HP Z240 SFF CPU Fan Speed Not Increasing under Load

[Faisal65]

My Pc Fan does not speeding up under load.

Under Stress Test Temperature increase but fan rpm remains same.

I downgrade and upgrade chipset drivers but nothing work.

fans are okay because when I change idle fan setting in bios its increase fans rpm speed.

This is before Test:

This is After Test:

My System Specs:

HP Z240 SFF Base Model Workstation

Computer Name: HPZ240SFF
Model: HP Z240 SFF Workstation
Computer Type: Desktop
Manufactured by: HP
Baseboard ID: 802E
Serial Number: [Personal Information Removed]
BIOS version: N51 Ver. 01.92
Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1220 v6 @ 3.00GHz
Enabled Processor Count: 4
Total Memory: 8 GB
Local Storage: 119.24 GB (1 drives)
Graphics Card & Driver: Radeon R7 430 -- 21.09.13.02-220802a-382934C-RadeonSoftware
Slots in use:
Slot1 / X16PCIEXP (PCI Express Gen 3 x16): Radeon R7 430
Slot5/M.2 X4PCIEXP Storage (PCI Express Gen 3 x4): Samsung NVMe Controller
Operating System: Windows 10 (64-bit) - Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC
Current Culture: en-US
.NET Framework: 533325
Current Active Power Scheme: Ultimate Performance (GUID {e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61})
HP Performance Advisor: 3.2.2011.0 (Database Timestamp: 11/11/2024 12:52:58 PM)
Proxy server: No proxy server

[marcmeyer]

Hello Faisal65,

please take a look at the following forum entry: I have exactly the same problems with the Z240 and was able to confirm that it is due to Kaby Lake CPUs. I hope that HP support will keep an eye on it and hopefully provide a FIX.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-PCs-Workstations-and-Point-of-Sale-Systems/Bug-in-Z240-SFF-Fa...

Feel free to ask any questions.

Regards, Marc

[DGroves]

I have both tower and sff z240's and both use  HP supported cpu's and neither has fan/temp issues

the SFF model uses the power supply fan to cool the case/power supply and this fan speed is controlled by the bios AND the power supply's embedded thermal temp sensor along with the cpu temp sensor

the tower model uses a normal rear case fan and cpu fan and is controlled via the bios/cpu temp sensors

the cpu on both models have a seperate fan for the cpu

installing non HP supported cpu's usually work however if the installed cpu has higher thermals/power draw than a supported HP cpu then you may experience issues

the xeon based cpu's support ECC ram but the core series non xeon cpu's will usually only work with non ECC ram

HP Z420 Workstations officially offer 

• Intel Core i3

  The 2-core Intel Core i3-6100 and the 2-core Intel Core i3-7100 processors
• 

  Intel Core i5

  The 4-core Intel Core i5-6500, the 4-core Intel Core i5-6600, and the 4-core Intel Core i5-7500 processors
• 

  Intel Core i7

  The 4-core Intel Core i7-6700, the 4-core Intel Core i7-7700, and the 4-core Intel Core i7-6700K processors
• 

  Intel Xeon

  The 4-core Intel Xeon E3-1220 v5, the 4-core Intel Xeon E3-1225 v5, and the 4-core Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5 processors

using non HP approved cpu's may have power or thermal issues if they draw more than the top HP cpu

https://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c04825574.pdf

HP quickspecs with  all HP supported cpu's (there are several cpu models not listed/approved by hp which should work)

http://cdn.cnetcontent.com/f3/4c/f34c81d1-92d2-4612-a071-4e290a55eb26.pdf

[marcmeyer]

Thank you for your response, DGroves.

However, I have received slightly different information – please correct me if necessary:

• Yes, the SFF version of the Z240 also has a "classic" CPU cooler that directly cools the CPU and speeds up as the CPU temperature rises. There are three variants of this cooler: 810285-001 / 810282-001 / 810281-001 (see also the graphic).
• (The fan in the power supply unit is also present in the SFF and is regulated, but it does not directly cool the CPU.)
• The following CPUs have been approved for the Z240-SFF through micro-code updates: i7-7700, E3-1270v6 (see the following PDF: https://media.flixcar.com/f360cdn/HP-2282217103-4aa6-1420enuc.pdf ) (-> This is why the E3-1270v6 is also listed as "compatible" in the document you linked.)

Therefore, it remains the case that only with Kaby Lake CPUs do the CPU coolers of my two Z240-SFFs not speed up and remain constant at 700rpm. (Everything works correctly with all tested Skylake CPUs in both workstations.) (Please also see my full report: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-PCs-Workstations-and-Point-of-Sale-Systems/Bug-in-Z240-SFF-Fa... )

Therefore, I conclude that it is a firmware bug.

CPU-Cooler Z240-SFF

[DGroves]

both of my systems have the ® E3-1245 v6 ( not v7) with the performance heatsink installed for the sff model HP uses a case  fan on the rear  of the SFF case connected to the"CHF AN2" rear fan 4-pin connector so the cpu's heat is exhausted outside rather than inside the case using both the case and power supply fans to keep the system within the HP thermal limits

you can sometimes locate this rear sf case fan but as it was only included if you bought the system new with a performance cpu it' rather hard to find so hacking in a fan yourself may be the way to go

and as i stated previously neither system has  thermal issues and i don't see other posts with cooling issues unless the user has installed a high power cpu without the proper performance cooler/shroud/ or case fan

822327-001 Z240 SFF Rear Fan Assembly PVA060G12N

https://www.serverworlds.com/hpe-822327-001-z240-sff-rear-fan-assembly-pva060g12n/?

and yes' your quickspecs link is later than the one i linked to so i've noted your link for future use (thanks)

[marcmeyer]

Hello Community,

I wish everyone a happy new year.

Regarding the fan issue: I believe it is a firmware problem, as the fan does not accelerate at all only under Kaby Lake CPUs. Under all tested Skylake CPUs, the processor fan accelerates from 700rpm to up to 3500rpm when it heats up. Only under Kaby Lake does the fan not accelerate and remains at 700rpm. (Until the CPU reaches 97-98 degrees Celsius, then all fans (CPU, PSU, rear) ramp up to 6000rpm and it sounds like an F16 taking off.)

As I said: I have tried it with two Z240-SFF, multiple CPUs, and all three CPU cooler variants and believe that the result is thus significant/valid.

The only thing I actually couldn't test is the rear fan 822327-001 mentioned by you (since I don't have it). Instead, I have long installed a 40mm Noctua-PWM-fan at the case outlet (https://noctua.at/de/products/fan/nf-a4x10-pwm). Do you think this could be the cause of the error? Because as I said, that's the only thing I haven't been able to test so far.

Have a good start to the year, and best regards, Marc

[DGroves]

your 40mm rear case fan has almost no real airflow capacity due to it's size and no air shroud the HP rear case adapter mounts a 50mm in a custom shroud that places the fan away from the rear case wall which  greatly enhances the air flow (BTW the noctua 40mm fans are nice (and 4 pin PWM!) but rather expensive i've used them myself)

try using longer screws/nuts to place your fan around 1in from the case wall and use a 50 or 60mm fan then cover the four sides with just tape or tape cardboard 

as i stated i'm using a v6 cpu not v7 but i doubt that there is a issue with the bios fan control as HP extensively tests workstations to a higher standard than their consumer line and hp tests the system with each and every cpu model they list as available options under all supported OS's

[marcmeyer]

Thank you for your response, DGroves.

I’d be happy to test another Noctua fan, or perhaps even try to get the original rear case fan from HP at a reasonable price.

But do you really think that connecting a different CHF fan would suddenly cause the CPU cooler to accelerate back from 700rpm to 3500rpm? (As it does with all Skylake CPUs, but not with any Kaby Lake CPUs?!)

Have a great weekend!

[toolboy666]

I have also encountered this situation, and it is very nerve-wracking.

[toolboy666]

I also encountered the same problem, the CPU is an E3-1245v6. The fan can't adjust the speed. The original configuration is an i7-6700 CPU. I found a problem: the same generation of CPU can be upgraded and replaced, but 6 generations to 7 generations will not work. I feel that HP should support DIY enthusiasts and listen to more valuable opinions from them, so that HP's BIOS can improve. After all, they are very supportive of HP's products and also praise HP's service. If you can make the BIOS more perfect, it will be the icing on the cake. You can refer to the ASUS and MSI BIOS, where you can adjust the fan with a curve, allowing DIY enthusiasts to adjust it freely.