T61 fan more audible than usual, cause for worry?

As above, my 10months old T61 fan suddenly got louder these few days, as in, I can hear it now from working distance whereas it used to be silent previously from the same distance. It's spinning at 3300rpm on AC. Any cause for worry? I carry my laptop around everyday perhaps some screw got loose or something?

Thanks.

 

Is your environment dusty? A buildup of dust (you'd be surprised how much can buildup in just a few months, let alone 10) can cause the heatsink to work less efficiently (doesn't allow airflow over the fins) and thus the fan may be having to work overtime.

 

So I tried cleaning the vents, still the same.

And just a few days ago, the fan started whining even louder. I did a little check and I'm certain that something is wrong. Used the built in mic and Vista sound recorder to record the fan sounds and checked with SIW for the current fan RPM.

Both a direct links to a WMA sound file. You'll need a headset to hear the difference as the Thinkpad speakers are too soft.

This was the a little bit louder sound I mentioned in the first post. 3100rpm-3500rpm

While this is the new whine that I mentioned in this post. 3300rpm. I heard this sound at 3100rpm also. Loud enough to tick me off.

Any ideas? Does anyone's T61 sounds this loud at 3000rpm range?

 

pepclub,

I have EXACTLY the same sounds with my T61. For the first year or so, the fan was extremely quiet.

About two months ago, the noise began when the computer was working hard (presumably because of high heat).

In the past few weeks, it is now constant and extremely annoying.

I have a feeling it is related to the wearing of the fan ball bearings but they should not wear after a year of use.

I did open up the T61 to see if there was an inordinate build-up of dust on the fan. Did not open up the heatsink but the fan itself had minimal dust and I cleaned out what was there. Still the sound continues.

(EDIT - Incidentally, I think that part of the problem is the fan controller. Until recently, my T61 fan never seemed to rev up to a high level. The first time I noticed the sound was when I started doing minor video rendering and attributed it to the fact that the CPU hadn't worked so hard in the past. Now, it seems it is constantly on and running loud. Perhaps a Power Manager or BIOS update messed with the settings ... or the fans are just cheap...).

Ultimately, I called up the store where I bought it who also service the warranty, told them the fan has become inordinately loud and I am awaiting the part coming in. I'll report back after it's been changed.

 

Could be that the proc is getting hotter because the thermal paste/pad has deteriorated and hence cannot move the heat away fast enough. Fixing that though is a warranty killer.

 

@alchemy

Glad to see that I'm not alone. And same here, my fan was also barely audible during the last 9 months or so, even when doing intensive tasks.

I have 3 years warranty on this machine but unfortunatly I will need it with me until the next month or so.

Thanks!



I don't think it is the thermal paste/pad. The first "a little louder sound" I mentioned sounded more like something around/in the fan part is loose and it could be possible as I carry my T61 around almost everyday.

 

I just dropped the laptop off for the fan change today so I'll have it back Tuesday or Wednesday latest and will report back.

If you have a warranty repair shop in your area, you could probably have them order in the part and change it in one or two hours time. (My repair shop is able to do it in this short time but I am far enough away and busy day-to-day that it is more sensible for me to drop it off and use my old laptop in the interim).

The thermal paste/pad possibility is not a bad guess in that the fan would ramp up and stay on if there was any heat issues (which would explain the ALWAYS ON problem right now). I occasionally check CPU temp readings and have not noticed anything out of the ordinary.

I'll report back on Tuesday/Wednesday.

(As an aside, I first posted about this a month ago but got no response. I have seen occasional other posts on other forums regarding this very issue but never any real follow-up).

 

Okay. Just a report back now that I've received my laptop back from repair.

The new fan is inaudible. Just the sound of air moving. Very pleased with the result.

Now I gotta go buy some double-sided tape to repair the bezel which seems to no longer be flush with the frame (it can be pulled apart with ease).