Fan noise driving me mad

[akist]

Laptop:Vortex Series: 17.3" bought 04-Nov-2014

Hello, my laptop makes ridiculous fan noise and on the smallest provocation, eg open a new window, and you can actually hear the CPU working (well the fan). Sometimes it gets in a state and sounds like a jet taking off even if I shut down all windows. Only a complete reset fixes this.

I have made sure the vents are all clear of dust and there is plenty of space under the laptop.

Is there a way to stop this nuisance fan? It is driving me mad.

I have installed a program to show me the CPU temperatures, as I type this I am around 51C-57C, and yet I can hear the fan speeding up and slowing down on every 0.5% extra CPU that the laptop uses! This happens because the CPU instantly almost goes over 60C with the smallest provocation, then the fan speeds up and stays at the higher speed long after the CPU has dropped below 60C.

I open a bunch of Chrome tabs (ok around 30) and the CPU goes mad, over 90C, and the fan sounds like a jet taking off.

Now that is ridiculous because total CPU is less than 14% (4 cores/threads at 25% and 4 at 0%). Yet we are having a Dyson cyclone in the back of this laptop it seems.

My initial thought is to remove the CPU heatsink and reapply good quality thermal paste. Maybe that fixes the CPU hitting 95C with such a low utilisation.

But even at 60C the fan is loud and obviously ineffective.

Has anyone managed to sort this out?

 

[Oussebon]

I open a bunch of Chrome tabs (ok around 30) and the CPU goes mad,

Mine does this as well, I think that's just Chrome, or possibly chrome addons such as adblockers.

A repaste is probably worth considering.

 

[BlessedSquirrel]

I've got the same laptop and mine is almost silent in normal operation, fans just tick by. I've repasted twice, but clean it thoroughly every 6 months by taking the fans out and blasting the blades and fins of the heatsinks. I use Thermal Grizzly which is excellent, would highly recommend over Arctic Silver. My temps are between 35 and 40 unless gaming.

I have 8 chrome tabs open, vpn connected, email open and nowtv playing in the background.

 

[ubuysa]

You say you've checked the vents are clear which is very wise and sensible, but the key component for cooling is the finned heat exchanger(s) right next to the fan(s). You'll need to open the laptop up to get at these but after two and a half years they will almost certainly be clogged up with dust and fluff (they are dust and fluff magnets!). You'll find a can of low-pressure compressed air (made for cleaning computers) and a soft brush to be the best tools to blow and tease this dust and fluff out of the fins. You need a very good airflow through these finned heat exchanges because that's where all the cooling is done.

 

[Ellanth]

I bought an optimus 8 a week ago and i just figured out it has its own system controller software. With that software you can manage max fan speed ( 50% min to me) and also you can manage what is the fan starting temperature ( i set my to 60c ) and when does it completely stop ( my set up is 50c). I play R6 siege, Quake champions etc on ultra settings and the max temperature with 50% fan speed is around 65 with 50% fan speed and its silent. When im just browsing stuff on the internet or watching movie the laptop is under 50c so the fans does not start at all so its noiseless. Give it a try to find the software on your laptop or check you might forgot to install it earlier.

 

[akist]

I have cleaned the copper heatsinks before, and did so again this morning. I took the fans completely out, removed copper sinks, removed old paste and used new. I had repasted the CPU before in the past (can't remember when) and the paste was still creamy. The NVIDIA chip was actually stuck with the paste, which had become very brittle and very dry. I cleaned copper sinks and fans fins with toothbrush and hoover. I now have 27% CPU usage and the temp is slightly below 70C and dropping instantly to 40C-45C when the CPU goes down, and the fan is so much more quiet now (less work to do I suppose).

I have a clean installation of Windows and not much in terms of the Clevo utilities, so I have not seen the fan control program you mention.

 

[richard_pcs]

Hello All!

Just a quick bit of input on this topic...

I would certainly say that cleaning out the fans and the heatsink would be an excellent idea, particularly if the system is a couple of years old. This will allow for good airflow to the heanksink and a reduction in fan noise. In terms of doing this thoroughly, I would highly recommend taking out the heatsinks completely so that the grills can be cleaned as this is where the most dust buildup occurs. If you would like assistance in the method for specific chassis, please raise a support query with ourselves and we will be more than happy to guide you through.

Whilst it is disassembled, a repaste would be excellent practice for longer term maintenance. I would also recommend Noctua NT-H1 Thermal paste as potentially a cheaper option, if you could get your hands on some.

In regards to reduction of the speed through fan controls, this would be a method that I would avoid if at all possible. The chassis are designed with these operating parameters in mind and altering the fan speeds can have an adverse effect on the chip temperatures. Over time, this increase in heat may thermally degrade the chip to a degree, leading to a reduction in performance.