Guide to Control Fan Speed on Windows PCs

3 ways to control fan speed on Windows 11

There are a few different ways to control fan speed on Windows 11, and the right one depends on the computer you’re using. Some PCs include built-in software from the manufacturer, while others work better with a third-party app or changes made directly in the BIOS.

If one method doesn’t give you the level of control you’re looking for, don’t worry, you can always try another. 

Option 1: Your manufacturer’s software (the easy route)

If you’re on a brand-name laptop or prebuilt, this is your fastest path, and there’s a good chance the tool is already sitting on your PC, since most manufacturers preinstall it. Just open it, find the Thermal or Performance tab (each brand calls it something a little different, but the result is basically the same), and pick a preset like Quiet, Balanced, or Performance.

Quiet mode keeps the fans lower under lighter workloads, which helps with noise but may reduce performance if your laptop starts getting warm. Performance lets the fans get as loud as they need to, so your hardware can run at full power without overheating. Balanced just sits in the middle and reacts to whatever you’re doing, which is the right call for most everyday use. Every brand names these a little differently, but that’s the idea behind all of them.

• Dell: Dell Power Manager, MyDell, or Alienware Command Center for G-Series
• Lenovo: Lenovo Vantage
• HP: Try OMEN Gaming Hub for gaming laptops. For many Envy, Spectre, Pavilion, and regular HP models, look for HP Command Center or the newer myHP app under System Control.

None of these need to be downloaded from scratch in most cases, they usually come with the machine. If yours somehow doesn’t have it, it’s a free download straight from the manufacturer’s site.

Option 2: Fan Control (free, and popular with PC builders)

If you built your own PC, or your manufacturer’s tool doesn’t give you enough control, Fan Control (you can also get it through Github) is a free, lightweight program worth downloading.

We used to point people to SpeedFan for this, but we don’t anymore as it’s an older program that often fails to detect sensors on newer motherboards. Fan Control basically picks up where SpeedFan left off, with better compatibility on newer hardware and a cleaner interface.

Once installed, it automatically detects your fans and lets you build a custom curve visually, like telling it “at 50°C run the fan at 40%, at 75°C run it at 80%”.

🖥️ Pro tip: keep your CPU under 85°C and your GPU under 80°C under load. If you’re consistently seeing higher than that, the fix is probably hardware, not software.

Option 3: The BIOS (set it once and forget it)

No extra software needed here. All you need to do is: 

• Restart your PC and press F2, Del, or F10 before Windows loads, to enter the BIOS
• Look for a tab called Hardware Monitor, Cooling, or Fan Info
• Set the profile to Silent or Performance
• Save and restart

Menus vary by motherboard brand, so if yours looks different, your manual will have the exact names for your board.

When should you adjust your fan speed?

Adjusting fan speed isn’t something to fiddle with constantly. Set it once and let it run.

🟩 Good times to lower them: light work like browsing, writing, or watching videos, where the fan is spinning loud for no real reason.

🟦 Good times to raise them: before launching a game, exporting a video, or starting another demanding task so your system stays cool from the beginning.

🟥 Never lower or turn off your fans during heavy tasks. If you’re rendering, editing video, or running something CPU-intensive and the fan gets loud, let it work. That noise means the system is protecting your components from overheating. Cutting it off mid-task can freeze your PC, tank your performance, or trigger a blue screen, and you’ll lose whatever progress you had.

Final thoughts

Most people won’t need to adjust their fan settings very often. Once you’ve found a profile that works well for your PC, you can usually leave it alone and let it handle the rest.

If your fans are constantly running at full speed while your PC is idle, though, changing the fan curve probably won’t solve the problem. Dust buildup is the most common culprit, especially if your computer sits on the floor or you have pets. A quick cleaning with compressed air every few months can often help.

If you’re wondering how fast your computer is, running a quick performance test can help you determine if the issue goes beyond your cooling system and identify what’s slowing your PC down.

If temperatures stay high even after cleaning, worn thermal paste or aging cooling hardware may be to blame. And if you’d rather not troubleshoot it yourself, Geeks on Site can help diagnose the problem and get your cooling system running properly again.

💡 Related reading: If your computer has also been feeling sluggish, check out our guide on why your computer is running slow.

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