Controlling Dell XPS 15 9570 Fans in Ubuntu

In this article, we will be discussing how to control the fans on a Dell XPS 15 9570 running Ubuntu. This is a common issue faced by many users and we will be providing a detailed guide on how to tackle this problem.

1. Installing lm_sensors and dell-smm-hwmon

The first step is to install lm_sensors and dell-smm-hwmon. These are tools that can help you monitor and control your system’s hardware.

To install lm_sensors, open your terminal and type the following command:

sudo apt-get install lm-sensors

After installing lm_sensors, you need to detect and configure the sensors by running:

sudo sensors-detect

Next, we need to add dell-smm-hwmon to the modules. This can be done by running the following commands:

sudo su
echo "options dell-smm-hwmon restricted=0 force=1" > /etc/modprobe.d/dell-smm-hwmon.conf
echo "dell-smm-hwmon" > /etc/modules
exit
sudo update-initramfs -u

Here, the restricted=0 option allows the module to be loaded by non-root users, and force=1 forces the module to load even if the system thinks it is unsafe. After running these commands, reboot your system and check if the fans are visible with the sensors command.

2. Installing i8kutils

i8kutils is a utility specifically designed for Dell laptops. It can be used to monitor and control the fans.

To install i8kutils, run:

sudo apt install i8kutils

After installing i8kutils, add i8k to the modules by running:

sudo su
echo "i8k" > /etc/modules
echo "options i8k force=1" > /etc/modprobe.d/i8k.conf
exit

Here, force=1 forces the module to load even if the system thinks it is unsafe. After running these commands, reboot your system. You can then configure i8kutils by editing the configuration file with sudo -H gedit /etc/i8kmon.conf.

The i8kfan command can be used to manually control your fans, but be cautious as it may put your CPU and GPU at risk.

3. Disabling Dell BIOS Fan Control

You can use the program by TomFreudenberg to disable Dell BIOS Fan Control. This will allow i8kutils to take over control of the fans. Run the following commands:

git clone https://github.com/TomFreudenberg/dell-bios-fan-control.git
cd dell-bios-fan-control
make
sudo dell-bios-fan-control 0

Here, 0 disables BIOS control over the fans.

4. Repasting

If none of the above solutions work, consider repasting your CPU and GPU with a high-quality thermal paste. This can improve the cooling efficiency of your system.

Conclusion

Controlling the fans on Dell XPS 15 9570 running Ubuntu can be a bit tricky, but with the right tools and methods, it can be done. Remember to be cautious when manually controlling your fans as it may put your CPU and GPU at risk. If none of these solutions work, it’s possible that Ubuntu may not have full support for controlling the fans on your specific hardware configuration. In such cases, it may be necessary to rely on the default fan control provided by the BIOS.