Fan control and CPU power management for Acer Predator notebooks on Linux. Built on top of nekro-sense (kernel module for Acer WMI hardware access).
Fan Aggressor is not a traditional fan controller that replaces your fan curve with fixed speeds. Instead, it works on top of the manufacturer's automatic fan curve.
Think of it like this: your laptop already knows how to manage its fans — it ramps them up when things get hot and slows them down when they cool off. Fan Aggressor doesn't interfere with that intelligence. What it does is give the fans a standing instruction: "when the CPU hits 70°C, take whatever speed you're already running at and add 25% more."
The key difference:
- Traditional fan control: "Run at 3000 RPM." (ignores what the system thinks)
- Fan Aggressor: "Whatever speed you'd normally be at, push 25% harder." (respects and amplifies the system's own decisions)
When the temperature drops back below the threshold, Fan Aggressor steps aside completely and lets the manufacturer's curve run untouched. The result is a fan behavior that still feels natural — it just reacts more aggressively (or more gently, with a negative offset) within the temperature range you define.
Real-time monitoring with hybrid fan control active
Automatically installs everything: nekro-sense (kernel module), Fan Aggressor (CLI + daemon), and the graphical interface.
git clone https://github.com/fredac100/fan-control.git && cd fan-control && sudo bash setup.shOr if you already have the repository cloned:
cd fan-control
sudo bash setup.shThis installs and configures:
- nekro-sense — Kernel module for hardware communication
- fan_aggressor — CLI and fan control daemon
- epp_override — EPP correction for the Predator button
- Graphical interface — GTK4/Libadwaita with application menu icon
- systemd services — Everything enabled and running automatically
Search for "Fan Aggressor" in your application menu or run:
fan-aggressor-guifan_aggressor status # Show status, temperatures and speeds
fan_aggressor set both +15 # Adjust fan offset (+15%)
fan_aggressor set cpu +20 # Set CPU and GPU independently
fan_aggressor set gpu +10
fan_aggressor enable # Enable fan control
fan_aggressor disable # Disable (returns to automatic)journalctl -u fan-aggressor -f- Two-column layout: Fans (left) + CPU Power (right)
- Real-time status: temperatures, RPM, boost status
- Sliders for offset, toggles for enable/hybrid mode
- 5 Power Profiles with one click
- Single authentication — prompts for password only once per session
- Hybrid Mode — Captures manufacturer's fan curve, adds offset only when needed
- Configurable offset — CPU and GPU independent (-100% to +100%)
- Custom thresholds — Control when boost activates/deactivates
- Automatic daemon — Continuously monitors temperature and adjusts fans
- Governor —
powersaveorperformance - Intel Turbo Boost — ON/OFF
- EPP — 5 energy efficiency levels
- TDP Sustentado (PL1) — Sustained power limit via Intel RAPL (15–200W)
- TDP Burst (PL2) — Short-term burst power limit via Intel RAPL (20–250W)
- Max Frequency — Per-core scaling limit (800–5500 MHz)
- EPP Override — Corrects physical Predator button mapping
| Profile | Governor | Turbo | EPP | PL1 | PL2 | Max Freq | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Sleep | powersave | OFF | power | 15W | 20W | 2000 MHz | Extreme battery saving |
| Stealth Mode | powersave | OFF | power | 25W | 35W | 3200 MHz | Silent operation |
| Cruise Control | powersave | ON | balance_power | 45W | 65W | 4400 MHz | Daily use |
| Boost Drive | powersave | ON | balance_performance | 65W | 100W | 5300 MHz | Productivity |
| Nitro Overdrive | performance | ON | performance | 125W | 157W | 5500 MHz | Gaming |
Deep Sleep vs Stealth Mode: both disable turbo and use maximum power saving, but Deep Sleep also forces the
low-powerplatform profile, which may further reduce hardware clocks and fan activity at the firmware level. Deep Sleep additionally caps TDP to 15W — ideal for reading or writing on battery.
TDP controls use Intel RAPL (Running Average Power Limit) via
/sys/class/powercap. PL1 sets the sustained power budget; PL2 allows short bursts above PL1. The GUI enforces PL2 ≥ PL1 automatically.
- System stays in AUTO mode while temperature is low (< threshold)
- When the engage threshold is reached (default: 70°C), captures a snapshot of current RPM
- Applies manufacturer's curve + configured offset
- When temperature drops below the disengage threshold (default: 65°C), returns to AUTO
The system does not replace the manufacturer's fan curve — it only adds the offset on top of it.
File: /etc/fan-aggressor/config.json
{
"cpu_fan_offset": 0,
"gpu_fan_offset": 0,
"enabled": true,
"poll_interval": 1.0,
"hybrid_mode": true,
"temp_threshold_engage": 70,
"temp_threshold_disengage": 65,
"cpu_governor": "powersave",
"cpu_turbo_enabled": true,
"cpu_epp": "balance_performance",
"cpu_rapl_pl1_w": null,
"cpu_rapl_pl2_w": null,
"cpu_max_freq_mhz": null
}The daemon automatically reloads the config — no need to restart the service.
| Parameter | Description | Range/Values |
|---|---|---|
cpu_fan_offset |
CPU offset | -100 to +100 |
gpu_fan_offset |
GPU offset | -100 to +100 |
enabled |
Enable control | true/false |
hybrid_mode |
Use thresholds | true/false |
temp_threshold_engage |
Temperature to activate boost | °C (default: 70) |
temp_threshold_disengage |
Temperature to return to auto | °C (default: 65) |
cpu_governor |
CPU governor | powersave, performance |
cpu_turbo_enabled |
Turbo Boost | true/false |
cpu_epp |
Energy Performance Preference | power, balance_power, balance_performance, performance |
cpu_rapl_pl1_w |
Sustained TDP (PL1) | 15–200 W (null = hardware default) |
cpu_rapl_pl2_w |
Burst TDP (PL2) | 20–250 W (null = hardware default) |
cpu_max_freq_mhz |
Maximum CPU frequency | 800–5500 MHz (null = hardware default) |
Gaming — Nitro Overdrive profile + offset +20% to +30%:
fan_aggressor set both +25Silent work — Stealth Mode profile + offset 0%:
fan_aggressor set both 0Daily use — Cruise Control profile + offset +10% to +15%:
fan_aggressor set both +10If you prefer to install manually instead of the automated script:
git clone https://github.com/fredac100/nekro-sense.git
cd nekro-sense
make
sudo make install
sudo modprobe nekro_sensegit clone https://github.com/fredac100/fan-control.git
cd fan-control
sudo ./install.shsudo apt install libgtk-4-1 libadwaita-1-0 python3-gi python3-gi-cairo gir1.2-gtk-4.0 gir1.2-adw-1
install.shalready enables and starts all services, installs the application menu icon, and configures everything.
lsmod | grep nekro # Is nekro-sense loaded?
systemctl status fan-aggressor # Is the daemon running?
journalctl -u fan-aggressor | grep nekroctl # Is nekroctl found?Update to the latest version:
cd fan-control && git pull
sudo ./install.shUse governor powersave — with performance, EPP is managed by the driver.
cat /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon*/name # Should show "acer" or "coretemp"sudo ./uninstall.shOr manually:
sudo systemctl stop fan-aggressor epp-override
sudo systemctl disable fan-aggressor epp-override
sudo rm /etc/systemd/system/fan-aggressor.service /etc/systemd/system/epp-override.service
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/fan_aggressor /usr/local/bin/fan-aggressor-gui /usr/local/bin/epp_override
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/lib/fan-aggressor /etc/fan-aggressor
sudo rm /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/com.fancontrol.aggressor.policy
rm ~/.local/share/applications/fan-aggressor.desktop
sudo systemctl daemon-reloadfan-aggressor-gui (GTK4) ──► fan-aggressor-helper (pkexec) ──┐
│
fan_aggressor (CLI) ──► fan_aggressor.py (daemon) ───► cpu_power.py
│ │
▼ ▼
nekroctl.py sysfs (cpufreq)
│
▼
nekro-sense (kernel module)
│
▼
Hardware (WMI)
- OS: Linux with kernel 5.x+ (tested on Ubuntu 24.04+)
- CPU: Intel (for Turbo Boost and EPP via
intel_pstate) - Python: 3.8+
- Hardware: Requires nekro-sense kernel module
Developed and tested on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (PHN16-72). May work on other Acer Predator models supported by nekro-sense — if you get it running on a different model, PRs and reports are welcome.
MIT