Fan noise

laualv

Hello,

I have been reading in several posts the issues with the loud noise that the fan makes even when the CPU is bellow 20%, is there any solution to control the fan speed ?
In my case it is all the time noisy.

Thank you in advance !

chrisf

PaoloCC replied at 2020-12-24 16:15
To make a comparison I had an iMAC; they are famous to be silent. Well, my U57 is as silent as the i ...

Hi Paolo,

It is very interesting for me to read that your U57 is so silent...
Would you mind posting a photo of the BIOS and EC version?
Or at least add a reply with the version numbers,
the versions are shown on the BIOS "Main" tab.

Most interesting are:
Core version: (I'm running now be 5.011)
BIOS Version (mine is VB1 0.04 x64)
EC Version (mine is 0.008 [07/07/2020])

Maybe you've really got an upgraded version already?

Anyway for all the others out there:
I'm just writing the DIY guide for adding a fan controller.
It's working flawlessly and stable for me, even under highest stress using CPU benchmarks.
Under no load the system is really silent and even under full stress the fan noise is fine.
The good news is: the Beelink team used a good quality fan. Full speed is definitely not required to cool that thing.

BR, Chris

chrisf

Ok guys, Beelink support does not answer, neither here nor via email.
That's a shame, honestly.

The U57 is a nice machine, but it was just "glued together" somehow as far as BIOS and SMC is concerned.
The BIOS is a really a mess, it offers a lot of options but it's actually just an unfinished, not well configured thing.
Most of the settings wont actually work. Don't be surprised if your replacement SSD/HDD will not work...
It even says "EVALUATION COPY" on the boot screen...

OK, enough of criticism.
I am still offering help.

I know the fan is controlled by the ENE KB930 IC (8051 based), that was a very common controller IC in the past.
The main problem I see is that the firmware there uses a bad configuration or auto-mode.
(or the driver talking to the fan control-registers is using bad settings).
I am an 8051 firmware specialist, so I may be able to program/fix the issue, but

ANYWAY:
I decided to fix the fan problem on my own for now:

Just buy that little PWM fan controller for less than 3$ from Banggood:

https://www.banggood.com/VHM-802 ... robe-p-1662910.html

This little guy is programmable via the buttons. Place the thermal sensor on the heat-sink near the CPU.
With a little soldering and cutting the fan cable you will be able to place this controller in between.
AND EVERYTHING WORKS AS IT SHOULD.
The fan only turns slowly as long as the temperature is normal and if it gets hotter it SLOWLY increases speed (and noise).

So, what can I say?
I believe Beelink could do much better business if they could fix their problems (or accepting help from volunteers).
If you need a high quality & reliable mini-PC without any problems, go and buy something different e.g. Intel NUC, Shuttle, etc...
But if you are willing to cut back on that and do a bit of soldering... well, you get a pretty nice machine for little money.

BR, Chris

zuppi

I also have the same problem. I solved it by purchasing an Intel NUC ...  beelink support is not the best. They have been saying for months that they know the problem but have not solved it yet. They are using us as beta testers of their products ....

floridaisflat

Same issue here. Just purchased so I can still return if its not resolved.

chrisf

I also just got a U57 from Banggood and the mini PC is really great, BUT:
I really have to say the fan noise is absolutely not acceptable.
The base noise level and constantly spinning up and down it too annoying.
The main problem I see is that the fan spins up and down, sometimes doing this in a loop every few seconds but the CPU and rest of the hardware is cool enough around 35°C! Even when the CPU is not doing anything the fan keeps spinning up & down with a much too fast speed.

The BIOS actually offers many options, but so far I tried everything and I still could not find out how to control the fan speeds.

Please Beelink team, could you offer a BIOS-update or instruction where user can change the fan speeds and temperature trip points?
Or could you offer a software which controls the fan speed?

This is the only main complaint I have about the U57. The hardware and processing power is good, but the noise level is just no acceptable.
If you could fix or improve this, it would make the U57 a _really_ nice mini PC!

P.S. This bad thermal behavior / fan noise seems to be very common for U57 users. This shows how important it is to fix that!
Here are just some links to forum posts:
http://bee-link.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=70608
http://bee-link.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=70528
http://bee-link.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=70484
http://bee-link.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=70846

BR, Chris

lefgoumas

Can someone from Beelink tell us if there is a chance to provide a solution to the fan noise problem?
Otherwise, besides returning the unit, i will have to post this in Bangood reviews as a major problem,
in order to warn other potential buyers.

beelink

lefgoumas replied at 2020-11-27 05:22
Can someone from Beelink tell us if there is a chance to provide a solution to the fan noise problem ...

Hello, because the U57 needs enough heat dissipation performance to maintain normal operation, the fan will have some noise. This is normal. If you cannot accept the fan noise, please contact the seller in time for a refund.

chrisf

Dear Bee-Link team,
I fully understand that the fan will make some noise if the CPU gets warm and needs to be cooled.
But the problem is: the CPU load is low, temperatures are around 25 to 35°C --- BUT the fan already starts bowing like mad.
This is not needed -- the fan should SLOWLY start to increase it's speed.
And when the CPU temperature reaches above 55°C or higher, THEN it should speed up. NOT BEFORE.

Dear Bee-Link team,
I am offering my help to fix this issue. I am electronics & firmware engineer.
Let's fix this fan behavior together. You can be sure you will sell A LOT MORE U57 if this issue is solved.
You know, people will read the reviews and will not buy because of the people complaining about noise.
Nobody likes to buy a PC which makes noise like a hairdryer.

I'm ready to help, just leave me a reply and I'll contact you via mail.
BR, Chris

zuppi

chrisf replied at 2020-12-07 00:36
Ok guys, Beelink support does not answer, neither here nor via email.
That's a shame, honestly.

Thanks Chris! Great suggestion, could you attach a procedure to carry out the project?

beelink

chrisf replied at 2020-11-27 23:52
Dear Bee-Link team,
I fully understand that the fan will make some noise if the CPU gets warm and ne ...

Thank you very much for your help. I have submitted your feedback to our technical staff. Your suggestions are very useful. We will deal with this problem.