is on.

Leaving the case off is NOT good for airflow efficiency or for general hygiene of the computer.

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090610050229AAv50P5

dg27 · Feb 28, 2016

xybernauts :

Thanks--as suspected--after I posted I saw a lot of other posts about that.

I'm thinking I may just live withe OEM heatsink and just replace the case fans with something like this:

Noctua NF-S12B FLX 120 x 25mm Fan (600/900/1200 RPM)

or this

ZALMAN USA 120mm System Cooling Fan

Dell's service manual and website are infuriating because nowhere does it say whether the fans are 92 or 120 mm (and I've read conflicting posts about it).

Would replacing those fans likely help at all?

dg27 · Feb 28, 2016

Update:

I set out to upgrade the case (rear) fan and the front (chassis) fan.

The rear is 92 mm; the front is 120 mm.

I replaced the rear fan with an Antec Tricool 3 speed fan. That has a L-M-H switch. I set it on high. The motherboard temperature seems to have dropped 5 degree C as per Speccy. The core temps seem the same.

The major PITA with the front fan is that the stock fan appears to be permanently mounted in a frame with a rear-facing grill: There are no screws and the size of this frame fits into the space between the side panel and the side of the drive cage exactly. It's difficult to remove and just as difficult to put back.

It appears to be impossible to replace this fan and if you remove the entire assembly, there's too much room and no way (to me at least) to secure a different 120 mm fan in that space.

sibble · Mar 7, 2016

I have a XPS 9100 Studio. For the past 6 months my computer would randomly power off (not shut down, not freeze up, just completely power off.) I cringe every time it happens cause I know what terrible things that could cause. Anyway, I need to fix this problem as it's happening more frequently. It will happen during any time. I've had it happen twice in a row, second time happening while at the BIOS load screen. This possibly means that something was too hot, and when it rebooted and saw it was still too hot it powered off again. I don't know...

I thought it was the powersupply, so I replaced it with a Corsair CX750M. Problem persists.

Thought it may be an overheating issue. I've been monitoring temperatures with CPUID HWMonitor. I did a stress test and watched the cores get up to 80 degrees celsius, 50 at idle, and 65-70 while gaming.

Are these temperatures too hot for Intel Core i7 960 core temperatures?

My only other concern is that there's something else on the motherboard that is getting too hot like the northbridge or maybe the on-board nic. There are no sensors for that though?

Any suggestions would be helpful, also if anyone has had similar symptoms...

Idle: http://i.imgur.com/0S6n6AK.png

Whatever this is: http://i.imgur.com/KkF53pk.jpg the heatsink is very hot to touch after a crash.

sibble · Mar 8, 2016

I pulled the side off and I have a square floor fan facing it on full blast. Hasn't crashed for the past 24hrs.

I need to look at some cooling solutions.

I believe it's the circulation in the case, I noticed there's barely any air flowing out the rear.

dg27 · Mar 8, 2016

sibble :

My first 9100 died after several months of temps that regularly went above 80. I recently bought a refurbished 9100 i7 960 that idles around 50C but never goes above about 64C.

Have you used compressed air to clear out the heat sink CPU radiator? On my old machine that was seriously blocked.

Need to upgrade fans in my Dell Studio XPS 9100.

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