Your computer's CPU fan plays an essential role in keeping its temperature under control, so its optimal performance should not only be considered but also ensured by lowering its speed to avoid overheating and keeping your PC cool. Overheating can cause lag but by decreasing fan speed you can prevent this and help prevent it. There are various methods you can use to change its speed without altering BIOS; such as software or hardware devices to do it.
First and foremost, to change cpu fan speed without BIOS requires using software tools. Many fan control programs exist today, including MSI Afterburner, HWMonitor, Corsair Link, Argus Monitor Notebook FanControl and SpeedFan to name but a few. These tools monitor computer component temperatures before automatically adjusting fan speeds accordingly based on temperature setting custom alarms to alert when necessary.
Before trying to use software to control the speed of your CPU fan, make sure it is compatible with both your motherboard and PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) technology. PWM allows for variable duty cycle control of fan speed instead of fixed voltage control - an extremely useful feature on modern PCs but may be limited on older systems.
Once the software program has been installed, open it up and navigate to the fans tab. Next, choose either manual or automatic mode before setting a fan speed and clicking "Set". If your system includes more than one CPU fan, repeat these steps for each of them.
Another solution is to access the BIOS and set a new temperature threshold there - typically through either the Monitor or Status submenu (but this will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer).
Set an RPM limit between 1000 to 1200, which will trigger fans when your CPU reaches that temperature threshold. However, this method may not provide accurate monitoring as only when reaching this point will the fan start running - this may not be suitable for everyone.
If you decide to do this, make sure you wear an anti-static wristband or touch something metal, such as the case before and during your investigation. This will prevent static from shorting out components inside your computer. Also keep in mind that every time you restart, BIOS needs to be reentered; although this may be frustrating at first, this is often necessary in order to access CPU fan settings.
