Drill holes to help reduce fan noise?

So I was looking into how to make my Acer 1830T less noisy. Besides sending it to Acer and being without a computer for 2 weeks (can't do thanks to school), I was thinking of drilling some holes under the fan.I have seen on other sites that people have lowered temps and I was hoping this would reduce the computers noise overall (because the 1 fan this computer has really makes me want to get rid of it). So, does this sound like it might work, or should I just send it to Acer and see what they do (which would have to wait until the summer).

SSD and 18W Core i5 should not be this annoying.

 

would a cooling pad(passive or active) help ?

I am also very sensitive to fan noise and found that using readyboost is just enough(in my case) to tip the balance to the point that my fan now stays idle about 90% of the time. I think it lower my HDD temp by 2-3C.

This may not be the solution for you, just another data point.

 

I don't want to buy a cooling pad. Before this I had an Acer 3810T with an SU9400 and since it was a Core 2 Duo, I undervolted it and it was very quiet. Even on battery it is not quiet, the 3810T was. I really don't see how I can hold out until Haswell with this thing.

 

I don't think the Acer warranty would be happy if you drilled holes in your notebook or the party you sell too.

If you can get to your fan without lifting warranty stickers, you may substitute a different fan. Acer been any help..if like asus your on your own?

 

well, you may need to try your solution then or give the readyboost a try. It cost me only 5 bucks for a class 10 SDHC, the best money I spend.

another alternative may be to switch to SSD which should also lower the heat some what especially when it is idle.

given that 1830T seems to be a thin and light model(where everything is so tightly packed so the fan would be to the small side too), it is very difficult to make it silent. I have a 10 years old JVC that has the same issue.

 

You can get to the fan by removing the keyboard. And if I sent it to Acer, I would send it before I drilled any holes.

Already use an Intel Gen 2 ssd. And Acer was able to make their previous generation of Core 2 Duo thin n lights silent, so not sure why that has changed with Core i. Also because of the ssd, no Readyboost.

 

oops, sorry I can't think of other things that may reduce the heat. A passive cooling pad seems to be the only thing that may help.

1830T is a 11" model vs the 3810T which is a 13" one ? If that is the case, it would be one of the reason, the smaller the machine, the more noise comes out of the fan, that is my experience, given that the heat produce is the same(and I don't see the reason that the new i5 to use less power than the SU9400 as C2D is famous in this department)

 

Yes, this is correct.

 

While I think drilling holes may help with the cooling, I think it also has an equal chance of keeping the noise at the same level or louder; after all, the plastic casing right now will muffle some of the noise, and if you put holes in it, it'll be easier to hear the fan running inside, too. Now if it gets cool enough that the fan doesn't spin as fast, it might get a little quieter, but again, since it'll be easier to hear, the overall effect might end up being about the same.

 

talking about noise, this is one thing I would like to see in notebook reviews.

That is, a 1 - 2 hours test of a usage pattern of web browsing via wifi with say 10-20% of time on Youtube and the change in fan noise measured.

 

It really depends where the noise is coming from:

1. Defective FAN - no wholes would help. Whenever the bearing goes bad - it is bad and no additional airflow will help.

2. If the noise is coming from constant on and off going of the fan, it could be a defective sensor, but more likely - it is an Acer - cheap, cheap, cheap! Then you can try with some wholes but it might not help much or even make it worse. And you warranty will be void for sure!!

3. If it is spinning on high rpm all the time, which creates noise, you should first try cleaning the fan! If you never did it - it is full of dust and this makes it not work optimally. I clean mine once every 3-6 Months.. If it is clean - then appropriate amount and size wholes might really help. But if you are still in Warranty - I wouldn't do it!

I've seen this solution deliver positive effects, but it really depends on the reason of the noise - whether it is a bad FAN or just too much heat. that makes it spin on a higher speed.