Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

okbzl · 2025-10-10 23:25:33

So I'm trying to setup fan control on my new ThinkPad E14. So here's what I did:
1. Using lm_sensors
So I followed the guide for lm_sensors on the wiki, and here's my sensors output:

iwlwifi_1-virtual-0
Adapter: Virtual device
temp1:        +41.0°C  

spd5118-i2c-14-50
Adapter: SMBus I801 adapter at 0000:00:1f.4
temp1:        +44.2°C  (low  =  +0.0°C, high = +55.0°C)
                       (crit low =  +0.0°C, crit = +85.0°C)

ucsi_source_psy_USBC000:002-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
in0:           0.00 V  (min =  +0.00 V, max =  +0.00 V)
curr1:         0.00 A  (max =  +0.10 A)

nvme-pci-0400
Adapter: PCI adapter
Composite:    +40.9°C  (low  = -273.1°C, high = +82.8°C)
                       (crit = +84.8°C)
Sensor 1:     +37.9°C  (low  = -273.1°C, high = +65261.8°C)
Sensor 2:     +40.9°C  (low  = -273.1°C, high = +65261.8°C)

acpitz-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
temp1:        +50.0°C  

ucsi_source_psy_USBC000:001-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
in0:           5.00 V  (min =  +5.00 V, max =  +5.00 V)
curr1:         0.00 A  (max =  +0.10 A)

coretemp-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
Package id 0:  +54.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 0:        +56.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 4:        +52.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 8:        +52.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 9:        +52.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 10:       +52.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 11:       +50.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 12:       +52.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 13:       +52.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 14:       +52.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 15:       +54.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 16:       +52.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 20:       +54.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 24:       +52.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 28:       +54.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 32:       +48.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 33:       +48.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)

BAT0-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
in0:          13.21 V  
power1:        0.00 W  

acpi_fan-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
fan1:           0 RPM

Seeing that my fan output is 0 RPM, I also followed the "Increase the fan divisor for sensors" part, and here's my /etc/sensors.d/fan-speed-control.conf

chip "coretemp-isa-0000"
set fan1_div 4

which when use sensors -s, outputs

Error: File /etc/sensors.d/fan-speed-control.conf, line 2: Unknown feature name
coretemp-isa-0000: No such subfeature known

2. Using thinkfan
So I followed the thinkfan guide on the wiki. Everything was going well until when I cat /proc/acpi/ibm/fan, which doesn't exist for some reason

So what should I do now? pls help me

seth · 2025-10-11 08:07:01

The wiki wrote:

Some systems have /proc/acpi/ibm/fan and /proc/acpi/ibm/thermal available; on others, you will need to specify something like:
hwmon: /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp
to use generic hwmon sensors instead of thinkpad-specific ones.

okbzl · 2025-10-13 05:16:32

seth wrote:

The wiki wrote:
Some systems have /proc/acpi/ibm/fan and /proc/acpi/ibm/thermal available; on others, you will need to specify something like:
hwmon: /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp
to use generic hwmon sensors instead of thinkpad-specific ones.

Can you give me an example config with the generic hwmon? I just want to be extra careful so that I don't accidentally overheat anything

seth · 2025-10-13 08:57:44

There's a link to a sample in the gentoo wiki in the arch wiki section, also you first need to figure the proper node.
https://thinkwiki.de/Thinkfan#Keine_Fun … n_Modellen (German, but the commands are highlighted and google translate can probably cover the rest)

In order to prevent overheating (what realistically will just result in the CPU stepping down and ultimately an emergency shutdown) *manually* make small adjustments first to see whether and what impact it has.

okbzl · 2025-10-13 12:59:48

/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp26_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp6_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp13_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp17_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp10_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp30_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp14_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp34_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp18_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp11_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp1_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp15_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp35_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp12_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp22_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp2_input
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/temp16_input
/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:06.2/0000:04:00.0/nvme/nvme0/hwmon4/temp3_input
/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:06.2/0000:04:00.0/nvme/nvme0/hwmon4/temp1_input
/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:06.2/0000:04:00.0/nvme/nvme0/hwmon4/temp2_input
/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.4/i2c-15/15-0050/hwmon/hwmon6/temp1_input
/sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0/hwmon2/temp1_input
/sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone9/hwmon8/temp1_input

so i just test out every module listed here?

seth · 2025-10-13 13:24:34

coretemp.0 is your CPU nvme0 your SSD and the wiki suggests to respond to the thermal zone temperature - it largely depends on what which(?) fan is actually managing.
Individual core temperatures can swing wildly and fast, the two thermal zones are likely

Sensor 1:     +37.9°C  (low  = -273.1°C, high = +65261.8°C)
Sensor 2:     +40.9°C  (low  = -273.1°C, high = +65261.8°C)

and probably what you want to keep under general control?

okbzl · 2025-10-13 13:40:13

So decided so just put something in the sensors part for now. How about the fans, hwmon output doesn't have anything that I can see is easily identifiable as a fan

okbzl · 2025-10-13 13:49:46

oh wait

ERROR: hwmon sensor driver: Could not find an `hwmon*' directory or `temp*_input' file in /sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7//device/hwmon/hwmon7/device.

i did not add the last dot btw

Last edited by okbzl (2025-10-13 13:50:08)

okbzl · 2025-10-13 14:06:15

so when i enter /sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0, it somehow redirect itself to /sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/device/hwmon
/sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon to /sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon7/device/hwmon/hwmon7

seth · 2025-10-13 14:39:51

acpi_fan-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
fan1:           0 RPM

It's gonna be one of the cooling_device's

Have you tried

hwmon: /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp

(you have that path)

okbzl · 2025-10-14 15:41:12

seth wrote:

acpi_fan-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
fan1:           0 RPM
It's gonna be one of the cooling_device's
Have you tried
hwmon: /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp
(you have that path)

No dice

ERROR: hwmon sensor driver: Could not find an `hwmon*' directory or `temp*_input' file in /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0/hwmon2/device/hwmon2/device.

seth · 2025-10-14 20:06:18

Why would it look at …/thermal_zone0/hwmon2/device/hwmon2/device instead of just …/thermal_zone0 ?
Post the config you have there.

okbzl · 2025-10-14 22:44:31

thinkfan -n

ERROR: hwmon sensor driver: Could not find an `hwmon*' directory or `temp*_input' file in /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0/hwmon2/device/hwmon2/device.

thinkfan.conf

sensors:
  - hwmon: /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0
    indices: [0]

fans:
  - tpacpi: /proc/acpi/ibm/fan

levels:
  - [0, 0,  41]
  - [1, 38, 51]
  - [2, 45, 56]
  - [3, 51, 61]
  - [4, 55, 64]
  - [5, 60, 66]
  - [6, 63, 68]
  - [7, 65, 74]
  - [127, 70, 32767]

ls sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0

? available_policies   hwmon2           ? k_d  ? k_po  ? mode    ? policy  ? slope      ? sustainable_power  ? trip_point_0_hyst  ? trip_point_0_type  ? trip_point_1_temp  ? type
 device              ? integral_cutoff  ? k_i  ? k_pu  ? offset   power    subsystem  ? temp               ? trip_point_0_temp  ? trip_point_1_hyst  ? trip_point_1_type  ? uevent

seth · Yesterday 07:56:16

https://manpages.debian.org/unstable/th … hwmon-path
Try

- hwmon: /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp

and remove "indices: [0]"
You have the hwmon2 entry (and it's likely index 0, but that runs you into an infinite recursion)

"/proc/acpi/ibm/fan" will likely still not work?

okbzl · Yesterday 12:43:13

So it works(?) now. Now this

ERROR: lookup: Initializing fan control in /proc/acpi/ibm/fan: No such file or directory

seth · Yesterday 13:23:49

seth wrote:

"/proc/acpi/ibm/fan" will likely still not work?

seth wrote:

It's gonna be one of the cooling_devices

okbzl · Yesterday 15:31:19

ok so i have no idea what to put here. any idea what file i must put?
ls /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/cooling_device0/

? cur_state   device  ? max_state   power   subsystem  ? type  ? uevent

okbzl · Yesterday 15:33:41

and in case you ask what it says now

thinkfan -n

ERROR: init: Initializing fan control in /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/cooling_device0: No such file or directory

seth · Yesterday 19:57:51

sanity check

systool -vm thinkpad_acpi

Arch Linux

#1 2025-10-10 23:25:33

Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#2 2025-10-11 08:07:01

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#3 2025-10-13 05:16:32

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#4 2025-10-13 08:57:44

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#5 2025-10-13 12:59:48

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#6 2025-10-13 13:24:34

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#7 2025-10-13 13:40:13

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#8 2025-10-13 13:49:46

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#9 2025-10-13 14:06:15

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#10 2025-10-13 14:39:51

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#11 2025-10-14 15:41:12

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#12 2025-10-14 20:06:18

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#13 2025-10-14 22:44:31

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#14 Yesterday 07:56:16

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#15 Yesterday 12:43:13

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#16 Yesterday 13:23:49

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#17 Yesterday 15:31:19

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#18 Yesterday 15:33:41

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

#19 Yesterday 19:57:51

Re: Need help with setting up fan control for a ThinkPad E14 Intel Gen 7

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