PC fan running extremely loud when I start Steam client

[KPotts]

I have an Alienware Aurora R8 and this just started about 2 weeks ago, just now figured out that it's the Steam client causing this fan to do this. It quits as soon as I close the Steam client. Anyone else having this problem, know of a fix?

[Cheezus Crisp]

Could just be downloads running in the back which uses has a pretty high CPU and drive usage which causes your fan to ramp up.

[KPotts]

No downloads running in the background

[KPotts]

I've seen this problem posted here before, but the last post I found about it was from 2017

[Jack Schitt]

A fix? It depends why they're being loud. Are the blades hitting something? It doing it when you run the steam client is just coincidence. A fan runs when it needs to run. If it's the blades hitting something you might be able to bend them slightly so they stop hitting stuff. Other than that there really isn't much anyone can do about fan noise other than replace the fan(s) with quieter ones. That computer model is known for having loud fans. It's because of the fans the manufacturer chose to put in it...they're loud.

[KPotts]

It's not a coincidence. Posts from 2017 stated the same problem with Alienware PC's and their Command Center software. As soon as I start the Steam client the fan goes full speed, soon as I stop the Steam client, the fan goes quiet. I've uninstalled Alienware Command Center and it's no longer doing this. I've had the PC for 5 months and it's never done this until about 2 weeks ago, must have been an update to the Command Center software or the Steam Client.

[Jack Schitt]

Ok. I don't have one and haven't ever worked on that specific model.

Originally posted by KPotts:

I've uninstalled Alienware Command Center and it's no longer doing this.

Fixed then? Or has it started doing it again without command center?
I'd just replace the honky loud fan(s). It's not a good idea to stop fans from running...let them run as they want to. They have good reason for being there and running.

[KPotts]

I'm not stopping the fan from running, uninstalling Command Center has stopped the fan from running very loud. I'm not replacing something that isn't broken and more than likely will do the exact same thing, at least it's not a hardware problem, it's a software problem between Command Center and the Steam client.

[Jack Schitt]

Some fans are louder than others. Extremely quiet ones exist. Alienware chose to put loud ones in that model. There are lots of reviews with that as a con for that specific machine.
Sometimes those exclusive software suites like that Command Center are useful. I guess there wasn't a way to make it not stomp on the fan speed accelerator?

[KPotts]

The fans in this model are extremely quiet, other than this I’ve never noticed them before

[cannon.rob]

Did you ever happen to come across a solution that lets you keep Command Center installed but open Steam without making the fans run at full speed?

[KPotts]

It's not doing it now, I think it's because of an update to Command Center or the Steam client. I've been re installing Command Center every so often to see if it was still happening and probably about 6 months or so ago I quit having the fans going full blast when I would open the Steam client.

[Jorge Martinez]

I have an Alienware M15 Ryzen Edition R5 and with the same issue, the Steam client is causing the fans to go extremely loud. When I close the steam client the fans are silent. I notice in the settings of the Alienware Command Center, under Profiles, the Thermal Profiles were setup to Full Speed. I did change this setting to Balanced and the fan issue seems to be resolved. Now every time I open the Steam client the fans are not noisy.