ThinkPad T40 fan noise

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Mikko Tanni <mt63532_RemoveMe@uta.fi.invalid> wrote:
> I have a T40 which refuses to turn off its fan. Apparently the fan turns on
> around 36 degrees C and it stays that way because the temperature does not
> drop below it. Is this normal behaviour? 36 degrees seems to be quite a low

No it is not normal (not on my X24, anyway!).

> treshold. All power management stuff that Linux offers is in use.
>
> dmesg reports the following:
>
> ACPI: Found ECDT
> ACPI-0179: *** Warning: The ACPI AML in your computer contains errors,

Quite probably. I don't use acpi.

> please nag the manufacturer to correct it.
> ACPI-0182: *** Warning: Allowing relaxed access to fields; turn on
> CONFIG_ACPI_DEBUG for details.
>
> The BIOS is quite new, 3.06 or something like that. The problem is that this
> is now quite a noisy laptop. :-(

Well, turn the fan off. Is your cpu running all the time? How about
putting the speedstep cpu to use? Mine is set to run at half speed most
of the time, using the cpu_speed stuff.

Peter

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

P.T. Breuer <ptb@oboe.it.uc3m.es> wrote:
> Well, turn the fan off. Is your cpu running all the time? How about
> putting the speedstep cpu to use? Mine is set to run at half speed most
> of the time, using the cpu_speed stuff.

I can't control the fan from linux, the /proc/acpi/fan directory is empty
(the corresponding ACPI-module is loaded). I have the enhanced speedstep
module in use. The CPU runs at 600 MHz instead of 1500 MHz. My friend has
a T40 too, and he has the same problem. Apparently there's not much one can
do about it unless IBM raises the treshold. :-/

--
Mikko Tanni a.k.a Mordicus: http://www.iki.fi/mordicus/
(To reply remove "_RemoveMe" and ".invalid" - if necessary.)
"Only my modesty allows me to cope with my perfection." - Eddie Irvine

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Mikko Tanni <mt63532_RemoveMe@uta.fi.invalid> wrote:
> P.T. Breuer <ptb@oboe.it.uc3m.es> wrote:
>> Well, turn the fan off. Is your cpu running all the time? How about
>> putting the speedstep cpu to use? Mine is set to run at half speed most
>> of the time, using the cpu_speed stuff.

> I can't control the fan from linux, the /proc/acpi/fan directory is empty
> (the corresponding ACPI-module is loaded). I have the enhanced speedstep
> module in use. The CPU runs at 600 MHz instead of 1500 MHz. My friend has
> a T40 too, and he has the same problem. Apparently there's not much one can
> do about it unless IBM raises the treshold. :-/

I was able to cool down the machine to 33 degrees C with an external fan.
That's where the T40 finally decides that it is cool enough to turn off its
fan.

--
Mikko Tanni a.k.a Mordicus: http://www.iki.fi/mordicus/
(To reply remove "_RemoveMe" and ".invalid" - if necessary.)
"Only my modesty allows me to cope with my perfection." - Eddie Irvine

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Mikko Tanni <mt63532_RemoveMe@uta.fi.invalid> wrote:
> P.T. Breuer <ptb@oboe.it.uc3m.es> wrote:
> > Well, turn the fan off. Is your cpu running all the time? How about
> > putting the speedstep cpu to use? Mine is set to run at half speed most
> > of the time, using the cpu_speed stuff.
>
> I can't control the fan from linux, the /proc/acpi/fan directory is empty
> (the corresponding ACPI-module is loaded). I have the enhanced speedstep

Then it sounds like the acpi driver was right when it told you that the
bios was nonconformant. Why are you using acpi instead of apm then?

Surely hibernation under acpi is also right out (this depends on the
type of acpi hibernation see various bios dump params ...)?

> module in use. The CPU runs at 600 MHz instead of 1500 MHz. My friend has

That's at least good. I seem to be also using that:

(lsmod)
speedstep_ich 7944 0
speedstep_lib 7552 1 speedstep_ich
freq_table 7936 1 speedstep_ich

> a T40 too, and he has the same problem. Apparently there's not much one can
> do about it unless IBM raises the treshold. :-/

?? You can talk to the acpi people about it. IBM are cooperative too.
But I'd be giving apm the nod.

Peter

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

P.T. Breuer <ptb@oboe.it.uc3m.es> wrote:
> Then it sounds like the acpi driver was right when it told you that the
> bios was nonconformant. Why are you using acpi instead of apm then?

Because it seems that APM does not turn off the fan either - although I
think I should give it an another chance.

> (lsmod)

speedstep_centrino 7860 0
freq_table 4292 1 speedstep_centrino
processor 17264 2 thermal,speedstep_centrino


> ?? You can talk to the acpi people about it. IBM are cooperative too.

Ok, I will. This seems to be a problem in BIOS. I now have to locate people
who are responsible for it.

Thanks for help.  

--
Mikko Tanni a.k.a Mordicus: http://www.iki.fi/mordicus/
(To reply remove "_RemoveMe" and ".invalid" - if necessary.)
"Only my modesty allows me to cope with my perfection." - Eddie Irvine

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

You should make sure you have the very latest embedded controller
installed. Go to
http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?ln...

This claims to fix a fan noise problem which I think was introduced by
the previous update.
--

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

T.C. <Devil505@despammed.com> wrote:
> (one reply from IBM-service read something like: "yeah, we know, but
> as a Lapop-owner you'll have to live with that...") the most recent
> models produced seem to have some different fans that at least seem to
> be less noisy... no statistics in regards to temepartures yet...

Here's what I got for an answer from IBM:

"It is not possible to change the temperatur where the fan starts running.
So sadly you will have to live with the noice from the fan when it runs."

And when I further inquired:

"Its the desing of the computer which prevent you from change the temperatur
where the fan starts. Updates wont change it im afraid."

So sadly for IBM, I would not buy a ThinkPad again. (I have heard that the
X-series does not have this problem, is that true?)

--
Mikko Tanni a.k.a Mordicus: http://www.iki.fi/mordicus/
(To reply remove "_RemoveMe" and ".invalid" - if necessary.)
"Only my modesty allows me to cope with my perfection." - Eddie Irvine