VPCF115FM/B fan noise / heat problem fixed

Just got an old (new to me) VPCF115FM/B. Fan noise beyond irritating, shut down during software update. How could Sony release such an inferior product? Completely unusable without headphones!

They didn't it's just broken and the fix may apply to many other laptops.

Searched this thread (thank you) and applied all the discussed updates, disabled many unneeded services, deleted much bloatware, reduced the allowed max processor load, etc. The fan still runs hard and loud with less than 10% CPU usage.

Disassemble for cleaning (do not follow instructions, found on the net, to remove the speaker cover and disassemble from the keyboard). Disassemble from the back, fairly straight forward, but you can brick your laptop. Your call. When you expose the fan and heat exchanger carefully examine the screws that clamp the heat pipes to the the processor and video chips. The pressed in mounting boss (a piece of meal forced into the PC board for the screw to attach the heat pipe clamp over the chip) had pulled out of the PC board. A design flaw, the boss should have a flange on the backside to prevent pull through. Correct repair would replace this boss with a flanged boss. I used a carefully trimmed piece of harder foam rubber to apply pressure to that area when the cover is re-installed. With less clamping pressure the chip will run hot with less heat being transferred to the heat exchanger and more into the body of the laptop. Clean the dust out of the fan and heat exchanger while you have it open. Mine was fairly clean.

Success. Fan only idles when there is low CPU activity, runs hard when loaded and slows again when unloaded. Just as it should be!

I would guess that many heating and continuously running fan issues have this problem.

Good luck
Ron206

 

Well done. Repped.