We recently looked at different profiles in AMD Software, and today we’ll dive deeper into adjusting the fan control settings in more detail. First, we’ll test how fan performance affects the card’s behavior across the entire working range of fan speeds. Then we’ll focus on how fan control behavior differs between automatic and manual fan-speed settings, and on how to set the fan-control curve settings for the card.
Default settings vs. custom, adjusted fan curve (70% performance at 100 °C)
Compared to the previous chapter (image on the left), we can now only reduce the fan performance at 95 °C. But the hotspot will still reach between 95 and 100 °C, and the only way to keep the fan performance lower is to not let it reach 100% performance at 100 °C. So, in the image on the left, I limited the fan performance at 95 °C to 35% and at 100 °C to 70%. Even with this setting, however, it’s not possible to get the fan speeds down to the level of the default setting. And we have a second problem—even if the GPU temperature reaches 110 °C, the control won’t let the fan performance go above 70%, and with a hotspot at 110 °C, the overheat protection might activate and the computer could shut down.
We will compare the values below again with the default control setting.
Cyberpunk 2077, BIOS Quiet, default settings vs. custom fan curve (70% performance at 100 °C)
The first performance test was conducted using the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark with RT Medium settings at the native resolution of 3840 × 2160. It consists of eight consecutive runs, with average values taken from the final run.
You should see the results in the interactive graphs, which switch when you hover over them. If they don’t work, the same graphs are available below as clickable thumbnails that open in a lightbox.
The first two graphs with performance and clocks again don’t differ significantly.
Default settings | Custom fan curve
Default settings | Custom fan curve
The temperatures are now similar, but with the custom curve, they are still slightly lower because the fans are running faster.
Default settings | Custom fan curve
The fans still reach higher speeds than in the default setting. And you can probably only get them lower by further reducing the fan performance at the “maximum” 100 °C.
Default settings | Custom fan curve
Default settings | Custom fan curve
F1 24, BIOS Quiet, default settings vs. custom curve (70% performance at 100 °C)
The next tests are from the F1 24 benchmark at 3840 × 2160 resolution with Ultra settings. This is a benchmark with five laps on the Singapore map in the wet. Unlike other benchmarks, this is a sustained load; there is no drop in load between test loops, and the card remains heated the entire time.
The differences are similar—with the custom curve, the card quickly spins the fans up to practically maximum speed.
Default settings | Custom fan curve
Default settings | Custom fan curve
Default settings | Custom fan curve
Default settings | Custom fan curve
Default settings | Custom fan curve
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