Clean laptop fan - how it works
If your laptop gets loud and hot, it usually means that you have to clean the fan. We'll explain how it works.
Cleaning laptop fans - not a devil's work, even for laypeople
You almost always have to open your laptop to access the fan. Before that, you should remove the battery. If your battery is permanently installed, you should either be very careful or leave the work to a specialist. The examples in the picture gallery are all done with a Lenovo Y500. However, the process is almost always the same. Some models are more difficult and some are easier to open. You can usually find illustrated instructions on the Internet.
- As already mentioned, you have to remove the battery. To do this, you usually have to release a safety latch on the bottom of the device or loosen the screws.
- In order to remove the bottom cover, you usually have to loosen several screws.
- You can then lift and remove the cover with a little pressure.
- You can either partially remove the clogged fans or clean them directly. It is best to use a fine cotton swab for this. Remember to also clean the copper fins, otherwise the air flow cannot escape.
- Then return the fan to its original location and put your laptop back together again.
Fan cleaning via software
Many manufacturers also supply software on their devices that enables you to turn the fans on for a short time. If you do this regularly, there won't be as much dust. However, the procedure does not help you if there is already a certain layer of dust. This may then only be compressed even more, which can make your laptop hotter and louder.
We explain what you need to consider when buying a new laptop battery.
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To remove the battery on a Y500, you must release the latch on the right once. You must hold the left one in the unlocked position. Only then can you easily remove the battery.
As shown in the picture, you need to remove nine Phillips screws.
A fan that you can clean is in the top right corner. It supplies the graphics card and the CPU via heat pipes.
To better clean the fan, loosen the three screws and pry the fan out.
The fan in the picture has only started to collect light dust, but even a small amount of topping helps to reduce the cooling capacity. In this position you can optimally clean the fan with a cotton swab.
