Replacing a laptop fan

[75cent bleacher seat]

The fan in my laptop has stopped working... watching a video on replacing it suggests it is pretty straightforward....any suggestions caveats?
 
It's a Compaq cq70-120us about 6years old. The core temps are currently @ 82f & 88f which is fairly safe (?) however the temps have risen as high as 175f...not sure as to why though...perhaps a program running in the background?
 
Any thoughts on the use of the add-on cooling pads?
 
thanks in advance

 

[Couperin47]

The fan in my laptop has stopped working... watching a video on replacing it suggests it is pretty straightforward....any suggestions caveats?
 
It's a Compaq cq70-120us about 6years old. The core temps are currently @ 82f & 88f which is fairly safe (?) however the temps have risen as high as 175f...not sure as to why though...perhaps a program running in the background?
 
Any thoughts on the use of the add-on cooling pads?
 
thanks in advance

 
1. A majority of the time, the fan hasn't failed, it's so blocked up by dust and crap it's jammed. Unfortunately continuing to operate it while jammed will often finally burn it out.
2. Obviously make sure replacement parts are available, if not from HP (unlikely on a 6 yr old) or from parts or parts machines of the same series at ebay.
3. removal to clean should include removing the heatsink/fan assembly from the cpu, cleaning the mating surfaces of both and applying new thermal compound. A small syringe of Arctic Silver 5 (one of the best) will run you under $10. Cleaning old compound is particularly easy as a 2 step process: First dampen a lint free rag with WD40 or similar solvent, this will cut through even the most hardened compound quickly. Second, remove all residue with cloth dampened with plain isopropyl alcohol, the 91% stuff is preferred.
 
Obviously on a 6 yr old laptop, investing any substantial amount to repair is a silly idea.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Before pulling apart the fan assembly, just get far enough to use a can of compressed air to blow out the fan and see if that does the trick.  The more you take apart, the more difficult putting it all back together gets, and the greater the chances of you mess something up are.  If it's just some dust collected in the fan, blowing it out should do the trick.  Just don't shake the can before spraying and keep it level while in use.  After cracking the shell, you should be able to get at the fan after removing the DVD drive and lifting the keyboard out.  Getting to the processor is usually much more involved.
 
My laptop is also 6 years old and I started having some performance issues with it for this very reason.  It's been running great since.

 

[Al Zarilla]

The fan in my laptop has stopped working... watching a video on replacing it suggests it is pretty straightforward....any suggestions caveats?
 
It's a Compaq cq70-120us about 6years old. The core temps are currently @ 82f & 88f which is fairly safe (?) however the temps have risen as high as 175f...not sure as to why though...perhaps a program running in the background?
 
Any thoughts on the use of the add-on cooling pads?
 
thanks in advance

Excruciating experience with an HP G62-144DX, but it came out OK. That HP may be an old Compaq design (HP bought Compaq). http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82148-do-i-need-a-pc/?p=5289977
 
Good luck.

 

[75cent bleacher seat]

Before pulling apart the fan assembly, just get far enough to use a can of compressed air to blow out the fan and see if that does the trick.  The more you take apart, the more difficult putting it all back together gets, and the greater the chances of you mess something up are.  If it's just some dust collected in the fan, blowing it out should do the trick.  Just don't shake the can before spraying and keep it level while in use.  After cracking the shell, you should be able to get at the fan after removing the DVD drive and lifting the keyboard out.  Getting to the processor is usually much more involved.
 
My laptop is also 6 years old and I started having some performance issues with it for this very reason.  It's been running great since.

 
Creating more problems is my primary concern, I started to take it apart and found putting this back together may be an issue...I found a guy who will replace the fan for $75 including the cost of the fan.  It's worth the money to avoid the aggravation.  Thanks for the replies.

 

[Al Zarilla]

 
Creating more problems is my primary concern, I started to take it apart and found putting this back together may be an issue...I found a guy who will replace the fan for $75 including the cost of the fan.  It's worth the money to avoid the aggravation.  Thanks for the replies.

That sounds pretty cheap. While in there, he should also redo the heat sink to processor thermal compound (very simple process). While I did get some small dust balls out of the fan in mine, the main problem seemed to be that the thermal compound had just about disappeared. Googling it, quite a few people say that HP and other mfrs. may use a lousy thermal compound. 

 

[Couperin47]

That sounds pretty cheap. While in there, he should also redo the heat sink to processor thermal compound (very simple process). While I did get some small dust balls out of the fan in mine, the main problem seemed to be that the thermal compound had just about disappeared. Googling it, quite a few people say that HP and other mfrs. may use a lousy thermal compound. 

 
They use cheap common stuff, it's perfectly OK for 'normal use' that is, no overclocking where you might be fighting for the last 10-15% in performance and, in fact, the generic stuff is fine for 4-5 years, only the best premium compounds have a chance of being really effective after 6 years... you're exceeding the practical lifespan they design laptops for ...

 

[75cent bleacher seat]

I was quoted $120 for labor(2hours) plus parts which seemed excessive.  I shopped and found a guy who works out of his home who will do the job for $75 including the fan and redoing the heat sink (< thanks for pointing this out) if necessary.
 
Eventually I will need to replace this laptop which has:.

• Processor Intel Pentium T3200 / 2.0 GHz ( Dual-Core )
• RAM installed size 3.0 GB
• Hard Drive 250.0 GB - 5400.0 rpm

I have this fixation of needing a processor with a speed of 2.3 or greater to meet the requirements of MLBtv.... However, I no longer stream via this laptop so the 2.3 requirment no longer applies.  My basic use is surfing the net, Outlook, etc. Will a laptop with say a 1.5GHz processor suffice.  Any suggestions are appreciated.  Thanks again.

 

[Couperin47]

I was quoted $120 for labor(2hours) plus parts which seemed excessive.  I shopped and found a guy who works out of his home who will do the job for $75 including the fan and redoing the heat sink (< thanks for pointing this out) if necessary.
 
Eventually I will need to replace this laptop which has:.

• Processor Intel Pentium T3200 / 2.0 GHz ( Dual-Core )
• RAM installed size 3.0 GB
• Hard Drive 250.0 GB - 5400.0 rpm

I have this fixation of needing a processor with a speed of 2.3 or greater to meet the requirements of MLBtv.... However, I no longer stream via this laptop so the 2.3 requirment no longer applies.  My basic use is surfing the net, Outlook, etc. Will a laptop with say a 1.5GHz processor suffice.  Any suggestions are appreciated.  Thanks again.

 
A dual core Intel Pentium running @ at least 2.0Ghz is a reasonably modern laptop. beware of ANY AMD based cpu, even if it claims 3 or 4 cores, the capability of each core is seriously lower and there are tons of AMD based laptops offered for dirt cheap prices, for a good reason. "Surfing the Net" covers a multitude of sins, there is no question you can easily acquire a 'new' laptop cheap enough to be a slug at even some common tasks. Since you can acquire a laptop with high end i3 or even i5 cpu without spending over $450 if you shop carefully...why would one want to live with a real slug for years just to save a hundred bucks ?

 

[75cent bleacher seat]

I had the fan replaced today while I waited, doing so required a complete dis-assembly, took about 65 minutes. He also added some thermal compound as needed.  The fan itself had failed. Thanks again for the replies.