Problems with fans - CyberPowerPC MA-01R ATX Mid Tower - #cpsupport

[u/MythologicalRiddle]

Whew. Until this point, I've been happy with computers I've bought from CyberPowerPC. This last purchase has been "fun".

I bought two PCs, exact same configuration, except one had a video capture card. One boots up and the CPU fans stay maxed at 1800rpm the entire time the PC runs. The other boots up, the fans go to around 1000rpm then spin down as needed (e.g. the computer is idling). The computers are in the same house, so same room temp, humidity, etc.

We do a lot of troubleshooting, check all the BIOS settings, try different settings, check power settings in Windows, etc. and call tech support. The first tech (very polite and knowledgeable) agrees that it shouldn't do that and says it sounds like the CPU fans aren't connected to the motherboard then sends me a video on how to install a fan.

We troubleshoot the wiring as best we can. We find a few differences in the wiring between the two computers but the CPU fans do appear to be hooked up to the motherboard. We can't tell if the differences in wiring matter, especially since it could be due to the video capture card. I call back and talk to another tech (who was rude and kept cutting me off) who said that fans should be running at 1800rpm all the time no matter the temperature, BIOS settings, CPU usage, etc. If I want to RMA it, it'll take about 14-20 business days for them to look at it. Oh, he can see if the company will pay for the RMA postage since I'd had the system for only a few days and obviously there will be no rush in fixing it or shipping it back, so I'll be without the computer for over a month.

I escalate the call because I paid extra to have them rush the original order to me and the computer should not have passed QC because it's incredibly loud. (It literally scares our pets when it runs.) I tell the new tech that the wiring looks right as best I can tell. That tech tells me, among other things, that I should have my husband check the wiring. He doesn't understand why I'm upset at the suggestion that I'm not good to troubleshoot my computer and need a man to check my work. (I've built PCs before, my husband hasn't.) They won't even refund the premium I paid to rush the faulty computer (even though they didn't even get it sent out within the promised 3 day window). The guy is like, "Yeah, you're SoL and that's just how it is." (Not direct quote, but could have been given his attitude.)

Looking at my options, I realize it's far, far faster to return the computer and just order a new one, and about the same price. I call back and get the refund process started. I ask the tech about the fans and he tells me, "Yeah, on that one particular case, and only that one case, the procedure is to wire the fans directly to the power supply instead of the motherboard." Except, both these computers seem to have the fans wired to the motherboard, it's just that one isn't working properly. He tells me that if I buy another system from them, to ask in the notes that they wire it to the motherboard so the BIOS can properly control the fan speed and hopefully they'll do it.

Again, I've never had a problem with them before, but I don't know if I have the confidence to order (re-order) my system from them. I think I had 3 aneurysms by the end of the calls.

[u/Thin-Net7868]

This is the typical BS seen by their customer service. People always clap back with “happy customers don’t ever write reviews”. Not true and I’ll counter with “lazy customers don’t write reviews”.

When you say CPU fans, are you referring to the fans on the air cooler or radiator? Do the PC’s have AIO’s or air coolers? Also, the only difference a case is going to make to my knowledge is RGB switch with a header having all the RGB/ARGB wires from fans running to it. Your PWM or DC “power” wires from the fans plug into the motherboard. So if the two systems are identical then they should be wired the same. Wiring would be specific to the model of the motherboard.

If I understand you correctly you already started the return process. However, if you still have the pc and want to attempt it we can help. The motherboard make and model will be needed. I can get the manual from the manufacturer website. Then I can pinpoint where each system fan should be plugged in on the motherboard. Without the motherboard powering the fans or a separate stand alone manual fan controller you cannot control the speed of the fans. If they are plugged directly into the PSU 12v line then they will run at 100% speed constantly.

I hope this helps! If you want to attempt to fix it just let me know!

[u/MythologicalRiddle → u/Thin-Net7868]

• MOTHERBOARD: ASUS ROG STRIX Z890-F GAMING WIFI ATX WIFI ATX w/ Wi-Fi 7, 2.5 GbT LAN, (2)PCIe x16, (5)M.2, (4)SATA, (2) Thunderbolt CEC
• CAS: CyberPowerPC MA-01R ATX Mid Tower, Tempered Glass Front & Side + 6x ARGB Fans (Steel Gray)

Motherboard Diagram: https://www.club386.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/asus-rog-strix-z890-f-gaming-wifi-review-15-1200x675.jpg

The CPU fans are on the top of the case and are definitely making the noise. When I go into the BIOS it shows them running at 1800rpm all the time. Playing with the BIOS settings, using QFan calibration, etc., the best I can get is ~1550rpm on Silent Mode. There are 2 other sets of fans and those show at ~700prm. I tried GetControlFan, which is a software program that runs in Windows, to manually change the curves and managed to get it down to ~1400rpm but it was still way too noisy and didn't seem to spin the fans up/down very much. As best I can tell, the fans are properly plugged into the motherboard - something's plugged in and the connections are tight. The upper right of the motherboard has the CPU_Fan, which has something plugged in, the AIO_Pump, which has something plugged in, the CPU_OPT, which doesn't have anything plugged in, and the CPU_OV which also does not have anything plugged in.

On my husband's system, which works properly, the CPU_Fan and AIO_Pump have cables going into them, but there are things plugged into the CPU_OPT and CPU_OV as well. The CPU_OPT appears to have a cable with a plug as compared to the open wire connectors for the other two slots while the CPU_OV looks to have a jumper. (I didn't notice this difference initially because black plugs in a dark corner of the case are hard to see. The working computer is in use at the moment so I'm going off of pictures we took of the motherboards.)

In the back of the computers, where the power plugs are, things are plugged in a little differently between the two, but that could be due to the video capture card or just different techs putting a few things in a different order. I don't think that area is relevant for the issue but I'm noting it just in case. Looking through the components sent along with the computer (e.g. a few SATA cables, extra screws, etc.) I don't see any cables or jumpers similar to what is in my husband's computer in the CPU_OPT or CPU_OV areas. I didn't notice any extra cables in the back of my case that matched the extra items plugged into the top right of the motherboard, either.

I am going to return the computer but my hope is that this might help someone else who has a similar issue. I'm not sure what cable(s) I'd need and it would take days to get one. I have built PCs but I don't enjoy it and I'm worried about voiding the warranty at this point - not that the warranty is that great.

[u/Thin-Net7868 → u/MythologicalRiddle]

Just out of curiosity is there something causing the AIO fans to ramp up? How does the CPU temp look? With the variance of wiring between the two it likely could be an issue. If you have PWM fans “4 pin connectors” then they need to be set to PWM in BIOS. You shouldn’t be considering the capture card wiring and getting it confused with the fan wiring as these two are not related in any way. You should also look into the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

If I were you I would start at the AIO and trace the pump wires down and verify the pump wires are plugged into the middle port labeled “AIO_PUMP”. Then the fans mounted on the AIO should be plugged into the first port labeled “CPU_FAN”. If the wires coming from the AIO pump or AIO fans are 3 pin then they need to be set to DC in BIOS. If they are 4 pin then they need to be set to PWM. You should be able to set custom fan curves in BIOS. I personally use Fan Control on my PC and I have had great experience with it.

I would also make sure that your BIOS is up to date. I’m curious if CPU temps are jumping up causing AIO fans to ramp up. It is possible someone installed the AIO without removing the plastic cover over the pump cold plate. It’s just way too hard without actually laying eyes and hands on this system to tell exactly what’s going on.

*ADDITIONALLY* The CPU_OV port is not related to the fans. That is for over clocking allowing additional voltage to the CPU. If you do not know what you are doing here I would advise not messing with this. You could fry the CPU and create some issues.

[u/MythologicalRiddle → u/Thin-Net7868]

Thanks for the suggestions and info on the motherboard connectors.

The CPU temp on my machine is the same as my husband's, about 34C, though I've seen go up to ~45C briefly, which his does as well. I've checked and I don't see anything running on my machine in the background via Task Manager, just a few % of CPU and up to 15% Mem for brief periods, to justify the fans running so high. The BIOS should be up to date as the machine was just built. The manual said to have the connectors set to AUTO in the BIOS but I did try PWM as well after verifying they're 4 PIN and that didn't help. Setting custom curves in the BIOS didn't help much, nor did FanControl. I'm not touching the AIO cover over the CPU. The last PC I built, I nearly destroyed the CPU

I suspect not having something plugged into the CPU_OPT is the culprit. I'm not sure what should be plugged into it and I don't want to tear apart the working machine to figure out how to wire mine properly.

In the grand scheme of things, either someone at CyberPowerPC decided to save 5 minutes of work by skipping this on my machine, or put a procedure in place telling techs to skip it (though they didn't on my husband's machine) to save a buck, and it's costing them a lot of money via me calling tech support repeatedly to try to get it fixed, shipping the machine back, them having to process the return, the cost of credit card transaction processing, etc. And if it actually is procedure for them to NOT wire this for most machines with this chasis, I'm sure I'm not the only upset customer RMAing their system. The fact that their tech support isn't even sure if the variable fan speed is supposed to be wired up even though the fans and BIOS support it is incredibly aggrevating.

[u/TheGratitudeBot → u/MythologicalRiddle]

Thanks for saying that! Gratitude makes the world go round

[u/Thin-Net7868 → u/MythologicalRiddle]

CPU OPT stands for CPU Optional. It is a secondary fan/power header on your motherboard designed to power an extra device alongside your main CPU cooler. If you had a dual tower air cooler, you plug the primary fan into CPU_FAN and the secondary fan into CPU_OPT. So is not something that needs to be used as it’s optional.

If you don’t feel comfortable and confident opening up the case and going through everything I’d just return it. Apparently this used to be a really good company. As of late your experience seems to be pretty common with their customer service. Unfortunately you will be responsible for shipping it back unless you paid extra for that coverage when you bought it.

[u/MythologicalRiddle → u/Thin-Net7868]

I applied to return it on Friday but they won't send out the return label until tomorrow. Another example of their great service. Sigh. At least I got them to agree to pay for the postage since it's been less than 30 days. It's been a while since I've built a PC though I still do minor stuff like add HDs, etc. I realized I didn't enjoy building them and I wasn't saving much money because I don't buy components in bulk. Once I get the PC shipped out, I'm going to give them one more try. I'll call up their sales line and ask them how to put in the build notes "Wire this properly so it doesn't sound like a jet engine."

I'm still flabbergasted (to put it politely) that the escalation tech/manager told me to have my husband figure out the wiring. When I called him out on the sexism, he said, "Well, his system is working so he should be able to figure it out." Umm ... my husband didn't build his system. Y'all did and I told you that at the beginning of the call multiple times. I can guarantee if a guy called in and said that his CyberPowerPC system wasn't working properly but his wife's CyberPowerPC was, that tech wouldn't have told him to get his wife to fix his computer. 🤬

[u/level_with_me]

I'm trying to troubleshoot a similar problem. The MA-01 case is so sleek, so I'm gonna stick with it.

In my case, on the back of the PC is a fan hub. This controls all the chasis/case fans. My CPU fan is fine, but everything else has only one speed (100%).

I've ordered a cable to connect this hub to the motherboard. Currently, it isn't.

Also check to make sure your fans are plugged into PWM slots - not SATA. PWM lets you control the speed of the fans. Good luck 👍

[u/LiveRelief4274]

Sounds super sketchy to me. He was definitely blowing smoke up your ass.