Fan running all the time

[axelat]

I'm still testing some of this, but may be worthwhile to test and do a preset from scratch (do not import from axe fx 3, old backup, etc). I talked to support on a couple issues and some thoughts are that it may be the preset itself. I did a preset from scratch, same blocks, etc, and the fan hasn't kicked back on as of yet. Temps stayed at 93 yesterday with it in my office, mounted to my templeboard with sufficient ventilation. We were actually troubleshooting a different issue altogether, but so far this has been the side effect and as of yet I haven't experienced the other problem on the newly created preset. Yes, this will certainly inconvenience people if you have to recreate presets but hopefully further firmware updates can resolve the underlying issue.

as mentioned above in my case the fan also starts spinning with an nearly empty factory preset using 18% cpu:

"loaded the factory preset 383 "BYPASS" with ~18% cpu "

 

[orion32773]

as mentioned above in my case the fan also starts spinning with an nearly empty factory preset using 18% cpu:

"loaded the factory preset 383 "BYPASS" with ~18% cpu "

Yes, your issue may be different of course, so I'm just adding to this thread for people like myself who have the issue on their own presets. It may be totally unrelated, and only time will tell if the new preset has any affect at all. Yes, I would think the "bypass preset" would be enough to test but I am obsessive and I would still test with my own preset from scratch to rule it out. I could be way off base though....but I got spare time.

 

[axelat]

Answer from fractal support: "Thanks for this report. If the fan is running, the unit is responding to a high temperature. We will look more closely at temperature management, however." :-/

 

[jaza69]

This would void warranty, but one could install a heat sink (19mm x 19mm) on the Shark DSP with 3M thermally conductive double-sided bonding tape . Also heatsinks on DDR3 memory chips. (It depends where the temperature is read from to trigger the fan)

Replacing the 40mm OEM fan with Noctua NF-A4x10 FLX (better airflow, lower noise, longer life) would be an improvement.

Or...maybe your unit needs servicing.

 

[James Nash]

I'm seeing the same behavior: temperature rises to 34 C fairly quickly, and runs for a while with no fan. After an hour or so, it hits 35 C, the fan comes on, and never turns off. The temperature does not drop significantly with the fan on (it never drops to 31 C).

This is indoors, room temp roughly 23 C, FM3 sitting on a desk with unobstructed airflow.

 

[axelat]

I hope Fractal will fix this soon (please!)- these days I have the unit on almost all the time and the fan noise is driving me crazy. It would help to understand what exactly the temperature sensor is measuring - if its the built in shark core sensor than it's clearly a to conservative temp threshold setting in the firmware and can easily be fixed.

 

[Randalljax]

I'm seeing the same behavior: temperature rises to 34 C fairly quickly, and runs for a while with no fan. After an hour or so, it hits 35 C, the fan comes on, and never turns off. The temperature does not drop significantly with the fan on (it never drops to 31 C).

This is indoors, room temp roughly 23 C, FM3 sitting on a desk with unobstructed airflow.

is this new headphone or original non headphone units ??

 

[axelat]

the non headphone version

 

[James Nash]

is this new headphone or original non headphone units ??

Mine is the original non headphone as well.

 

[Brandon7s]

My FM3's fan is on almost all the time as well; it's really annoying. Seems to happen after about 15 to 20 minutes after I turn it on regardless of preset and CPU usage. If I turn it off and then back on then it stays off for a little while and then comes right back on. Mine is not the headphone version, either.

 

[teddis]

Mine non HP , early production, has only ever come on during Bootup test.
Wonder why some run on ?

 

[jaza69]

Mine non HP , early production, has only ever come on during Bootup test.
Wonder why some run on ?

To test yours, Have it on for at least a couple of hours. Mine (HP) took over an hour for the fan to kick in, sitting on first factory Preset. Room temperature was approx. 23C.

 

[James Nash]

To test yours, Have it on for at least a couple of hours. Mine (HP) took over an hour for the fan to kick in, sitting on first factory Preset. Room temperature was approx. 23C.

Same. In a 23C room, my fan stays off if CPU is low. My main preset is about 60% CPU, and the FM3 will run for over an hour before the fan comes on.

 

[teddis]

To test yours, Have it on for at least a couple of hours. Mine (HP) took over an hour for the fan to kick in, sitting on first factory Preset. Room temperature was approx. 23C.

Jaza69, I am simulating your instructions now.....will report back later. Is 59 Bassguy factory number 1 ? I have overwritten those locations.
thanks

 

[nota]

This would void warranty, but one could install a heat sink (19mm x 19mm) on the Shark DSP with 3M thermally conductive double-sided bonding tape . Also heatsinks on DDR3 memory chips. (It depends where the temperature is read from to trigger the fan)

Replacing the 40mm OEM fan with Noctua NF-A4x10 FLX (better airflow, lower noise, longer life) would be an improvement.

Back in the day I replaced the fans in the AxeFx and then the Ultra when I owned that. It was cheap, about $10 for the fan, and pretty much a drop in replacement, and made it dead quiet. Couldn't hear the fans running even inches away.

What I don't understand is that with such an easy way to reduce noise, why FAS would not upgrade their fans to a quieter version. The stock fans were annoyingly loud in a quiet room, and such an easy upgrade. Airflow was not an issue because the new fan could easily push as much air.

 

[teddis]

Over 2 hours now...no FAN operation. All good
Room Temp 20C
FM3 30C
CPU 75%

EDIT, now switched REV to NORMAL, CPU now 81.4. Will et it run......
EDIT no fan, FM3 temp 87F, all good.

dunno man....I cant replicate that.

 

[camilovelandiamusic]

I'm having the same problem. I literally have the Ax8, the Axe FX 2, the Axe FX 3, and the FM3 on, all next to each other, and the only one with an audible fan is the FM3. Louder than even my Axe FX 3 after long, long hours. I'd say my room is less than 75 degrees. I also can't get it to work with the FM3 Edit. Keeps getting a time out. I'm on the latest firmware of the FM3, and the latest version of the FM Edit. The unit actually froze on me and I had to restart it. Any ideas?

EDIT, the cable for the editor is the same cable that I use for the AX8 edit, Axe FX 2 Edit, Axe FX 3 edit. Works perfectly with all of them.

 

[camilovelandiamusic]

Checked temperature, says 34 C. Uptime 17 minutes. Room is definitely on the cooler room temperature side.

 

[Jarick]

Weird, i barely notice the fan noise on the FM3. It’s way quieter than the axe 3 was.

 

[bishop5150]

Checked mine yesterday. Startup was 89 degrees after running for about 2 hrs it was 91 degrees. I don't think I've ever heard the fan on in the unit. I didn't think to check it at my show over the weekend.