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  3. Laptop fans do have a rev limit

Laptop fans do have a rev limit

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  • J Jacquers

    Be careful with the vacuum, I've 'fried' a laptop motherboard with static like that.

    P Offline
    P Offline
    Peter_in_2780
    wrote on last edited by
    #7

    Hardware guy from way way back, before this newfangled MOS appeared. Look at one of those chips the wrong way and it would zap itself. Anti-static procedures are automatic. (Slighlty) conductive brush, vacuum nozzle nearby.

    Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012

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    • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

      Vacuum isn't the best option (statics) - probably air-spray will help you extend the lifetime of the fan...

      "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." ― Albert Einstein

      P Offline
      P Offline
      Peter_in_2780
      wrote on last edited by
      #8

      With a vacuum, you have a reasonable chance of knowing where the debris winds up. With canned air, it goes into the most inaccessible recesses...

      Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012

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      • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

        Vacuum isn't the best option (statics) - probably air-spray will help you extend the lifetime of the fan...

        "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." ― Albert Einstein

        J Offline
        J Offline
        Jorgen Andersson
        wrote on last edited by
        #9

        Which is why I unscrew the fan before vacuuming.

        Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

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        • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

          To add to what the others say, the loss of a blade will affect the fan balance, which will likely also affect the fan bearings detrimentally - remember that fans spin at around 2KHz and have tiny, tiny metal balls running in ABS races. The balance problem may also hasten the departure of other blades, which will likely jam the fan and prevent it turning at all. If you leave the lappie alone for even a moment, turn it off until you have a new fan installed!

          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

          S Offline
          S Offline
          Stuart Dootson
          wrote on last edited by
          #10

          A bit like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzq519I5bhs)...

          Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p

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          • P Peter_in_2780

            This, my 15yo "social" laptop, spends much of its run time on soft surfaces, such as laps. As a consequence, I need to regularly open it up and pull the dust bunnies out of its airways. (I run a top bar temp monitor, so I can see when it's not breathing too well.) This morning I got to it. Of all the machines I've had to clean, it's among the most accessible. Unclip battery, 3 captive screws and 4 sliding clips to remove the keyboard. Pry up the "switch cover" above the keyboard. 2 more screws and the fan is out. As expected, major dust bunny almost blocking the airflow from fan into heatsink fins. Vacuum cleaner made short work of that. Brushed out the fan as best I could without disassembling it, decided to finish with the vacuum. Applied to outlet area, fan spins up to "normal" sort of revs. Vacuum applied to fan input face, fan sounds ready for takeoff. Sure enough, a clatter, and I now have an (n-1)-bladed fan. :-O Still appears to work, doesn't sound any different, and the CPU temp is about 15C lower. Might not survive too many repeats of that adventure, though.

            Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012

            S Offline
            S Offline
            Single Step Debugger
            wrote on last edited by
            #11

            Peter_in_2780 wrote:

            "social" laptop

            Yeah, let's call it that. :-D

            Advertise here – minimum three posts per day are guaranteed.

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            • P Peter_in_2780

              This, my 15yo "social" laptop, spends much of its run time on soft surfaces, such as laps. As a consequence, I need to regularly open it up and pull the dust bunnies out of its airways. (I run a top bar temp monitor, so I can see when it's not breathing too well.) This morning I got to it. Of all the machines I've had to clean, it's among the most accessible. Unclip battery, 3 captive screws and 4 sliding clips to remove the keyboard. Pry up the "switch cover" above the keyboard. 2 more screws and the fan is out. As expected, major dust bunny almost blocking the airflow from fan into heatsink fins. Vacuum cleaner made short work of that. Brushed out the fan as best I could without disassembling it, decided to finish with the vacuum. Applied to outlet area, fan spins up to "normal" sort of revs. Vacuum applied to fan input face, fan sounds ready for takeoff. Sure enough, a clatter, and I now have an (n-1)-bladed fan. :-O Still appears to work, doesn't sound any different, and the CPU temp is about 15C lower. Might not survive too many repeats of that adventure, though.

              Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012

              B Offline
              B Offline
              BillWoodruff
              wrote on last edited by
              #12

              Very strange: why is it "on dusty laps" so much that it needs surgery ? Buy a desk, or workstand that covers the lap ?

              «The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled» Plutarch

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              • P Peter_in_2780

                This, my 15yo "social" laptop, spends much of its run time on soft surfaces, such as laps. As a consequence, I need to regularly open it up and pull the dust bunnies out of its airways. (I run a top bar temp monitor, so I can see when it's not breathing too well.) This morning I got to it. Of all the machines I've had to clean, it's among the most accessible. Unclip battery, 3 captive screws and 4 sliding clips to remove the keyboard. Pry up the "switch cover" above the keyboard. 2 more screws and the fan is out. As expected, major dust bunny almost blocking the airflow from fan into heatsink fins. Vacuum cleaner made short work of that. Brushed out the fan as best I could without disassembling it, decided to finish with the vacuum. Applied to outlet area, fan spins up to "normal" sort of revs. Vacuum applied to fan input face, fan sounds ready for takeoff. Sure enough, a clatter, and I now have an (n-1)-bladed fan. :-O Still appears to work, doesn't sound any different, and the CPU temp is about 15C lower. Might not survive too many repeats of that adventure, though.

                Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012

                R Offline
                R Offline
                Rage
                wrote on last edited by
                #13

                My laptop vendor gave me the hint that apparently the Eco program in the dish washer does work to remove dust, just make sure you leave the screen open and place it in the lower basket.

                Do not escape reality : improve reality !

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                • P Peter_in_2780

                  This, my 15yo "social" laptop, spends much of its run time on soft surfaces, such as laps. As a consequence, I need to regularly open it up and pull the dust bunnies out of its airways. (I run a top bar temp monitor, so I can see when it's not breathing too well.) This morning I got to it. Of all the machines I've had to clean, it's among the most accessible. Unclip battery, 3 captive screws and 4 sliding clips to remove the keyboard. Pry up the "switch cover" above the keyboard. 2 more screws and the fan is out. As expected, major dust bunny almost blocking the airflow from fan into heatsink fins. Vacuum cleaner made short work of that. Brushed out the fan as best I could without disassembling it, decided to finish with the vacuum. Applied to outlet area, fan spins up to "normal" sort of revs. Vacuum applied to fan input face, fan sounds ready for takeoff. Sure enough, a clatter, and I now have an (n-1)-bladed fan. :-O Still appears to work, doesn't sound any different, and the CPU temp is about 15C lower. Might not survive too many repeats of that adventure, though.

                  Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012

                  D Offline
                  D Offline
                  DerekT P
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #14

                  Well, you're "running" it in reverse and it won't have been designed for that. But if the motor has permanent magnets, you're also generating current by blow-running it at any significant speed. The fan may survive over-speed, but the electronics it's connected to - even/especially if the machine is powered off, may not. :doh:

                  Telegraph marker posts ... nothing to do with IT Phasmid email discussion group ... also nothing to do with IT Beekeeping and honey site ... still nothing to do with IT

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                  • P Peter_in_2780

                    This, my 15yo "social" laptop, spends much of its run time on soft surfaces, such as laps. As a consequence, I need to regularly open it up and pull the dust bunnies out of its airways. (I run a top bar temp monitor, so I can see when it's not breathing too well.) This morning I got to it. Of all the machines I've had to clean, it's among the most accessible. Unclip battery, 3 captive screws and 4 sliding clips to remove the keyboard. Pry up the "switch cover" above the keyboard. 2 more screws and the fan is out. As expected, major dust bunny almost blocking the airflow from fan into heatsink fins. Vacuum cleaner made short work of that. Brushed out the fan as best I could without disassembling it, decided to finish with the vacuum. Applied to outlet area, fan spins up to "normal" sort of revs. Vacuum applied to fan input face, fan sounds ready for takeoff. Sure enough, a clatter, and I now have an (n-1)-bladed fan. :-O Still appears to work, doesn't sound any different, and the CPU temp is about 15C lower. Might not survive too many repeats of that adventure, though.

                    Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012

                    R Offline
                    R Offline
                    Rick York
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #15

                    I will echo what Bill wrote. It is a good idea to get a little lap pad for the computer to sit on when not on a desk. That insures the fans are unobstructed so they can do their job. Here are the products Amazon has : Amazon Laptop Desk[^]

                    "They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! Damn you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers! Can I get an amen?"

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                    • B BillWoodruff

                      Very strange: why is it "on dusty laps" so much that it needs surgery ? Buy a desk, or workstand that covers the lap ?

                      «The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled» Plutarch

                      S Offline
                      S Offline
                      Single Step Debugger
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #16

                      I bought these lap desks for the entire family, and we are verry happy with them: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N9JMSW6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1[^]

                      Advertise here – minimum three posts per day are guaranteed.

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                      • P Peter_in_2780

                        With a vacuum, you have a reasonable chance of knowing where the debris winds up. With canned air, it goes into the most inaccessible recesses...

                        Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012

                        J Offline
                        J Offline
                        jmaida
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #17

                        use both. either one can move dust in wrong places. main thing is keep the dust from accumulating. Heat is number one enemy of my computers. Have to replace a laptop because of poor cooling because of dust. learned my lesson

                        "A little time, a little trouble, your better day" Badfinger

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                        • R Rick York

                          I will echo what Bill wrote. It is a good idea to get a little lap pad for the computer to sit on when not on a desk. That insures the fans are unobstructed so they can do their job. Here are the products Amazon has : Amazon Laptop Desk[^]

                          "They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! Damn you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers! Can I get an amen?"

                          J Offline
                          J Offline
                          jmaida
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #18

                          those work for laptops. have feet and some little fans.

                          "A little time, a little trouble, your better day" Badfinger

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                          • P Peter_in_2780

                            This, my 15yo "social" laptop, spends much of its run time on soft surfaces, such as laps. As a consequence, I need to regularly open it up and pull the dust bunnies out of its airways. (I run a top bar temp monitor, so I can see when it's not breathing too well.) This morning I got to it. Of all the machines I've had to clean, it's among the most accessible. Unclip battery, 3 captive screws and 4 sliding clips to remove the keyboard. Pry up the "switch cover" above the keyboard. 2 more screws and the fan is out. As expected, major dust bunny almost blocking the airflow from fan into heatsink fins. Vacuum cleaner made short work of that. Brushed out the fan as best I could without disassembling it, decided to finish with the vacuum. Applied to outlet area, fan spins up to "normal" sort of revs. Vacuum applied to fan input face, fan sounds ready for takeoff. Sure enough, a clatter, and I now have an (n-1)-bladed fan. :-O Still appears to work, doesn't sound any different, and the CPU temp is about 15C lower. Might not survive too many repeats of that adventure, though.

                            Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012

                            L Offline
                            L Offline
                            Lost User
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #19

                            I do not own a laptop and my PC has no fans , but would it make sense to have dust collecting hardware EASY accessible ?

                            So the high tech is not so high....

                            Out laundry dryer collect junk and there are no screws to remove to get the filter out ....

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                            • P Peter_in_2780

                              This, my 15yo "social" laptop, spends much of its run time on soft surfaces, such as laps. As a consequence, I need to regularly open it up and pull the dust bunnies out of its airways. (I run a top bar temp monitor, so I can see when it's not breathing too well.) This morning I got to it. Of all the machines I've had to clean, it's among the most accessible. Unclip battery, 3 captive screws and 4 sliding clips to remove the keyboard. Pry up the "switch cover" above the keyboard. 2 more screws and the fan is out. As expected, major dust bunny almost blocking the airflow from fan into heatsink fins. Vacuum cleaner made short work of that. Brushed out the fan as best I could without disassembling it, decided to finish with the vacuum. Applied to outlet area, fan spins up to "normal" sort of revs. Vacuum applied to fan input face, fan sounds ready for takeoff. Sure enough, a clatter, and I now have an (n-1)-bladed fan. :-O Still appears to work, doesn't sound any different, and the CPU temp is about 15C lower. Might not survive too many repeats of that adventure, though.

                              Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012

                              P Offline
                              P Offline
                              Paul Sanders the other one
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #20

                              I had the heatsink work partially loose on my desktop, and as a result the CPU temperature rose to around 100C. But I reseated the heatsink and it's still soldiering on, tough old birds, these chips.

                              Paul Sanders. If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter - Blaise Pascal. Some of my best work is in the undo buffer.

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                              • P Peter_in_2780

                                This, my 15yo "social" laptop, spends much of its run time on soft surfaces, such as laps. As a consequence, I need to regularly open it up and pull the dust bunnies out of its airways. (I run a top bar temp monitor, so I can see when it's not breathing too well.) This morning I got to it. Of all the machines I've had to clean, it's among the most accessible. Unclip battery, 3 captive screws and 4 sliding clips to remove the keyboard. Pry up the "switch cover" above the keyboard. 2 more screws and the fan is out. As expected, major dust bunny almost blocking the airflow from fan into heatsink fins. Vacuum cleaner made short work of that. Brushed out the fan as best I could without disassembling it, decided to finish with the vacuum. Applied to outlet area, fan spins up to "normal" sort of revs. Vacuum applied to fan input face, fan sounds ready for takeoff. Sure enough, a clatter, and I now have an (n-1)-bladed fan. :-O Still appears to work, doesn't sound any different, and the CPU temp is about 15C lower. Might not survive too many repeats of that adventure, though.

                                Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012

                                P Offline
                                P Offline
                                Peter Kelley 2021
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #21

                                I've had a Framework laptop for a few months now for personal use. I chose it because so many of the design choices were for simplifying maintainability and upgradability (sp?).
                                As an example getting to the fan to clean it - or even replace it is simple. And the same for other components. e.g. Heatsink and Fan Replacement Guide - Framework Guides[^] I also go the lap desk route, one with a lift so the underside of the machine is always clear. So far it is so new that I haven't needed to clean it yet. Time will tell.

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                                • P Peter_in_2780

                                  This, my 15yo "social" laptop, spends much of its run time on soft surfaces, such as laps. As a consequence, I need to regularly open it up and pull the dust bunnies out of its airways. (I run a top bar temp monitor, so I can see when it's not breathing too well.) This morning I got to it. Of all the machines I've had to clean, it's among the most accessible. Unclip battery, 3 captive screws and 4 sliding clips to remove the keyboard. Pry up the "switch cover" above the keyboard. 2 more screws and the fan is out. As expected, major dust bunny almost blocking the airflow from fan into heatsink fins. Vacuum cleaner made short work of that. Brushed out the fan as best I could without disassembling it, decided to finish with the vacuum. Applied to outlet area, fan spins up to "normal" sort of revs. Vacuum applied to fan input face, fan sounds ready for takeoff. Sure enough, a clatter, and I now have an (n-1)-bladed fan. :-O Still appears to work, doesn't sound any different, and the CPU temp is about 15C lower. Might not survive too many repeats of that adventure, though.

                                  Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012

                                  B Offline
                                  B Offline
                                  BryanFazekas
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #22

                                  I take my desktop outside every 6 months and blow out the case. I learned (the hard way) to NOT do it in the house. I also learned to stick a bamboo skewer in each fan before blowing air on it, as it's very possible to overtorque a fan and break it. While on the subject of desktops, my current case has the power supply on the bottom. DO NOT buy one, as they suck up every bit of dust on the floor. I built a stand for it, so the case is 8" (20cm) off the floor -- this cut dust accumulation by 75%.

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                                  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                    To add to what the others say, the loss of a blade will affect the fan balance, which will likely also affect the fan bearings detrimentally - remember that fans spin at around 2KHz and have tiny, tiny metal balls running in ABS races. The balance problem may also hasten the departure of other blades, which will likely jam the fan and prevent it turning at all. If you leave the lappie alone for even a moment, turn it off until you have a new fan installed!

                                    "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                    J Offline
                                    J Offline
                                    JohnDG52
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #23

                                    "Fans spin at 2kHz" - you sure about that? 120,000 rpm? "Love justice, you who rule the world". Dante.

                                    OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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                                    • J JohnDG52

                                      "Fans spin at 2kHz" - you sure about that? 120,000 rpm? "Love justice, you who rule the world". Dante.

                                      OriginalGriffO Offline
                                      OriginalGriffO Offline
                                      OriginalGriff
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #24

                                      I like my computers really cool. Or, I'm an idiot and made a mistake. I suspect the latter.

                                      "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                      "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                                      "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

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                                      • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                        I like my computers really cool. Or, I'm an idiot and made a mistake. I suspect the latter.

                                        "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

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                                        JohnDG52
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #25

                                        Simple kinda mistake. I tested a 40mm fan, 12V, using a magnet and Hall sensor. Got about 6,000 rpm (in free air).

                                        OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • J JohnDG52

                                          Simple kinda mistake. I tested a 40mm fan, 12V, using a magnet and Hall sensor. Got about 6,000 rpm (in free air).

                                          OriginalGriffO Offline
                                          OriginalGriffO Offline
                                          OriginalGriff
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #26

                                          Tch! You know that accurate fan speed testing can only be done in a vacuum ... :-D

                                          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                                          "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

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