Netbook Fan noise

I hope this is the right section ....sorry if it isnt.

I have an msi wind u123 netbook, i got it off ebay about 6 months ago, and recently when i boot up the fan makes a god awful noise.... it sounds like its ratteling and vibrating really hard. then after a couple of seconds its goes away.

Then when i start to use it for an extended period of time and the fan needs to speed up i hear it again. But after about 5 - 10 min of use it sounds like the fan is operating correctly.... so im not sure whats going on.

If my fan dies would i be able to replace it ? I do not know much about laptops / netbooks, im a desktop man my self. I use this for college, so i need it to last.

 

Sounds like a dirty fan system like mine. Unfortunately, unless you can open up the whole thing to clean it, there isn't much you can do.

Try to see if someone knowledgeable enough about opening up netbook can do it for you.

 

Yes I would spray out all the crud/dust in the heatsink, fan and heatfins. If it is still making noise, most likely the fan bearings are shot and the fan will have to be replaced. Find a local repair shop to do this, MSI netbooks are a pain to service.

 

I dont really care about the fan making noise, but is it going to stop working any time soon, i dont want the net book to be dmged. and how much would it be to service it i got it for $200 so i dont know if its really worth it.

 

I mean it really depends. Fans can keep going for years and years. Some people cannot stand the noise, so it all depends on you. Fans are relatively cheap, no more than 20-30 bucks but the labor is going to be expensive to rip apart a netbook. Find a reputable shop in your area and see how much they would quote for it.

 

uzen,

better to plan to replace your fan in the netbook, rather than be forced to do it at the most inopportune time.

I suggest you open up the system and find the fans part number (or at least the dimensions) and find/order one as soon as you can. At the same time you can clean out any dust/debris that may be interfering with the fan too (this may be all that is needed).

When you have the time to devote your full attention to the issue, with the new fan in hand, you should switch the old/faulty one with the new one (and if you can't do this, get someone who can).

While the cost may not seem worth it compared to the price you paid for the system - are you able to afford a new system at all?

Sometimes, we have to do what we can, not what is 'best'.

Good luck.

 

this remind me my next 'watch out' for a new notebook, how easy it is to clean the cooling system.

My Samsung R40p is a mess which needs completely open up the whole thing. The other Dells I have can be done via simple compressed air.

 

That any alot of repair shops cannot work on Samsung notebooks in warranty. Imagine having to ship all repairs out to the manufacturer directly.

MSI and Acer have some of the worst designed netbooks, you pretty much have the gut the entire netbook to replace major internal components.

 

Uzen, i guess ill start looking online to see how to properly take it apart. And no i cant afford a new one, cause i spend all my money on my desktop lol. Netbook is just for college.

Thanks for the replys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD3rBDz3G7I

doesnt seem very hard to take it apart, but wow.... antenna is held down by tape.... lol cheap....i can clearly see the fan in this video. but even if i was to take mine apart how would i know the dimensions or how to replace ?

Just to clearify the noise, happens Almost every boot up, but always goes away.

 

Well are you still under MSI warranty? Opening it up to your own accord will most likely void any warranty you have left, and if something breaks during the process that will surely void the warranty as well.

Just be careful when opening it up, use a thin flat head for the chassis, and if something isn't right or coming out it's for a reason.

That video is good but it's probably been open before, so it's easier to reopen it. The chassis most likely has plastic tabs which you sometimes have to use some force to pry open, who knows if the video maker cracked them and voided the warranty.

 

The warranty is alrdy voided on this, i bought it off ebay and the previous owner had upgraded it to 2gb of ram from 1 dono if they did it them selfs or not, but there are 2 screws that are covered with the warrenty sticker, and if broken warranty is voided, they have been punctured to open it.

Im not to worried about warranty i just dont want to break it by opening it, if there is no need, or if i cant even find a replacement fan cause i have no idea where i would get one from

 

Well this model is easy, but I had to open a U120 and a U100 and it was terrible. However for the fan, I can't find anything on Ebay or google...might have to get a broken one and scrap it for parts..

 

yea i checked on newegg, ebay and google shopping but had no luck, it doesnt happen every time so if it gets worse or fan stops working < i monitor temps ever second lol. ill open it up see if cleaning is in need or something i can do, other wise ill get quotes from a repair shop, cause its only a $200 netbook, not really worth putting a ton of money into it :X

As always thanks a lot for the replys

 

A few thoughts. MSI stated they WILL still cover Winds that have upgraded RAM even if the warentee sticker was removed, they will even send you a new sticker if you request one.

My Toshiba Qosmio had a fan issue like you described. When the computer started, the thing made a sickly sounding racket reving up until it got warm then went quiet. Eventually, the fan died completley and I needed to replace it. That replacment fan is dead quiet; you can't even tell its on. My Wind U100 it just a rouch louder, but not noticable at all.

I am pretty sure the issue is with the motor windings. One of the poles must not be working.

The build quality of the Wind it total crap. One entire corner of the case is held in by one screw, which naturally is the first screw post to fail. Inside, there is TONS of wasted space. They could have made the thing close to 1/4" thinner without modification to the components. I should have gone with an Asus or HP. Its too bad the Toshiba netbooks were not out when I was looking, they are also very nice.

If it helps any, you may be able to get a fan from Asus. MSI and Asus seem to share a lot of parts. My Wind is running with an Asus Synaptics touchpad, which is plug and play. The folks over at the InsanelyWind forum may be of some help: http://www.insanelywind.com/msiarchive/

 

thanks a lot ill see if i can get the warranty sticker, but i dono if it will be of help cause i dont have a reciept or any thing like that :X

mabey i can buy a fan from msi or some thing ill look in to asus to thanks a lot

where did u get ur replacement fan from ?

 

Laptop Parts & Repair, Notebook Computer Repair, Printer Parts - Spare Parts Warehouse

They have good prices on a lot of items. The Toshiba CPU fan cost $15, which is about $40 lower than other online vendors. Shipping to Boston took three days and the package came straght from Toshiba.

I would try eBay for other parts like LCDs, CPUs and motherboard simply because used components are usially much cheaper and eBay does provide some buyer protection.