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Gene Z - two of the three CHA FAN controllers stuck at 100%

harly
Level 7
Hello. I have a recent problem with the chassis fan controllers on a Maximus IV Gene-Z.

I'm using PWM fans. I have two connected to the two CPU fan controllers and their speed is variable by the bios settings.

I have 3 other PWM fans connected to CHA FAN 1 2 and 3. Only CHA FAN 3 is allowing the fan speed to be controlled. For example with CHA set to 60% in the bios, it will run at 700 RPM while 1 and 2 run at max 1500 RPM.

This has only recently changed to behave like this. Previously all chassis fan controllers set the speed according to the bios setting.

I've moved the fans around and the same thing happens. Each fan can be variably controlled, except when in CHA FAN 1 and 2.

I've updated the bios to the latest 0902, restored default settings, fully powered down from the wall for 5 mins. Not sure what else to try. Is this a common problem? Is my board dead?
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36 REPLIES 36

HiVizMan
Level 40
No your board is not dead, it works just fine. Have you installed any other software like AIsuite lately?


Welcome to the forum 🙂
To help us help you - please provide as much information about your system and the problem as possible.

I don't see how you can conclude that the board is working fine. Is this how it is meant to work? That the bios settings control the three chassis fans for a while, and then only control 1?

It happens purely through the bios.

IE go into the bios set the fan speeds to minimum. Restart and go back into the bios. The windows install isn't a factor.

Only 1 of the 3 chassis fan controllers will set the fan speed, leaving the other two running at full speed.

But if you like I can unplug the drives and retest it.

I don't have the AI suite installed. I run AIDA64 which its monitoring conflicts with.

Here, I went a step further.

I removed all drives and did the test, and the two fans still run at 100%.

I've connected a spare HD and installed a fresh copy of windows 7 ultimate service pack 1. I installed nvidia 285.62 drivers for my graphics card and the Intel_Gigabit_V16500_XPVistaWin7 so I could connect to the internet. I then installed Chrome so I could get here.

Problem is still there. Is there something I should try now to resolve the fan issue?

HiVizMan
Level 40
When you help folks on this support forum you develop a certain perspective of what is working and what is not working I guess. And a motherboard status or does it work or not is not determined by a fan header not doing what a user is expecting. Especially since we have not removed user interaction from the equation yet, therefore we do not know that the header or the bios is not doing just what it is meant to be doing within the settings and installation as it stands. So yes for me your motherboard is working. 🙂

Thank you for doing the clean install and for providing the information re what software is running.

Now moving on to trying to fix your problem.

Please describe in detail how you have connected the fan, and the controllers to the different headers.
Provide screenshots of your BIOS showing the settings you have for control of the fans
Same for any software that you are using in conjunction with the BIOS settings.


Just for information have a read of this thread, yes I know it is not the same motherboard or even chipset but it makes interesting reading none the less. http://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?10154-Crosshair-V-and-H100
To help us help you - please provide as much information about your system and the problem as possible.

I understand your logic, and certainly appreciate your point of view providing assistance in a support forum where you have little idea of the environment, and more importantly, the user. You are saying it's not proven to be broken. I agree with you. In fact I hope there is something simple that will fix it. PEBCAK would be ideal for me. I am merely saying that unless you already know the problem it is premature to state the board works just fine.

Anyway. Moving on. I appreciate you helping.

I am using 5 Gelid Silent 12 PWM fans ( http://www.gelidsolutions.com/products/index.php?lid=2&cid=5&id=30 ). The are 4 pin fans, obviously.

They are directly connected to the 5 on board fan controllers.

I have tried with several different fan bios settings. But I think the easiest one to demonstrate the issue will be when set to "silent" control in the bios.

Here is a sequence of bios shots. I could not use the print screen function as it merely popped up a window saying select the USB flash drive but gave no options to select, despite me using the same USB flash drive that worked to udate the bios firmware. (I tried two different flash drives... is there a trick to getting screenshots to work like this?)

Rebooted into bios. Fan control was disabled and so all fans were running at max speed. Here are shots of the fan monitor, the fan control settings, and then how I changed those settings to enable fan control to the silent setting.

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5666
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*reboot*

Now here is the fan monitor after the reboot. Note only CHA FAN 3 is being set to a slower speed, while CHA FAN 1 and CHA FAN 2 are running at max speed. CPU FAN and CPU OPT are also running at slower speeds. CPU and Board temps included. And then how I changed the settings to manual.

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*reboot*

With the manual settings, note the fan monitor speeds again.

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*shutdown*

I then moved the fans around. C1 fan moved to C3. C3 fan moved to C2. C2 fan moved to C1.

*boot*

Note that now the fan that was previously on C3 and being set to a slower speed is now on C2 and is running at max speed. Conversely, the fan that was previously on C1 and running at max speed is now on C3 and running at a slower speed.

This is consistent with the noise and visual speed at which the fans are moving. ie, it is not an error in the fan's RPM signal. It also strongly supports that it is not the fan's PWM controller.

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At no time did I enter windows during this test. If you would like me to install any software and report on software tests i will gladly do so on the clean install I have.

HiVizMan
Level 40
Heck no that is perfect thanks mate.

As to the USB stick and screen shots assume you have the USB unlocked to read and write, and that the USB stick is formatted to one of the FAT formats.

Now to your fans. How you have done the set up is how I would too. I have to pull out my Genie Z today so let me play around with the settings and see if I get the same result as you.

If the fan headers are defective please do RMA the product.
To help us help you - please provide as much information about your system and the problem as possible.

Those Gelid fans require very little voltage for full speed. The speed on chassis header 1 is tied to CPU temps (2&3 I cannot recall off the top of my head). I think the minimum regulation is 60%, which may not make a huge change in RPM on those fans - the fact that CPU or the chassis temp monitor needs to see a change in temp to have an effect on the chassis fan RPM withstanding. Also cannot recall if all of those fan headers control 4 pins fans (some may be limited to 3 pin), HQ kept all headers at 4 pin for aesthetics.


Not really an RMA case unless the limitations of use does not fall within the realms of personal satisfaction - in which case its a case of return the board and look for something that can do what you want it to.

Raja@ASUS wrote:
Those Gelid fans require very little voltage for full speed. The speed on chassis header 1 is tied to CPU temps (2&3 I cannot recall off the top of my head). I think the minimum regulation is 60%, which may not make a huge change in RPM on those fans - the fact that CPU or the chassis temp monitor needs to see a change in temp to have an effect on the chassis fan RPM withstanding. Also cannot recall if all of those fan headers control 4 pins fans (some may be limited to 3 pin), HQ kept all headers at 4 pin for aesthetics.


Not really an RMA case unless the limitations of use does not fall within the realms of personal satisfaction - in which case its a case of return the board and look for something that can do what you want it to.


correct, 60 is minimum in the bios for chassis, I think it's 40 for CPU. However software can set a lower minimum for both. Even at 60 the difference is significant. The noise between 900 and 1500 is night and day. (edit: i think maybe i misunderstood you and the point you were making is if they are voltage controlling 60% may not be noticeable given how little the fans need)

From what I've read the chassis headers control 4pin and 3pin, and the cpu headers will only control 4 pin.

I'm pretty sure when I first had the PWM fans connected (i was only using CHA 3 and CHA 2) both were regulated. But I would accept fuzzy memory on that one.

I'm absolutely certain my original fans (Fractal Design Arc Mini, 140mm and 120mm ( http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product&category=4∏=18 ) which are 3 pin were all regulated by the one chassis setting. But now they aren't, and similarly operate at 100% on 2 and 3. (I'll double check that in a moment and supply screen shots).


Unfortunately it's possibly a big issue for me. This is a very expensive rig. Once kepler comes out I'll be throwing two in with water cooling, with 3 radiators, and cpu and mobo blocks. All up the system will be about $4000 worth of gear. I have everything waiting to go in, except obviously the keplers. I haven't set up the cpu/mobo blocks yet until this gets resolved. I'll have no room for a fan controller, unless it's one of those itty ones I can slip in behind the cabling. With two of the controllers down, my choice is pretty messy. I can use a 4 way splitter with molex power for the front rad push/pull on CHA3, and i'm not sure about the bottom fan. Hand make a 5-way splitter? But if that stops working then i'm out of mobo controlled options, other than moving into complex splitters on the CPU headers.

I'll double check the old 3pin fans now.

What's the best way to fully reset the board? Does it store anything in a flash memory? If I unpower it, remove the battery, does that force any possible internal settings to reset?

OK here is a similar test using two of the original 3pin fractal 120mm fans, in CHA 3 and CHA 1. These ones I'm absolutely sure were originally both speed controlled properly by two of the CHA controllers. (note: gelid's are still plugged into the CPU slot).

Fan control disabled:
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Fan control set to silent.

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Again, CHA 1 appears to be stuck at max where CHA 3 will lower the speed.