Sager 8690 Loud fan noise issue

I bought a Sager 8690 from PowerNotebooks.com back in 2010. The machine started making fan noises about a month back.

I took it to a local repair shop, who cleaned the machine from inside but did not replace the fan (as they did not have the components). The machine worked for a few weeks, but the fan noise is back now, with a vengeance. I've been playing Diablo 3 on it quite a bit, and that may or may not be the cause.

THe noise is a very loud motor like whirring sound. I have since stopped using the machine because im afraid it could be a HD issue + the sound is really ominous.

Has anyone else had issues with this make of Clevo and this buzzing fan noise? If it comes to it does anyone knwo of where I could get a fan replacement? Alternatively, could someone provide a guide on how to open the laptop and clean the required parts?

I am a neophyte when it comes to opening up laptops, so a pictorial guide would be appreciated. I'll spray it with compressed air or some such and see if that does anything I suppose, in the meantime.

 

It sounds like there is a problem with either of your fans. I would try to listen carefully to see which of the fans need replacement. You can find new fans here: Clevo Laptop Parts :: W86xCU/W87xCU :: VGA/CPU Fan for W86xCU/W87xCU - R&J Technology, Clevo Barebone Notebook kits, Laptop and desktop system builder

The fan manufacturer is A-POWER and model is: BS6005MS-U79. The Clevo P/N is_ 6-31-W860S-200. The fan for the CPU and GPU are the same.

Replacing is very easy. Just remove the back cover, unplug and unscrew the old fan, put in the new and voila!

 

Thanks for the quick response! I like that they ship
internationally. How can I determine which fan is busted though? I suppose the sound is comic more from the right to center part of the machine but I'm not sure.

Until the parts get here though, I heard that oiling the fan may provide a
fix. Would you advise I try that? Thanks again for your help. Guess I'll have to pur off Diablo for a while.. Or hog my sisters MacBook pro.

 

Could you provide a youtube video or something so we can hear the problem?

 

Here's a video.

I realize the video quality isn't the best, as I recorded it with my iphone. However, a few minutes in I zoom in to the machine and you can hear the buzz/whirring noise I'm talking about at about 0:23 to 0:30.

It is not constant. It's intermittent, meaning it'll do it randomly sometimes, then not others.

IMG 04051 - YouTube

 

Well that doesn't sound right.

Here is a hint for determining which one is making the noise. Download some stress-test software like OCCT. Then run a GPU-intensive task and hear for the noise. Do the same with the CPU. Be sure to pay attention to your temps though. OCCT has a built in temp-monitor as well.

Here is a guide to oiling computer fans if you would llke to try that first:
Fan maintenance - oiling bearings for fun and profit!

 

Could someone provide a guide on how to remove the fan, so I can get to the under side? Do I have to remove the heatsink? If so what is the least amount of screws I should remove?

I think the sticker I need to remove to get to the ball in the fan is on the flip side. I'm a little uncomfortable removing unecessary screws, so I'd appreciate any help in this regard. THanks for your help thus far. I will try running the programs you mentioned, and will try some sewing oil tommorow.

 

I can offer you a link to another section of our forums where Malibal was nice enough to post the Service Manual download link.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/626270-sager-8690-dead-keys.html
It is a .zip file so you will need to extract it and you will also need a PDF reader (Adobe Reader is fine).

Page 35 should give you some idea. You will only need to remove the fans, NOT the heatsinks. It looks like there should be 3 screws on each fan and the wire connector might need to be disconnected to remove the fans.

 

Thanks. Should be easy enough. I only counld find the 'concise user manual' when i rummaged through my laptop bag. It didn't have the diagrams which you provided - definitely a must have for when I want to start upgrading vram.

Which leads me to wonder...is it worth upgrading from a Radeon 5870? The card seems to have overheating issues, from what I've read..Would it be possible / worth it to upgrade to a GTX or a different Radeon card? If so, which cards should I be looking at?

 

Yup, the service manuals certainly come in handy for a lot of folks.

As far as your graphics card question, I leave that to oan001 to answer, I believe he was able to upgrade his.

 

Alright, so I take out the fan which I think is causing the issue, only to find (when i peel of the fan sticker) that the grommet that covers the ball bearing well is not made of rubber, as I would have assumed, but its made of steel or plastic.

I think its manufactured in such a way that you can't remove it (or not easily anyhow. MAybe just get a new fan?

Edit: I added some pictures of the fan. The metal/rubber covering in the middle is preventing me from getting to the ball in the middle which the guide talks about.

ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting

 

Don't like to post twice - but I didn't get a response. Anyways, would anyone recommend trying to remove the grommet that covers the fan? (See pics above). Seems like it's not removable.

 

I don't think you would be able to do so without breaking something. I'm almost positive that your fan is a sealed unit and can not be tampered with in that fashion.

If you still believe that the fan is having issues, try locating a replacement fan. If it is under warranty, then Sager/Clevo will want to double check it to confirm there is an issue with it before replacing it.

If it is out of warranty, they should still be able to sell you a replacement fan.

 

It's a sleeve type fan. Remove the top metal cover of the fan (tiny screws). Then gently pull-out the impeller straight-out with your fingers. Use a little amount of graphite powder and/or a little 3-in-1 oil on the pin, and spin by hand a few times to work the graphite in the sleve. It should spin freely without effort after a while. You might have to take it in and out a few times and add/remove oil/graphite until it's just right. It's the easiest type of fan to lube.

Chances are you'll end-up with the same problem buying a new one. POS fans in my opinion. Clevos should put better quality fans than these.

 

I know that this is a bit late, but before trying all that, try pressing Fn + 1. That will turn off the turbo mode for the fans.

I was looking around online like mad and reinstalling all my drivers only to find this very simple solution.