Fans running full blast but only when plugged into power supply VGN-A517S

[abisearle]

Hello hello,

My fans seem to run normally when running from battery, with them kicking in every few minutes. But as soon as I plug in the power lead or put it on the dock, they kick in at full whack. Permanently. Even when idling.

I got 4% CPU usage and only IE running and it's sounds like I'm editing video or something. Temp is at 67 and HDD is at 39.

Please help!

[Thalamus.]

Hi abisearle,

Welcome to Club Vaio,

When running on battery your power profile is probably set to Battery Life and is therefore reducing the CPU speed and when you plug in the power supply your vaio may be set to performance and therefore running warmer..

You can adjust the Power Management Setting in Power Properties, go to Start > Control panel > Performance and Maintenance > Power Options and have a look at the power schemes and Vaio power management tabs..

[abisearle]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I can understand that, but surely the fans shouldn't be running full when the computer isn't working hard...?

[Thalamus.]

Temp is at 67

Hi abisearle

You say your vaio's temperature is 67°, is that when running on mains power or battery.?

67° is high, have you checked that the vents are not blocked with dust, etc..

[abisearle]

Hi,

How do I gain access to the fans? I have got the keyboard of and all the screws underneath out.

If I change the power scheme CPU Fan Control to Adaptive, the fan calms down. Does adaptive mean that it will run hard when the computer is running hard, and slow when the computer is not under heavy load?

Thanks,
Abi

[Thalamus.]

If I change the power scheme CPU Fan Control to Adaptive, the fan calms down. Does adaptive mean that it will run hard when the computer is running hard, and slow when the computer is not under heavy load?

Hi Abi,

Yes, selecting Adaptive mode in the power options will allow the CPU clock speed to reduce when full processor speed is not required therefore saving battery power and reducing the heat output of the processor, this would explain why you notice your fan noise decreasing..

You can monitor your CPU speed and temperature with Mobilemeter..